White Grips- 1916 J

[Chris Haynes]

I believe that this 1916 factory photo is showing white tires. I could be wrong on the year.

[Chris Haynes]

I was told that this is a 1915. I couldn't say for sure. Dirty whites or?

[duffeycycles]

first pic is 1914..second is round tank '16 or later & is color black

[exeric]

I can't say when black tires became standard, but white, gray, off-white tires were common into the early 1920s. I had a book that Goodyear published in the 1950s and it went into depth on tire technology starting from the early days. Tires did not get better overnight, and it was a long process of small discoveries, and development. Even today, tire technology is still in process.

[Nils_r]

Good- I think it's established that they could be delivered With white tires- but were there also white floor mats- if rubber technology was still mainly natural rubber I Guess they should be white as well

[duffeycycles]

I went thru all my old pics of '15 & my original lit.My '15 sidecar catalog shows white tires on cover.All of the original pics I have saved of production machines show black,some look like brand new machines.None of my lit & pics show white grips or footboard mats,only black.My old buddy's bike had the original tires still on it from known history,they were black.I have lots of restored pics with white.

[exeric]

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I agree with Roger that most every picture I have seen of pre-'24 Harleys have black grips. On tires, I have seen more 'white' tires than black, and also many white wall tires on pre-'20 vintage bikes. Again, the tires of that vintage are not white like today's reproduction tires. I believe the color could be anywhere between black, and natural gum tan.

[duffeycycles]

The carbon black tires were darker on the tread than the sides.Erics first pic looks euro.The second looks like carbon black to me.My old buddy had new replacement tires hanging on the wall & never had put them on because the were all very black & did not really match the originals that were still on his '15.The handgrips & footboard mats were black,probably more carbon added because they did not have to flex & did not want as gummy of feel as the tires had,even with carbon black added.I do have 1 original '15 pic with white tires.

[exeric]

yardld.jpg

I've been collecting pictures from the CAIMAG 'vintage pics of the day' for years and I have to say the tires for teens and earlier bikes are overwhelmingly 'light' in color. This picture clearly shows the difference between 'white' tires, and a black tire on the Excelsior on the far right.

[exeric]

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I particularly like this picture of Wells Bennett on a 1919 Excelsior with whitewall tires.

[Chris Haynes]

first pic is 1914..second is round tank '16 or later & is color black

Footboards in 1914?

[MMasa]

Footboards in 1914?

Yes Chris. 1914 was the first year for footboards on Harley's
Mark

[duffeycycles]

I think it also has the 2 speed lever on the tank for a model 10F I think..high speed twin for 14