VL vin number

[Temple]

Dear Sean, I would guess so, just in 1935, but have not seen one yet, .and the Harley 'Legend Begins' book does not report any being built. The VL Register shows a set of engine cases with possible VDD numbers spotted in Iowa in 1998, but I have not seen them. If they exist, they would be a medium or low compression 80 cube bike, possibly for sidecar use. While we're talking about rarities, there seems to have been least one 34VLDD built, with a real high engine number in the 9000s, and maybe a test bike for the 1935 season 80 cuber.

Pics attached of Vin.

[Temple]

The Legend Begins mentions the 35VDDS on page 218 but not on page 202 where the 1935 production figures are. But the book does not list all amounts for all years and even the figures it contains are not to be regarded as totally accurate according to page 198. However the book includes this 1935 season order blank which describes the VDDS as an 80” twin with low compression and sidecar gearing and bars.







Does your last D look original to the motor? And are the rest of the characters consistent with factory stamping? Partial photo? What are the belly numbers? Photos?
Eric

Added. Yes. Consistent and exactly the same.

[Temple]

What was the verdict regarding the serial number? Consistent with factory stamping? Partial photo? I’m also interested in whether or not the two Ds are the same style and size as each other.
Eric

It has Hollywood style bars. Pics attached.

[Steve Slocombe]

Looks like good numbers to me. Note the V lost its serifs after 1934. This is a real high engine number near the end of 1935 model year production. The VL Register shows six 35VLDD models, and one other 35VDD(S), also with a high serial number. Nice piece! Where is that VLDJ now to make a set?

[Steve Slocombe]

Your handlebars could of course have been changed over time, but your picture seems to show the late 1935 reinforced/braced one-year horn brackets. Connie Schlemmer told me he used to work at a Harley dealership that year, and early bikes came in with the horns hanging off where the horn shaking had fatigued and cracked the early brackets, so Harley made a running change. Just another piece of trivia for us rivet-counters...

[Speeding Big Twin]

Thanks for the photo of the SN. I agree with Steve and the SN looks good. I can’t see anything wrong with the characters and they all appear normal factory types for 1935. Here’s an example for comparison of most characters.






It seems a lot of 35 models had 34 BNs. Maybe around 500-700 (?) of them.

For 35 models with 35 BNs the SN is often way higher than the BN and I have several examples with a difference of over 1000.
Eric

[Steve Slocombe]

I'd be interested to see some earlier 1935 VLs with 1934 belly numbers, as this would give us some idea of the level of intermediate stocks kept by Harley. The big difference is in 1930, where the first couple of thousand VL bikes were recalled for modifications, including new crankcases, and the belly numbers continued while the engine serial numbers were re-issued.

[Tommo]

My 1935 80 has the engine number 35VLD7--4D and was supplied new with the Deluxe Solo package.
I'll photograph the engine number tomorrow and post it up here.

[Tommo]

35 80 inch.JPG The numbers on my bike

[Speeding Big Twin]

Steve, here’s a 35 SN and its 34 BN. I’ll email the unedited versions to VL Heaven later today.










I also have photos of six other 35s with 34 BNs. The SNs are either 12++ or 14++. Some BNs are in the mid-to-high 8000s while some are in the low-9000s.

For 35 models with 35 BNs the lowest I have thus far is SN 20++ with BN 13++.
Eric

[Steve Slocombe]

Good info, thank you. My 36VLH1041 currently in the Wheels Through Time Museum has 1935 belly numbers. My VL book reports that 34VLD1078 has belly numbers 33-3557 and 34VLD1160 has 33-3733, while 33VLE3583 has 33-3489 belly numbers. All this suggests the crankcases were first matched and belly numbers stamped, then pulled from a pile of a few hundred held as intermediate stock before final assembly and stamping with the engine numbers.

[Temple]

Good info, thank you. My 36VLH1041 currently in the Wheels Through Time Museum has 1935 belly numbers. My VL book reports that 34VLD1078 has belly numbers 33-3557 and 34VLD1160 has 33-3733, while 33VLE3583 has 33-3489 belly numbers. All this suggests the crankcases were first matched and belly numbers stamped, then pulled from a pile of a few hundred held as intermediate stock before final assembly and stamping with the engine numbers.

My belly numbers are 35-6726 and matching.

[Speeding Big Twin]

Thanks. Including yours I’ve recorded thirty-three 35s with 35 BNs. The SN is always higher and the two lowest differences so far are in the 500s. Twenty-two differences are in the 600s-800s. The rest differ by over 900.
Eric