H-D Production IoE V-twins 1909-1929

[Steve Swan]

some original 1928 pics

$T2eC16NHJFoFH4t-WyTCBSZsb+6SDg~~60_57.JPG$(KGrHqYOKnMFJjsGctvWBSZsespDBQ~~60_57.JPG$T2eC16ZHJHcFFkYgGdv1BSZsc0nfR!~~60_57.JPGDSCN3210.JPG$(KGrHqJHJEsFJk+ppOIyBSZsc)hOmg~~60_57.JPG

[Steve Swan]

a few more original 28 pics

$(KGrHqZHJEUFJZ+B+HOIBSZscvyeLQ~~60_57.JPG$T2eC16JHJGsFFM1p4lreBSZsdy1hng~~60_57.JPG$T2eC16ZHJF8FFqHDzTdkBSZsd3YISg~~60_57.JPGDSCN3211.JPGDSCN3216.JPG

[Steve Swan]

finally, the end of the line..... a couple pics of a sort of original red 29 that sold out of Montana on ebay a couple years ago. and the perhaps infamous st. louis car "museum" green 29. i looked long and hard at that bike when i first discovered the "museum" probably close to 10 years ago. the price just seemed a bit out of reach to me. it sold for around $26k, then disappeared for about 1.5 years and reappeared on ebay maybe a year later (about 3+ years ago) as a completely restored cream color, did not meet asking price of $75k. round 2 on ebay, sold for $50k as i recall. the resto looked really nice. finally, the bright red one, as i recall was from spain. i found a bunch of pictures of it about 6 or 8 years ago when i was in early in my interest of things JD. The bright red one really had me peeing my pants, because i loved the color and because my Dad had traded his 27 in on a new 29 to Billy Wolfe Cycles in Lincoln, Nebraska. Dad had to turn the 29 back in, he could not afford it because of depression, had returned back to the farm after a 2 year stint in college, so he was a poor farm boy again.

red29.8.JPGred29.02.JPG413974_2201907208044_Original.jpg413974_2201907331888_Original.jpgHarley-Davidson-JD-1929_01.jpg

[TechNoir]

Great pictures Steve.

That perfectly restored 27 is a fine looking bike.

John

[MMasa]

Steve
No idea where that cutaway engine is but it's pretty cool. I've often thought about making one out of damaged, or scrap parts. Never seem to find the time though.
Mark

[Steve Swan]

Thanks John and Mark. Hopefully we'll have a few more replies and perhaps some pictures before this thread goes to sleep.

my earlier question went unanswered. was the vin boss on LH crankcase painted or left raw from the factory?

i seem to recall that cutaway sold for around $10k. i wonder if it was factory? as i recall it was at some technical training school in south america before going on ebay.

[Robert Luland]

The vin pad was left raw. I got to have a couple hundred factory pictures the clearly show it.

[camsaure]

Steve, I really enjoyed this thread, Great reference material also. Thank you! I would like to encourage everyone with pictures of unmolested bikes to post them also. Sure would like to see some pics of unmolested 25s or factory close ups. I hope this thread doesn't die and think it could be added as a "sticky" so it is easy for everyone to find in the future. With the absence of a good technical book this is quite useful, (at least until Mark Massa publishes a book I also would like to see the club magazine every month seek out some of these unmolested time capsules and do a good spread on them with plenty of color close ups. I certainly regret not taking detailed pictures of all the original condition bikes that I have seen over the last 50 years. Thanks again.

[Steve Swan]

Steve, I really enjoyed this thread, Great reference material also. Thank you! I would like to encourage everyone with pictures of unmolested bikes to post them also. Sure would like to see some pics of unmolested 25s or factory close ups. I hope this thread doesn't die and think it could be added as a "sticky" so it is easy for everyone to find in the future. With the absence of a good technical book this is quite useful, (at least until Mark Massa publishes a book I also would like to see the club magazine every month seek out some of these unmolested time capsules and do a good spread on them with plenty of color close ups. I certainly regret not taking detailed pictures of all the original condition bikes that I have seen over the last 50 years. Thanks again.

Cam, looking at the battery box on this bike, the reinforcing strap goes around the upper 1/4th of the box, and the hinged lid latches, it's a 1925 model. it also appears to have the narrow fenders.


yeah..... hopefully this thread won't go into permanent hibernation. there's gotta be alot of great pics, private and factory out there. Other than the Rider's Handbook, a few brochures and ads, all related to the 27, i've posted everything i have.

if you click 3 times on the picture, it gets delightfully large. i can email it to you, if you'd like.

1925 1.jpg

[Steve Swan]

The vin pad was left raw. I got to have a couple hundred factory pictures the clearly show it.

Thanks for confirming, Bob. i only have a couple pics, including one of my Dad with his 27, where the vin pad pad appears unpainted. I'll need to remove the paint on mine..

[Rubone]

An old Newspaper advertisement a friend who was living in OZ found under some old linoleum during a kitchen remodel in the late '80s. She mailed it to me back then.

[Steve Slocombe]

That gives me another chance to ask Mark Masa where his JD book is today? My VL book is now in its sixth edition and 26th year continuously in print, and there were probably five or six times more Harley pocket valve bikes built than VLs. I've previously said that AMCA members should get together and knock out a chapter each of this much needed reference work, and been rebuffed. But none of us are getting younger and a somewhat rough first edition would be preferable to a polished edition in the indefinite future...

[Steve Swan]

An old Newspaper advertisement a friend who was living in OZ found under some old linoleum during a kitchen remodel in the late '80s. She mailed it to me back then.

thanks Robbie, for that great ad. i love how the additional brake is called a fore wheel brake.

[Steve Swan]

That gives me another chance to ask Mark Masa where his JD book is today? My VL book is now in its sixth edition and 26th year continuously in print, and there were probably five or six times more Harley pocket valve bikes built than VLs. I've previously said that AMCA members should get together and knock out a chapter each of this much needed reference work, and been rebuffed. But none of us are getting younger and a somewhat rough first edition would be preferable to a polished edition in the indefinite future...

Ditto what Steve says !

[TechNoir]

I would be happy to contribute what little I know.


John