47 EL at the factory's museum

[dommi7]

I have uploaded my photos to flickr.com so you folks can download the full size. I had hoped they would turn out better, maybe better luck next time. Here is the link - if it doesn't work, just search www.flickr.com for photos tagged 47EL12683.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/1315914...7622466519800/

[btflat47]

Hi Dommi7,
all your pictures are welcome !!!!!
Olivier Blainville

[dommi7]

I rode to the museum on my way to Davenport this year too. The '47 is labeled "unrestored" on its placard. The servi is probably noted as being "restored". The museum is nicely done and presents the vehicles honestly. My only complaint is its a little too dark and my camera battery ran down from using the flash. I'll post my shots later, I think I have the '47 serial number in one of them.

[Perry Ruiter]

Hi Perry!

How are you doing?

Is that hex head in the rear axle correct? If not this would support the statement of Chris regarding mixed parts in the very HD museum!

I was also shocked to learn some where repainted... Can that be true?

Kind regards,

Chris.

Chris - I honestly don't know 47s well enough to know whether a hex head rear axle was used on some of them or not.

Hi Perry ,
always there when it comes to give a hand!!.It looks like it was difficult to make some good pictures so thanks a lot for the job.
Those pictures are really interesting .The frame is a mid 47 -end 47 (no bulneck) so the engine serial number is supposed to be high (at least 10000).Correct me if i am wrong but these late numbers can may be explain some '48 details on the bike like hex head rear axle,rubber footboard pads instead of steel plates,parkerised footboards instead of black paint,cad shifter rod end,cad shifter rod.
So the bike could be very correct according the high serial number.
Did you see any evidence that the bike has been sometimes repainted?Hard to tell from the pictures!!
Chris said some parts are mixed but look at the tank emblems on the servicar,it looks like at least on this bike ,craps /copy parts are also used!!!.
Olivier Blainville

Olivier - I think the 47 knuckle is original paint but I don't know for sure. Sorry I can't make out the serial number in my pictures. The ServiCar beside it may well be a restored bike.

The thing to remember is the factory didn't save one of everything they made. They kept one bike a year. Bikes that we now think of as significant may not have seemed so at the time. For example 1965. I think the bike kept that year was a Sprint or something like that. I believe the factory had to go out years later and buy and restore their 65 panhead. They were restoring a recently acquired 77 Sportster when I was there. Why? Because it was a Confederate edition and they didn't have any Confederate editions in the collection ... Perry

[btflat47]

Hi Perry ,
always there when it comes to give a hand!!.It looks like it was difficult to make some good pictures so thanks a lot for the job.
Those pictures are really interesting .The frame is a mid 47 -end 47 (no bulneck) so the engine serial number is supposed to be high (at least 10000).Correct me if i am wrong but these late numbers can may be explain some '48 details on the bike like hex head rear axle,rubber footboard pads instead of steel plates,parkerised footboards instead of black paint,cad shifter rod end,cad shifter rod.
So the bike could be very correct according the high serial number.
Did you see any evidence that the bike has been sometimes repainted?Hard to tell from the pictures!!
Chris said some parts are mixed but look at the tank emblems on the servicar,it looks like at least on this bike ,craps /copy parts are also used!!!.
Olivier Blainville

[Chris in Japan]

Hi Perry!

How are you doing?

Is that hex head in the rear axle correct? If not this would support the statement of Chris regarding mixed parts in the very HD museum!

I was also shocked to learn some where repainted... Can that be true?

Kind regards,

Chris.

[Perry Ruiter]

Hi all,
is somebody here got pictures from the 47 ohv (unrestored?)displayed at the HD museum?
I have found some really perfect and interesting pictures from the 48 ohv

http://www.grandpasharley.com/main/photos/Pages/1948_FL_H-D_Museum_Unrestored.html

but nothing about the 47.I think that would be great to help restorers or just 47 lovers or nuts.
Thanks all for your input

Olivier Blainville

Olivier - I flew out to Davenport a couple days early this year and did a side trip up to the Harley museum. Here's all the photos I took of their 47. As you can see they have a ServiCar blocking one side ... Perry

[flathead tom]

1947 knucklehead

ASK THE SILENT GREY FOLLOW HE WORKS THER

[Chris Haynes]

There are a few problems with machines in the H-D museum. Some are prototypes. Some are not at al correct. Like the 1936 EL that is a well maxed bag of parts. A batch of them were torn down and repainted a few years ago. At this time some parts go mixed up by the people restoring them who didn't know the difference. You will see early Knucks and UL's with later hubs and later bikes with the earlier Stepped Hubs on them. It is too bad that some dipshit executive decided that these original paint machines needed repainting because of a few scratches here and there. That was a crime.

[Glenn]

great pics

[cdndewey]

That was great. Yea to bad there isn't one for the 47.

[btflat47]

Hi all,
is somebody here got pictures from the 47 ohv (unrestored?)displayed at the HD museum?
I have found some really perfect and interesting pictures from the 48 ohv

http://www.grandpasharley.com/main/photos/Pages/1948_FL_H-D_Museum_Unrestored.html

but nothing about the 47.I think that would be great to help restorers or just 47 lovers or nuts.
Thanks all for your input

Olivier Blainville