1965 flh

[Johns62]

Just acquired a mostly stock 65. Someone painted it Orange. Will be getting the Black and Birch White original paint over the winter. My question is about the passing lamps and what appears to be turn signals in the 65-69 manual. This has the rear lights next to the brake light. There’s no switch on the bars. They’re the original bars. Internal throttle still there and works fine. I have a starter button. Horn button and hi/lo for the headlamp. Did this come with passing lamps and are they turn signals or running lights?

I’ll post pics when I can resize them to fit.

Thanks in advance.

[Rubone]

Just acquired a mostly stock 65. Someone painted it Orange. Will be getting the Black and Birch White original paint over the winter. My question is about the passing lamps and what appears to be turn signals in the 65-69 manual. This has the rear lights next to the brake light. There’s no switch on the bars. They’re the original bars. Internal throttle still there and works fine. I have a starter button. Horn button and hi/lo for the headlamp. Did this come with passing lamps and are they turn signals or running lights?

I’ll post pics when I can resize them to fit.

Thanks in advance.

Some of the accessory switches for turn signals and passing lamps if applied by the owner or at a dealership use a clamp on the bars and are not drilled for internal wiring.

[Johns62]

Some of the accessory switches for turn signals and passing lamps if applied by the owner or at a dealership use a clamp on the bars and are not drilled for internal wiring.

Ok. Thanks. So they were an option. If I choose not to run them I’m good. But will likely at least add the passing lamps.

[Rubone]

They were an option on only base level bikes. They are part of the "King of the Highway" package and were factory installed.The factory position is under the starter button on the right bar. The passing lamps are a generally a toggle switch in the nacelle. Police bikes had a switch on the bars for pursuit lamps, a clamp on one.

[Johns62]

They were an option on only base level bikes. They are part of the "King of the Highway" package and were factory installed.The factory position is under the starter button on the right bar. The passing lamps are a generally a toggle switch in the nacelle. Police bikes had a switch on the bars for pursuit lamps, a clamp on one.

Ok. Now it’s a must do I see. I appreciate your help. I’ll apologize now for the many questions to follow. Any way I would be able to know if I had a Base model or the KOTH model? VIN is FLH11xxx/ Matching belly numbers also. If it’s the original front fender there’s holes for the fender light. But in my research I didn’t see the light until the 66 on. And this isn’t that light either. It’s the common one you see. I took it off and the 4 holes do not appear to be what someone did themselves.

[Saddletramp]

John, Here are two publications that are pretty much invaluable.

Most important is the two volume set:
How to Restore Your Harley-Davidson by Bruce Palmer and available online from Deborah Palmer Productions at http://howtorestoreyourharleydavidson.com/

Bruce Palmer covers many subjects including all of the Equipment Groups (option packages per model) from '36 to '65.


The next publication is: How To Restore & Rebuild Knucklehead & Panhead Harley Davidson Motorcycle by Rick Schunk. Available on eBay

James

[Johns62]

John, Here are two publications that are pretty much invaluable.

Most important is the two volume set:
How to Restore Your Harley-Davidson by Bruce Palmer and available online from Deborah Palmer Productions at http://howtorestoreyourharleydavidson.com/

Bruce Palmer covers many subjects including all of the Equipment Groups (option packages per model) from '36 to '65.


The next publication is: How To Restore & Rebuild Knucklehead & Panhead Harley Davidson Motorcycle by Rick Schunk. Available on eBay

James

Thanks James. I was looking for them and forgot the name. Says they’re out of print and the ones on eBay are crazy expensive. I’ll get started on my research. I’ll call Nicks Cycle Salvage. See what he has. I bought my first Pan from him.

[KNUCK]

We like pictures!

[Johns62]

Picking it up tonight. Got 2 new Shinko 207 WW mounted.

[Johns62]

We like pictures!

Had to download an app to resize them.

[Johns62]

Ok. Picked up the bike. Took it filled it up. Just for fun I tried kicking it. 1st kick. Fired right off. Went and met the wife for dinner. Sat an hour and a half and went out. Tried kicking it again. 1st kick. Fired right up. Definitely geared better than the 78 FLH. That rattles your teeth at 60. This was just fine at 65.

I went with the Shinko because I seen a lot of complaints about the Coker on grooved roads. Well. These do the wiggle too. I’m sure it was worse than it had to be. This was in the first mile of my riding the bike for the first time. As I went on it got better. For reference my other bikes I’m used to are all on newer style tires. American Elites. Metzler 888 and Avon Gangster WW. They all handle very well. There’s a learning curve.

Bike will pop on decel. And in between shifts. But other than that. It’s a fine unit. Took off the bag guards. Not only were they the wrong ones. I didn’t like the look. Started to clean it up and it’s going to come up very nice. Better than expected. The new paint job this winter shouldn’t look to mid matched with the patina of the rest of the bike.

[Saddletramp]

Picking it up tonight. Got 2 new Shinko 207 WW mounted.

I hear you John. Just got mine mounted last week.

60 Glide White walls.jpg

[Johns62]

IMG_2025-06-08-081104.jpeg IMG_2025-06-08-081200.jpeg IMG_2025-06-08-081230.jpeg

I hear you John. Just got mine mounted last week.

Put about 50 miles or so on yesterday. Bike handles very good. Got on the wife’s Cammed 114” Freewheeler and almost broke my neck when I gave it the amount of throttle I did on the Pan. Oops. Took a minute.