Hello to you all. I used to ride a WL but that was years ago.

I recently joined this forum to ask a question which has been plaguing me.

Back in the 1960s and early 1970s I lived in a California city where small business often delivered their products to customers via an FL with a box sidecar. I used to see those low compression FLs lumbering around town with their foot clutch hand shift maneuvering in tight parking areas to make deliveries. They were common. Same with the Servicar three wheelers. Cars, trucks and vans were large in those days so HDs made sense for urban delivery.

So, what happened to them all? I never see them at auction or for sale or at club gatherings. They all just disappeared?

I ask because I could sure use one of those now.

Anyone remember them? Anyone see them around these days? I hate to think they were all scrapped.

 

You can still put low compression pistons in a FLH. The H came in 1955 with the Victory cam and the cams were marked with an H. The foot clutch was last available in 78 but aftermarket companies make kits to convert just about any Harley to a foot clutch. Chances are those bikes didn't disappear they were just changed into choppers or some other variation.

When I mounted a side car on my 68 I also put a tank shift and foot clutch on it so if you pick up a pre 78 model it would be easy to create your own package truck as they were called. You can use later models but you would need to have some custom parts rather than using stock components.

 

You may be right. Too bad. They were just fine the way they were as workhorses. Before I sold my WL for a Norton Commando (I was young and foolish) the dealer tried to interest me in a Police surplus FL with a foot clutch. After the rigid frame WL, it felt like I was riding my living room couch.

A conversion might work. An elderly neighbor has an FLH which will be sold eventually. I might get lucky.

 

They were all loaded into cargo containers and went to Japan...search for Japanese bike shows...and look at all the shovels.

 

Not all of them were shipped off. I have a 1970 FL, it's a Police version I got from Texas a few years back. No sidecar, but have the factory rocker clutch and hand shift.