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Harley seems to do an excellent job with the Museum and archives. I do not understand why the MoCo is not publishing the information they have for restorers. Why do we need to pull it from them piece by piece, whether it be Eric, Palmer or one of us calling with our VIN#. I truly appreciate the info provided by the MoCo for my 1970 FLH when I called, but it seems to me they have it. Why not make it more easily accessible. Maybe through the AMCA?
Not sure why they want this to be a mystery. We get it, some things you do not have records for and you do not have a why. But many other things they have all the information and then some. Why do the dealers have no access to the archives?
Harley seems to do an excellent job with the Museum and archives. I do not understand why the MoCo is not publishing the information they have for restorers. Why do we need to pull it from them piece by piece, whether it be Eric, Palmer or one of us calling with our VIN#. I truly appreciate the info provided by the MoCo for my 1970 FLH when I called, but it seems to me they have it. Why not make it more easily accessible. Maybe through the AMCA?
Not sure why they want this to be a mystery. We get it, some things you do not have records for and you do not have a why. But many other things they have all the information and then some. Why do the dealers have no access to the archives?
Maybe it maintains the Mystique of the brand/
I have also wondered why HD was so reticent about passing info along to restoration people. Could be partly because they fear calls from low-lifes inquiring about serial numbers in the hope of finding out if a particular sequence was not in use, thereby allowing someone to restamp cases. Many years ago there was a local dealer who operated out of a building on his property. I recall a story about him requesting a set of replacement cases for a customer. When they arrived he was disappointed (to say they least!) because the factory had not stamped the case boss with the VIN from the customer's old cases. He ended up having to stamp the numbers in with "unofficial" number stamps. The bike in question in this post, having belonged at one time to a police department, may have been a similar situation. In that case, I guess it wouldn't metter who stamped them or what kind of stamp was used (we are, after all, talking about law enforcement!). The flaws in the face of the number boss, and the fact that there doesn't appear to be any machine work done to that area would intimate that this might be the case. The belly numbers would tell the tale. I believe if they were replacement cases ( or just the left side case), the belly number would, to a certain extent, explain the history.
I forgot the numbers in question are from a Police bike. Reminds when a friend of ours worked at the NYPD Maintenance facility for cars and motorcycles. When they found out he knew Harleys, he worked on them solely. He told me directly that they would not fix a transmission or motor. If there was an issue, they simply replaced as a unit, it was common. How many of those bikes are running around with odd VIN #'s. I think being from a Police Department only makes the paper trail harder to follow.
All good information. Just makes my decision easier.
I also called the archives once to see if they had any information on another '54 I was looking at and was told all those records were destroyed in a fire (not sure she told me the year), and any info should be available from the local dealer where it got shipped/sold. That is a hard nut to crack. Now you're chasing bike through multiple owners, years of work and repairs, etc. I think there are a few that are one or two owner that are easy to trace, and others, like this one, that seemed to have all the right parts, (engine wise), but lacks a path back to the original owner/order. As said previously, the VIN's are not exact (I've seen several with minor differences that are considered correct), and unfortunately, it's not an exact science. If someone can say they received the order form and original title to a bike, then they have a case. Otherwise, just be glad you have an antique bike to ride/work on. That in itself is enough reward for me. They are beautiful motorcycles. If I ever need/want to sell it, I'm sure the aesthetics of the bike will speak for themselves.
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Slideshow: A standard cruiser becomes an intricate metal canvas in the hands of a Swiss custom house known for pushing Harley-Davidson platforms far beyond their factory brief.
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