I have a freind who is trying to sell me a frame and we are trying to figure out what year it is. It has the round swingarm and one of the numbers on the frame is a J 5. Is there a site or any source to determine what year an early fame is? Thanks in advance.

 

try http://www.hydra-glide.net/

 

I can tell you that it's between '58 (first year of the swing-arm frame) and '72 (last year for the drum brake).

 

My supposition would be that the frame was made in October (J) 65 (5)...if MoCo follows the same system for numbering frames like they did in such things as head, early trannys and the like. Can't be 55 since that was a rigid frame.

 

Thanks guys for the info; that was what I was thinking too. Manufactured in 1965 and either used for that year or 1966 bikes.