1915 11F - Painted or Plated

[Peter Cooke]

Peter,
APPRECIATED! What is that document?
Thanks.
Chuck S.

Published by Antique Cycle Supply Inc back in the '80s.

1903-76 H-D Paint Colors.jpg

[wallaman]

Eric,
Appreciated. Thinking I'm going for #3 on your list.

Peter,
Appreciated - again!

Thanks to both of you.
Chuck S.

[exeric]

I think the broad blue stripe is a good choice, Chuck. If I was to restore my 1916F I would go with the blue stripe.

Here are some striping dimensions of a European source. They are for the Olive Green era but I would say the striping dimensions would be very similar to '15 and '16.

stripea.jpg stripeb.jpg stripec.jpg

[wallaman]

Eric,
SUPER helpful and appreciated!!
Thank you!
Chuck S.

[wallaman]

OK, seems the more I figure out on my '15 project, the more questions I have! So... Are the pinstripes on the frame and forks always black or are they dark blue if the large stripes on the tank and fenders are dark blue? From all the OP pics I have, the frame/fork pinstripes always look black regardless of the large stripe color, but all I have are photographs that don't always render the colors perfectly, and, after all, the paint on these examples is 110 years old at this point! Thanks for any insight here!

[Speeding Big Twin]

I can’t help with the striping colour but according to The Legend Begins all 1915 models were finished in Harley-Davidson gray.
Eric

[wallaman]

Eric,
Your post is appreciated. I've gotten past the primary color as being grey, and actually had the pin striper over yesterday doing the frame and forks. The tanks and fenders are still in primer so I have a chance to change the "wide" stripe color from dark blue to black if necessary, hence the question about the frame/fork pin stripe color matching (or not) the wide stripe color. Looking forward to any thoughts, documentation, etc. on that combination,,,

[exeric]

I did some limited Reserarch and came up with no conclusive advice. I looked in sales brochures and saw no mention of a color for frame striping but on a few color pictures of O.P. 1915s the striping looks to be black, or 'aged' dark blue. I have some pics of O.P. 15s somewhere but this is the only close-up I could find that shows a frame stripe. Just my opinion, but I think dark blue frame stripes would be okay. . . . Although those stripes do look like Black

hdarchives09.jpg

[Tommo]

Here are the striping colours as set out in the 1919 HD Accessory Catalogue
Im sure I've put these up before IMG_20250525_0002.jpg IMG_20250525_0001.jpg

[wallaman]

Eric/Tommo,
Funny, I've been looking at pics of that same bike (along with a number of others) and would call the pin stripes black. Interesting though that the Accessory Catalog pages that Tommo posted (THANK YOU VERY MUCH!!!) only list Dark Gray striping enamel and not black... But good to know there isn't a Dark Blue striping enamel!

[Tommo]

The only thing in the 1915 Parts Book that gices any idea about lining is page 46 that shows some of the toolbox door IMG_20250525_0003.jpg

[duffeycycles]

1915 sidecar catalog indicates dark grey. If you look at the first pic I posted [that I took] it looks like dark blue.

HD 1915 sidecar paint details.jpg

[exeric]

The more I look at that pic I posted, I have to wonder if those frame stripes are dark Gray. Gray would be a nice neutral color, and wouldn't require each frame to be striped to match the broad color stripe. Also, sidecar frames were painted dark Gray in that era. Being more critical of that picture, I don't think that bike is all original paint as the battery box cover, gas tank, and shifter parts look repainted. However, the frame looks nicely seasoned and could be O.P.

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