Comments Request...

[Chuck#1848]

put a sidecar on it ,and drive it across the country ,twice

Cory,just what Jurrasic said!! go do it man really nice pan man

[c.o.]

I have a pair of those Beck grips on non-reinforced Hydra-Glide bars. I just assumed they were post war.

I also noticed you have all the sidecar fittings on your frame. Is there a sidecar near-by?

I would be curious to get those grips figured out. The one's on this pan are in pretty nice shape. I think their keepers......

There is a sidecar for the bike but I have to do a journey to go back and get it. I've got to sell a few of my bikes off before I go back..... he's got another sickle I'd like to bring home as well.

Exeric & Cory

The early 48 cases are NOT the same as knucklehead - they merely carry some of the knucklehead distinction in their casting.

Nice bike and I would leave it alone and ride the wheels off of it and see how much patina you can give it in the remaining years (may it be many) of your life.

Jerry

There are a few key repop pieces... headlight, horn, speedo that I'd like to change. The painter that sprayed it must have been an amateur as their are some very obvious runs and cracks. The paint is likely the last thing I'd fix though. I would like to continue the aging process pronto but we'll have to see what happens.

put a sidecar on it ,and drive it across the country ,twice

Man... I'd love to do that! I just don't know when it'll happen....

Cory
What a view.... view............ view................view.......................... ......... view(echoooo). Nice project bike, looks like its a runner already. Good luck. Numbers look good from my prospective. If you have good cases, heads, frame and fork your are all set. Now get to work. Give close inspection of the frame. Most 48's I have worked on have had cracks in the electric welds holding the frame lugs to the tubing. WHILE YOU ARE AT IT PUT A 6 VOLT POGO STICK IN IT AND GET RID OF THE TWELVE VOLT UNIT.
Joe

Seeing as both you and Eric are appreciating the view I'll have to wait for a nice clear day and take a shot of the north side of my yard. The mountain range in that direction looks just like an Indian Chief (not motorcycle....) The 12-volt system was a bit of a let down when I went to look at but it's problems weren't enough to make me leave it in the basement of that old shop! It hasn't run for a few years so I have a bit of work to do but I don't think it's going to take much. Thanks for mentioning the welds on the frame lugs. I'll have to check that out.

Cory,just what Jurrasic said!! go do it man really nice pan man

Thanks Chuck! When I do finally drag that sidecar home I may have some questions for you. I rode in one once but I don't know much about 'em...

[gary.h]

@#$% A!!!!amigo,a big congrats is in order for youlooks great man..
gonna have to migrate up to yer end of the trench and get a formal introduction of the new member of the family.

[exeric]

Cory, sidecars are the ultimate accessory but they are an object that you will equally love and hate. On the hate side; they're big, heavy, and that leaf spring is guaranteed to get in the way of your shin bone. They are hell on spokes, and tires and will slow your bike down and waste gas. They also hide that beautiful motor and make tune-ups miserable. On the love side they will give your kids and any other passenger an experience they will remember for the rest of their lives. Also, you can haul just about anything you could get in a regular car and they are a lot more fun to drive than a car. It all equals out and if you get tired of it you can take it off in 30 minutes or less and throw a tarp over it.

[koanes]

You done good Cory. I think you understood the cross country reference Lonnie suggested. Given your enthusiasm for early machines and the run, having the proper machine to provide sidecar escort, I think you should make the trip. I am having to make some difficult sacrifices to be ready in September, but I wouldn't miss it, once in a lifetime. Maybe this is the plan and I'm just not hip?

[Chuck#1848]

Cory, sidecars are the ultimate accessory but they are an object that you will equally love and hate. On the hate side; they're big, heavy, and that leaf spring is guaranteed to get in the way of your shin bone. They are hell on spokes, and tires and will slow your bike down and waste gas. They also hide that beautiful motor and make tune-ups miserable. On the love side they will give your kids and any other passenger an experience they will remember for the rest of their lives. Also, you can haul just about anything you could get in a regular car and they are a lot more fun to drive than a car. It all equals out and if you get tired of it you can take it off in 30 minutes or less and throw a tarp over it.

Well Cory,

Eric is "sorta" right about sidecar things......they are a bit heavy, as for spokes that's a part of maintaining a bike with spokes to me depending on the style of riding and amount of miles I personally would maybe check them once a year, with a sidecar attached and the same circumstances I would be looking at them a couple times a year again depends on the miles and riding style.

Tires, Nope I don't buy it.....IF...a sidecar is properly aligned to the bike, you can pull 6500 on a rear tire if it isn't you WILL grind it off in 1500 easy but this to depends on the riding style,you want to race or slide around corners something is going to pay remember there is no more leaning the bike alignment and lean out OR in is the two most important things with sidecars, align it at a 1/4 inch and play with it from there till you find the magic spot the HD manual says 3/4 it could work for some bikes to an extent, but I would bet money you will chew the rear tire up, the lean also comes in play to in the set up depending on the feel in the handle bars to help track it straight.

No, you won't be breaking many land speed records with the Pan,but what's the hurry? I hear rumors you maybe running escort for some teens bikes
people will get a better look at it and their photos should come out a bit clearer as you and your son tool down the road........oh be prepared, people are going to want to go for rides to


Yes...gas mileage is going to go down, BUT! that's the price of having fun, the hidden motor may be looked at a bit more with a sidecar because you will find more people when you are out riding that will come up to you to look it over and talk to you about it as they walk around it drooling.

