The Harley-Davidson Vehicle Collection: Care and Preservation The Harley-Davidson vehicle collection can be divided into two distinct groups: vehicles that have been preserved to document the production history of the Motor Company and vehicles preserved as used to document an important event, activity, or trend. The first group is a continuation of the founders’ original activity: vehicles saved as they came off the production line. The second group includes prototype and test vehicles preserved to document the research and development process, vehicles purchased from collectors and enthusiasts to illustrate personalization and customization trends, and bikes that tell interesting stories of their owners or builders. Were Harley-Davidson to have saved one of each model vehicle from each model year, several buildings the size of its Juneau Avenue facilities would be required to house them. Production vehicles selected for preservation were primarily those deemed historically significant at the time of their manufacture. Over time, other vehicles that weren’t selected at the time of manufacture have attained historic significance. When a vehicle is later deemed important to the collection, the Archives acquires the best available example of that vehicle. These acquisitions, if not accurately restored, are completely disassembled, and proper finishes and plating are then applied, incorrect parts are replaced, and the vehicle is reassembled. The Archive collection of photographs, manuals,
bills of materials, and same-era reference vehicles ensures the accuracy of the restoration. As a rule of thumb, full restoration is only used as a last resort, for a vehicle is original only one time yet can be restored many times. Vehicles preserved as originally manufactured or originally used make up the vast majority of the collection. When deemed necessary, vehicles are disassembled for cleaning, with each piece meticulously cleaned by hand using nonabrasive cleaning agents so as not to degrade original pinstriping or other cosmetic details, such as decals and appliqués. At no time are parts replated, painted, or replaced. Items that deteriorate over time, such as rubber handgrips, tires, and seats, are repaired or replaced as required, although most of the collection vehicles retain these original items. Motorcycles such as King Kong, the Ray Tursky WR, and the 1939 Servi-Car, for example, have been retained in their as-acquired condition, aside from superficial cleaning. To restore these vehicles would remove the patina acquired over time, and they would not be original anymore. The process of vehicle conservation can at times be tedious, with days spent cleaning one cylinder and similar time spent conserving original sheet metal with its varnish top coat. Yet, every once in a while, as staff disassemble an early model, the past speaks to them. One such moment occurred while disassembling a 1925 JD that had not had a wrench put to it for more than eighty years. As the tank halves were unbolted, it became a rather solemn moment.
The job required two pairs of hands, and you can imagine the reaction when the tanks were split, revealing a clear, distinct thumbprint on the inside-left tank half. There were a couple of trial paint stripes on the inside as well. One can’t help but wonder who the person behind this thumbprint was. How old was he? Was he married? Did he have children? For an instant, the team was taken back to another time and briefly touched the hand that was the first to assemble this piece of history.
The Harley-Davidson Museum Since the very beginning, Harley-Davidson has been headquartered in a part of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, known as Concordia/Merrill Park, the latter named after one of the early city’s fathers. The famous “shed” was located on the southwest corner of what is now 38th Street and Highland Boulevard. Tracing the history of motorcycle manufacturing in the United States across the boom and bust cycles of the twentieth century, it is amazing that only Harley-Davidson has remained in continuous production. Reflecting on the last hundred-plus years, one wonders: Why didn’t all the others make it? What formula did Harley-Davidson have that the others lacked? 10
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Harley-Davidson executives and managers were and are great savers of everything pertaining to the business. In the Harley-Davidson Archives resides literature dating back to 1905, as well as more than one hundred thousand negatives and images dating back to the company’s early days. The Archives also houses advertising pieces that chronicle the design and development of Harley-Davidson products to this day, miles of early racing and motorcycle-club event footage, vintage clothing and race gear, trophies, awards, signs, clocks, and American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) memorabilia, not to mention motorcycles including Serial Number One, the first V-twin from 1909, military vehicles, police vehicles, dragsters, factory customs, and prototypes, all part of a rich heritage. The document collection itself dates back to the beginning of the twentieth century and consists of millions of pages, including customer communications with the factory as well as personal diaries and scrapbooks, a true mosaic of the company’s early development. The Archives houses not only company history, but also dealer and rider history. For, in the end, were it not for loyal Harley-Davidson dealers and customers this book would not have been possible. The Harley-Davidson Museum was conceived and designed as a fitting place to showcase the collections, using this material to create experiences that INTRODUCTION
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1906 Single ——
This 1906 single is one of fifty singles the Motor Company manufactured in 1906. This was an early restoration. The gas tank and handlebars appear to come from a 1908 model. The lettering on the tank is larger than the original 1906 lettering. It retains the 26.8-cubic-inch engine used on earlier models. This example has a broken fin on the bottom left side of the cylinder. A bicycle-type rear coaster brake handles stopping duties. The wheelbase is 51 inches, and the tank holds 1.5 gallons of gasoline plus 2 quarts of oil. Total weight is about 185 pounds. Harley-Davidson sold these machines for $200 in 1906. The bottom of the front fork should be nickel plated. This example wears Piano Black paint, but Harley-Davidson introduced a second color called Renault Gray in 1906.
