Duo Glide Outlook Lens

[azpaul50]

Greetings from the Arizona desert! Anyone left up there in the mid- and north-west? I've been dodging those RVs from up there all month! neener, neener....they haven't hit me yet! I just got a NOS outlook (license plate light) glass lens for my '63 Duoglide. For some reason it came out of the unopened box with a orange tint all over it. It doesn't appear like it is from the print on the original Harley box. Is it supposed to be that way? I'm all alone down here with only 3 vintage bikes in all of Yuma. How about you big town guys helping me out. If you don't hear from me again, some Winnabago got me driven by a 100 year old couple from Michigan or Washington!!!

[Robert Luland]

If all the Guide lettering and numbers are there what are ya worrying about? Bob

[Perry Ruiter]

It can't be as bad as this one can it? ... Perry

[Robert Luland]

Thats a first. Whats it used on and why?

[Perry Ruiter]

55-72 if you look in a late enough book. My 68 parts book still lists -55 so the -55A part must have come into use after that. As for why, I guess you'll have to ask Harley that ... Perry

[portagepan]

I think this is the one you want. It says door side on one edge, and 5945534 and IGC on the other. It has a more rounded top to it, that is different than the later squared off ones 68 and up.
Mike

[portagepan]

Actually, I was out riding today. We aren't all wusses up here. I bet you have a lot of other things to dodge out there besides snowbirds. But in our PC society, maybe I ought not say..........
Mike

[Robert Luland]

The one book I looked in goes up to 68 and its still 55. Perry did you shine a red light though that lens?

[VPH-D]

Have you looked real close at the lens? I seem to remember seeing those lenses covered with a reddish plastic film.
VPH-D

[INLINE4NUT]

I also have seen these that are covered with a almost vaccumed sealed red plastic and the A would reffer to later than 55 as an upgrade i do believe

[portagepan]

I think A is for Sportster. Anything that has the number 68 on it anywhere is obviously not for a 55 tail light.
Mike

[INLINE4NUT]

portage while working at a dealer I learned the letter after the number was to signify a revision to the part,an updated modifacation,Ive even seen a "C"

[portagepan]

Thanks, Inline. I am here to learn as much as anything else. That said, I could swear that an older dealer told me once that the A was used on some Sportster parts. Of course, that doesn't mean it wasn't used for revisions also. I think letters were also used for "oversized" also. I was looking through my Shop Dope book, and there are A's all over the place. HHm,mmmm...... I continue to be a little bit curious as to why we have so much trouble getting exact info on the later Pans, and early Shovels. Is it just disrespect form the "old bike" guys, or what. I haven't been into the older Harley bikes long enough to have this info myself. I grew up on British and Italian stuff. Anyone got any ideas, or sources on this, besides Palmer? I do enjoy learning things for myself, and sharing them with others.
Mike

[Perry Ruiter]

Inline is right, in the post 51 numbering scheme a letter after the part number usually denotes a revision in the part (every rule has its exceptions of course, like the P parts for the Italian bikes, R for racing and Eagle Iron parts ending with T (presumably meaning Taiwan), etc.). I have no idea if the lense in the photo has a film or not. I don't own the part ... Perry

[azpaul50]

Yes! Like that!

My lens is like the pictured red one except that the tint is less dark and uniform. It is a little splotchy when the one in the pic is uniform. My first impulse was to wash it off with water. That doesn't work. I'm sure it comes off with solvent but I'm not sure that I want to do that if the red is "they way they come." Of course, the tint doesn't do beans to illuminate your license plate. So, if you were trying to stay "correct" would you take the tint off or not?

Oh....other hazards to riding other than RVs...lol...yup...18 wheelers carrying lettuce. Chances are that your salads this winter came from my back yard! If there's a little oil on it, it is residue from where A SNOWBIRD RV RAN ME OFF THE ROADDDDD!!!!!