1936 Knucklehead rear springer fork

[Jerry Wieland]

Anybody have an educated guess as to when (approximate serial number) the Company put the re-inforcing gussets on the fender mounting tabs and when the started using a big fender tab?

Thanks Jerry

[Chris Haynes]

those were 1937 changes.

[flathead tom]

what day did chris run out sh---t papper

outhouse blues

those were 1937 changes.

[Matt McManus]

I have seen a few early 37's that still had the "36" fork without the reinforcements, I have also see a few late 37's that had the "38" fork with the wide fender brackets.

This makes me think the the fork you are talking about is a mid 37 fork.

[Jerry Wieland]

Thanks Matt - That is what I was looking for. Jerry

[Chris Haynes]

Thanks Matt - That is what I was looking for. Jerry

You are welcome Jerry.

[Jerry Wieland]

You are welcome Jerry.

Thanks Chris

The reason I thanked Matt and not you is because your answer could have been given by a wino down on 2nd street who had never looked at a HD in his life. Matt backed his answer up with WHY he thought it was a 37 - even as general of a response as it was.

Sorry but that is the way I feel about. Thanks

[Chris Haynes]

Thank you for comparing me to a wino on 2nd st. I am usually on 5th.

[Jerry Wieland]

Thank you for comparing me to a wino on 2nd st. I am usually on 5th.

Chris I appreciate your input and your pictures to say nothing of 40+ years of observation but most of the time I am looking for more than a yes or no answer.

Jerry

[exeric]

Thank you for comparing me to a wino on 2nd st. I am usually on 5th.

Great comeback Chris. I now have to clean the coffee I sprayed out on my keyboard.

[Chris Haynes]

Your question was "Anybody have an educated guess as to when (approximate serial number) the Company put the re-inforcing gussets on the fender mounting tabs and when the started using a big fender tab?"
To which I answered "those were 1937 changes."
Now please tell me why you consider that "The reason I thanked Matt and not you is because your answer could have been given by a wino down on 2nd street who had never looked at a HD in his life. Matt backed his answer up with WHY he thought it was a 37 - even as general of a response as it was."
You asked for an educated guess and I gave you mine. I did not give you a yes or no answer. But I will remember your snobbery next time you ask for help.
Now I will go back to my bottle Pagan Pink Ripple.

[LJH]

I saw a very low numbered 38ul, with the 37 style front end, and late 37 frame. it was at Oley

[exeric]

I saw a very low numbered 38ul, with the 37 style front end, and late 37 frame. it was at Oley

That's a 74 year old motorcycle. Maybe it was in a wreck in 1939 and those were the parts a dealer had on hand. What do you use as a touchstone for making such assettments? All of us have seen a lot of motorcycles in our lives, and we have looked at bikes that have the right patina, and look correct, but how do we know? The most expert people on these forums are not old enough, and were not around when these bikes were new. Also, they were not around when a particular bike was new so how could they possibly know if it is correct. The only thing we have to go on is assessing a quantitiy of examples and drawing an assumption from that data. H-D was better than most manufacturers at staying true to a part type for a specific year but again, how do you know the anomolies were not made at a dealership because of an accident. I'm willing to listen and learn from people that know a lot more than I do, but colloquial, and annecdotal information is not fact. I've seen a lot more misrepresented phoneys, than I have bonafide genuine motorcycles.