Side car front pipe

[Robert Luland]

Does anyone know if the front pipe with the dent for the side car use was available in 48 and if it wasn’t, what year did it start. Thank, Bob

[Sargehere]

They basically "all" had the dimple, Bob. The dimple isn't shown in illustrations in my '39, '41 or '43 military parts books, but is shown in my '49 parts book, standard equipment, on p.27 on the Knuckle front down pipe 1004-36 and the Panhead pipe, 1004-48. Also shown in 1004-37, the Flathead pipe, showing a little spot about where the dimple would have to be.
In my experience, and I've "relieved" a couple of um for a front sidecar mount, the factory dent is only a guide, anyway. On solo bikes it's almost invisible. When it comes to actually installing a front lower sidecar mount, it's "a custom 6-pound sledge job." I used a steel rod a little bigger in diameter than the sidecar cross-member through the two frame loops, and hammered on that "until clearance was obtained." That left a little airspace between the pipe and the sidecar mount in exactly the place needed.
It's no deduction if there's an unmodified dimple on a solo '48 Panhead's front down pipe. It wasn't a special "sidecar equipment" part. They all came that way.

[c.o.]

There's a dimple on my '48.......

[Chris Haynes]

The factory dimple is huge. Dimpled pipes only came on bikes that were "Sidecar equipped".

[Robert Luland]

Thank you Gerry. Here’s a picture of dented verses normal. Got these from Mr. Faber a few years back (I think?). Now there’s just one more question. In Mr. Palmer’s book on page #171 at the bottom he states that the front pipe clamp is left off. Every picture I have of a forty-eight, the clamp is present. I got to assume that they just cut the slinky shorter. Somebody got a take on this. Bob L