Now don't sweat the tune up's I have another sidecar jockey trick for you assuming it is a HD sidecar......a Goulding would look a bit sharper, when it's tune up time simply remove the front 3 bolts that hold the body to the front mount between those nasty leaf springs Eric warned you about, next what I have is a bracket that I made lift the front of the body up slide the bracket with 2 bolts tack welded to it through the holes in the body next install 2 nuts and washers snug them down the bracket I have clears the sides of the body and have hooks, above I have a rope and pulley, on the end is a tee bar with straps that hook to the bottom bracket hooks, pull up the body secure the rope and you will have plenty of room to get close and personal with the motor as an added bonus, bring a cushion and set it on the sidecar frame for a bit more comfort! and you will have the room you need to do your tune up.

I could have the body lifted up for maintance in less than 15 minutes after I made up the bracket I was cheating a bit and using a air operated tool though

Now the love side..............heck I could go on for weeks and weeks

Did the Flathead loose out it's home to the Pan?

[c.o.]

Cory, sidecars are the ultimate accessory but they are an object that you will equally love and hate. On the hate side; they're big, heavy, and that leaf spring is guaranteed to get in the way of your shin bone. They are hell on spokes, and tires and will slow your bike down and waste gas. They also hide that beautiful motor and make tune-ups miserable. On the love side they will give your kids and any other passenger an experience they will remember for the rest of their lives. Also, you can haul just about anything you could get in a regular car and they are a lot more fun to drive than a car. It all equals out and if you get tired of it you can take it off in 30 minutes or less and throw a tarp over it.

Yup.... it just seems like not that long ago I mentioned I'd like a sidecar rig one day to haul grandkids around. I even bet I could con my mother into hopping in for a ride! I left the sidecar behind this time but all this talk has gotten me wondering if I should have! I'll have to get some stuff figured out and make the trip again....

[c.o.]

You done good Cory. I think you understood the cross country reference Lonnie suggested. Given your enthusiasm for early machines and the run, having the proper machine to provide sidecar escort, I think you should make the trip. I am having to make some difficult sacrifices to be ready in September, but I wouldn't miss it, once in a lifetime. Maybe this is the plan and I'm just not hip?

Thanks Kyle! I did get Lonnie's reference and as much as I was hoping to go it just doesn't look like it's in the cards. For months I was in heaven thinking about that once in a lifetime trip but other stuff has come up that will likely derail my plans. So do me a favor and soak up the experience like a sponge and share some details when ya get back.......

[c.o.]

Chuck! I knew you'd offer some good advice! Thanks man! I don't really have a clue about sidehacks but I did see the frame and wheel (the tub was elsewhere) and I'm pretty sure it's Harley. When it does finally get bolted on the bike I'm not likely to ride it like a lunatic on a panic type escape... So I guess if I get the setup right things'll go well.

The little flattie is still sitting in my shop but I fear I'm going to have to sell it. I needed a bigger machine to negotiate the mountain passes in my area for road trips with the Mrs. The 45 was a fun solo rider last summer but it was a chore on the steep uphill grades. I'd like to keep it anyway but I've got a couple more pieces on my "go get" list and maybe I can sell it to a flatlander that won't have to worry about those darn hills! I can't get very far from home without getting up where the air is thin... Don't get me wrong about the hills though. I love living in the mountains........

[c.o.]

@#$% A!!!!amigo,a big congrats is in order for youlooks great man..
gonna have to migrate up to yer end of the trench and get a formal introduction of the new member of the family.

Head north young man....head north..........

[Chuck#1848]

Cory I keep looking at the photos of the pan and admiring it, I see that the front lower mount is still in the frame loops, did it come with the front top mount for the sidecar to?

[exeric]

Chuck, it was me that was rough on rear tires and spokes because I loved to use my sidecar as a turning aid. When you turn away from the sidecar you can go into a corner as hard as your engine will push it. When you turn into the sidecar you can pull it up in the air and scare the hell out of your passenger. . . . Don't do that to children or people with heart trouble Cory.

I'm currently working on getting a Rodgers sidecar for my Excelsior and a friend has a late 40's vintage car that would be perfect for my '51 or '48 H-D. Either way, I do want another one because they are a blast to pilot, and add a completly different dimension to your motorcycle. . . . . But, I don't want two sidecars.

[Paquette]

Cory--Nice Sickle but the seat is incorrect. You have a late 53 and up seat, and by the way, I just do not like those seats. Bottom line--ride the hell out of it until the seat explodes and then I can make you a new/old seat!!!-LOL--Michael

[D.A.Bagin]

I have a cheif with a car and I gotta tell you it was a leaning experience after only owning foot shift harleys. Left hand throttle and all. Took me about 2 weeks going around my block in both directions till I ventured into traffic. 6am on a
Sunday was my first attempt. About a half mile later on a downhill right off camber turn going 15mph, i was convinced i was going to run into oncoming traffic and die on this thing. Horns blowing, people giving me the finger, I was having issues. Managed to get it home and figured I made a big mistake buying this thing. All kinds of problems under pressure with opposite throttle, foot clutch, right hand shift and a sidecar. About a week later I woke up in the middle of the night and thought "Drive it like a car." Since I have had stick shift cars my whole life it seemed logical. Next day got on it, rode around the block twice, went out into traffic and drove it a 1000% better. Since that day 25 yrs ago I've never had so much fun on a bike. Take kids on rides all the time and took my mother with her dog right up till she passed away at age 80. Never had the car off the bike. You will never regret having the sidecar, but keep a spare bike around so you don't have to unhook it cause you will keep it on more than off. D.A.Bagin #3166

[c.o.]

Cory I keep looking at the photos of the pan and admiring it, I see that the front lower mount is still in the frame loops, did it come with the front top mount for the sidecar to?

Glad you like it Chuck! Yes, it has all the sidecar mounts....