56 Frame?

[droptopford]

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/1956-...item230652961b

Hello All,

Just browsing through the eBay stuff on a Sunday evening and noticed this pic of the neck-area of the frame on this 56? Pan. At first I just thought it was a bondo job over the numbers boss. But...I thought H-D didn't start stamping frame numbers until sometime around '70. That of course would have been a swing-arm frame.
Did some company build a rigid B-T frame with neck numbers? I know this doesn't matter more than a 'hill of beans' as Bogey once said, but I'm just curious.

[Sargehere]

Talking about this?



I can't explain it, either! Looks sorta like a number pad from a post-1969 frame neck, but it's a rigid frame. No neck lock installed, and the sidecar lugs are cast on the frame, not bolt-ons.

[Chris Haynes]

Obvious neck replacement. Original neck was probably raked. Bike is loaded with Taiwan Tedd parts.

[Speeding Big Twin]

The VIN boss above looks like 1981 or later style/length but I don’t know if it’s a Harley steering head. If the VIN boss was 1970–1980 style it would usually be shorter, similar to the example below. The boss for the steering head lock was last used for 1968 although it remained in place (unmachined) for many years after.

Also, the steering head below has provision for a padlock and so does the one on my 1982 Harley frame but the one above doesn’t appear to. Eric

[droptopford]

Thanks to all you guys for your replies. As I said, I know it's not that important, but I was curious to see just what you more 'learned' club members had to say about it.
I think if I were going to take the time to repair a raked frame by replacing the neck, I would find a neck with a less conspicuous 'altered vin' appearance. I guess if it sells, it doesn't really matter...unless you happen to be the buyer.