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1907 Single ——
Harley-Davidson Motor Company production tripled in 1907, and the company manufactured 150 of these singles in either Renault Gray (shown here) or Piano Black. Records indicate that the Motor Company acquired this motorcycle for display, and it apparently was repainted sometime after 1908. The front fork head has the bar and shield logo affixed to it, although this logo was not used on vehicles until 1910. The base price rose 5 percent from the previous year, to $210. That extra $10 bought the purchaser improved riding comfort, thanks to the technologically advanced Sager-style cushion front fork with helical coil springs in the parallel tubes.
Pedals and chain still started the 26.8-cubic-inch single, and a flat leather belt still drove the rear wheel. Engineering enlarged the flywheel diameter to 10 inches. Gasoline capacity remained at 1.5 gallons, giving riders a range of 100 to 125 miles. Oil capacity grew to 2.5 quarts, providing 500 miles of lubrication. Tire width expanded to 2.5 inches, though wheel diameter remained 28 inches. This example has a Persons seat, a hand-operated muffler cutout, polished cases, and a battery box for the three dry-cell batteries. When the company reacquired this motorcycle, both handgrips were missing, and technicians replaced them and the rear axle with reproduction pieces.
“THE SILENT GRAY FELLOWS”
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1930 Model BAH Hillclimber ——
The 1930 Model BAH Hillclimber used a 500cc, overhead-valve single engine, but inspection suggests the cylinder on this example is not a Harley-Davidson barrel. One of this motorcycle’s owners/competitors extensively modified the frame to accommodate a smaller homemade gas tank and to add grab bars for hillclimbing.
Restorers had to fabricate a replacement shift lever under the seat, exhaust pipes, carburetor flange, fuel and oil lines, crankcase breather, and clutch pedal. They also mounted a chain on the rear tire.
“RIDE A WINNER”
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1947 Model EL ——
The year 1947 marked the last year of production for the Knucklehead engine, which was again available as either a 74-cubic-inch Model FL or a 61-cubic-inch Model EL. Production of the overhead-valve Big Twins had been interrupted by
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World War II, but by 1947 Harley-Davidson was once again producing significant numbers of the motorcycles for the civilian market, building 4,117 Model ELs. This example has 323 miles on the odometer.
1947 Model FL ——
In 1947, the Special Sport Solo model had a new taillight, a tank name badge, black grips, and a front fork adjuster. With this model, the front fender light and rear safety guard were standard equipment, as was the rubber-mounted instrument panel. The 1947 FL introduced self-aligning head bearings and hydraulic shock absorbers (although buyers could purchase the motorcycle with the earlierstyle Ride Control system for $7.50 less). While this motorcycle has elements of the Special Solo Group—including deluxe saddlebags, chrome fender lamp, headlamp, and engine air cleaner—it also has a gray covered buddy seat, “Hollywood” handlebars, and a chromed
front fork, toolbox, primary cover, and shift knob. The maroon-and-beige paint scheme was not a factory option, and Archives presumes that its previous owner had it repainted sometime during his ownership. The motorcycle has covered 14,968 miles, according to its odometer. The company assembled 6,893 FLs in 1947, and this motorcycle was priced at $604 plus an additional $100 for the Special Solo Group with hydraulic shock absorbers.
“SENSATION OF THE MOTORCYCLE WORLD”
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“Beats Anything on Two Wheels” Intermediate Race Bikes: 1932–1958
Motorcycle racing helped the population of the United States
recover from a crippling economic depression, distracted it from worrying about its young men fighting overseas during the war, and provided a much-needed outlet for those same young men once they returned home. Indian Motorcycles, Harley-Davidson’s main racing competitor in the prewar era, vanished during this period, but as the era wound down European motorcycles began to fill the void left by Indian’s departure from dirt-track racing at fairgrounds around the nation. Small Japanese motorcycles even began competing against the big, powerful Harley-Davidsons of the period, though they weren’t taken very seriously at first.