Identification of genuine HD grips and kick pedal blocks.

[RobG]

Don't know if this is the correct place for this, but seems as good as any other.
I collect genuine NOS Harley grips and have a pair of early hard plastic waffle pattern grips in Royal Blue, part numbers 56208-35 and 3311-35E. I've seen these exact same dark blue color grips for sale three times. Now I've recently seen the exact same style hard plastic grips in a lighter blue. Never seen two different shades of blue offered in any 1940's or early 1950's Harley accessory catalog. I've attached photos of both the blue grips, and portion of a page from a late 1940's accessory catalog where only Royal Blue is available, along with Red, Yellow, and Black - all of which I also have.
Does anyone have any knowledge of the lighter blue grips being available from Harley at any time? So, are the lighter blue grips also genuine HD or a reproduction part?

Now also seen the mid 1940's kick pedal blocks in the same light blue color and also green. But again the late 1940's accessory catalog only has these pedals in Black, Red and Yellow. Also attached photos of the two pedal blocks - as long as I've done everything correctly! Are the light blue and green pedal blocks genuine Harley or reproduction? They look real enough to me.

Any help or ideas would be very welcome and appreciated. My regards to everyone in the AMCA.

[Chuck#1848]

NOS Red Pedal Block

Picked it up at Wauseon last Year

[RobG]

Thanks for the photo Chuck. Very nice part to have found. Your red hydra-glide looks great from what I can see. What year is it, and have you got any photos of the bike posted anywhere so I can have a better look?
Regards, Rob.

[Chuck#1848]

Rob, I also got NOS parts to mount the block to the arm with the block.

Below is the link to the thread of when I first bought it to where it is now I am also mounting a Goulding sidecar to it.

http://www.antiquemotorcycle.org/bbo...2-57-pan-frame

[RobG]

Thank you so much Chuck. All really interesting, and what an amazing transformation from start to nearly finish. Out of the Panheads it is the 1954 to 1957 models that interest me most, mine is a Pepper Red '55 FL.
You must have had a hell of a job getting all the parts together. I thought the AMCA would be a good place to find parts but can't even get a pair of NOS waffle grips trough the AMCA forum, but there has been plenty available on eBay.
I guess the swap meets must be the place to go, but I'm in the UK so I can forget that.
Really need to find out if those early waffle pattern light blue hard plastic grips are genuine Harley to know if I should buy them. Hope someone comes up with the answer via this thread before too long.
By the way, do you happen to have (or know anyone who has) a genuine Harley 71311-47 Plate, cadmium, fitted to right side of dash cover. I know there are good reproductions available, already got a replica one but I really want a genuine Harley plate on my bike's dash cover.
Take care and good luck with getting the bike up and running.

[Matt McManus]

The light blue pedal, green pedal and light blue grips are all reproduction. Not sure who had them made but Doug Leikala had a cabinet full of them at his house and I believe there were several sets sold at his auction recently. The original kick pedals only came in black, yellow and red which typically faded to orange over time. The dark blue grips appear to be real, again they never came in green but I have seen reproductions in green.

[RobG]

Thank you Matt, I really do owe you big time for the information you gave me. It fits perfectly with as much as I knew already. But the added information that "Doug Leikala had a cabinet full of them at his house" and that some were subsequently sold at his recent auction really nails it.
I was considering buying them to add to my collection, and they were not going to be cheap. So you have saved me much money and also some embarrassment.
The darker blue (Royal Blue) grips I have are definitely genuine Harley NOS items. I bought them in the late 1970's from Fred Warr in London, and they cost me £5.00 (around $7.00). I have only ever seen two other pairs come up for sale since then, one pair in Germany and the other in the USA. They were a hell of a lot more than $7.00.
I will pass on the information to the owner of the parts, and so hopefully no one will pay a large sum of money for these novelty items.
Again, I can't thank you enough for your help. With my best wishes, Rob.

[Steve Little]

The two sets on the right are: Green - BECK. Yellow - Nation Bilt (Only set I've seen)
The two sets on the left are OEM Black and Blue.

The flash has illuminated the blue a little more than is visualy seen in normal light.
The blue colour is much closer to black. Maybe the owner had grubby hands when he rode his bike.

[duffeycycles]

Blue not so dirty OEM on 1954 bars for sale ebay..lower pic bright sunlight

[RobG]

Thank you very much for getting in touch with the info on the handlebars currently on sale on eBay. Those are certainly one of the pair of Harley grips I am missing from my collection. I do actually want to complete my collection with all NOS HD grips only. However, I wouldn't mind buying the used pair for now, and even keeping them when I finally find a NOS pair.

BUT I am mindful that someone might really need and want them to fit to his bike. There is part of me that feels guilty for collecting parts to have in a glass case when someone could have them fitted on their machine. I will ask if they would sell the grips separately because the handlebars should ideally be on a bike someone is putting back on the road. I suspect the seller would not be prepared to sell the grips separately.

Again, thank you. The AMCA certainly has some very friendly and helpful individuals and it is a pleasure to hear from you.
With my regards, Rob.

[duffeycycles]

grips not sold seperately

[Chuck#1848]

Thank you so much Chuck. All really interesting, and what an amazing transformation from start to nearly finish. Out of the Panheads it is the 1954 to 1957 models that interest me most, mine is a Pepper Red '55 FL.
You must have had a hell of a job getting all the parts together. I thought the AMCA would be a good place to find parts but can't even get a pair of NOS waffle grips trough the AMCA forum, but there has been plenty available on eBay.
I guess the swap meets must be the place to go, but I'm in the UK so I can forget that.
Really need to find out if those early waffle pattern light blue hard plastic grips are genuine Harley to know if I should buy them. Hope someone comes up with the answer via this thread before too long.
By the way, do you happen to have (or know anyone who has) a genuine Harley 71311-47 Plate, cadmium, fitted to right side of dash cover. I know there are good reproductions available, already got a replica one but I really want a genuine Harley plate on my bike's dash cover.
Take care and good luck with getting the bike up and running.

Thanks Rob, Oh, My Pan is a 57 FLH painted Coca-Cola Red

[RobG]

That makes absolute sense. They are a good find for someone needing Speedster bars. I find the Buckhorn bars more comfortable and also prefer their look.
Thanks again for having taken the time to get in touch to see if you could help. You Americans are a very hospitable and genuine people - apart from an odd one or two I've come across. But you find them everywhere. Lived in your wonderful country for three years, now wish I had stayed there all those years ago. I did return on a few occasions for holidays and really did not enjoy it when it came time to fly back to the UK. My sister is a US citizen and has lived there for nearly 30 years. First Kansas for about five years and then Chicago ever since. She absolutely loves the place, obviously or she wouldn't have lasted all that time out there.
Well, that was a bit of a detour from talking about handlebars and grips. But I'm always keen to voice my support for your country. It seems to take a bit of a bashing at times, entirely unjustified in my opinion. In any case, is anywhere on this planet perfect? Someone once said to me that America had no culture, well the pompous, arrogant bastard plainly had no idea of the true definition of the word culture. After giving him a very long list of some of the rich culture of your nation he simply walked off while I continued.
With my respect, Rob.

[painterdale]

Kind words, Rob. I feel the same about your country and people. I visit every year and get around as much as I can. I love the place and the people! Dale