I have a 1949 panhead , vin # 49el **** and what do the last 4 numbers and the el mean ? . What and where is the belly number and how many numbers and ( letters if any )
any info on this would be great cause im wondering if my cases match

 

EL = 61 ci OHV twin, sport solo (1949-1951)
The following 4 numbers are probably the sequential production number

this might help:
https://www.hdforums.com/forum/panhe...nhead-vin.html

 

The Panhead EL (61 cu in motor) was available from 1948 until the end of 1952. It was discontinued after that because sales of the 61 dropped to less than one-in-five.

For 1949 HD had a production run of 3,419 EL machines. 49EL1001 would have been the first off the line.

Your vin should look something like this...



The belly numbers will look like this... ( a prefix [1 or 2 ], followed by two numbers [in this case 49], followed by 4 or five numbers [does not match the vin] ). These numbers were to assist in further identifying a bike and were considered "confidential numbers' at one time. Records for our models are not available anymore from MoCo. Best you can hope for is someone's oral statement about its history or at best a written record of ownership.



Just keep in mind that case halves were mixed as engine cases broke. Technology was not in place at the time to make the needed repairs.

Additionally There are casting numbers inside both cases halves that will give you a better idea of when the bike was put together.





And depending on how original your bike is, there are casting numbers on parts like the heads, tranny, front brake backing plate, and fork tubes. And of course there are some things unique to '48-51 frames and some things a bit more specific to '49 frames only. Same appplies to sheetmetal as well.

 

j1949, welcome to the forum. EL indicates the engine was originally built as a 61ci (1000cc) high-compression model as opposed to the E which was low-compression. EL model Panheads were made for 1948–1952. (There were also EL model Knuckleheads made for 1936–1947.)

The last four numbers indicate sequential production. The first 1949 model Panhead was not 49EL1001 because serial numbers (SNs) for 1949 model Pans did not start at 1001; instead they began at 1000. Also, number 1000 could have originally been assigned to an engine stamped E, EL, F or FL because all those models are in the same engine family as each other.

Accurate production numbers for 1949 model Panheads are unknown to me at this time but the figure of 3,419 ELs for 1949 is misleading. That amount is mentioned in a couple of publications including The Legend Begins. The figure was one of many calculated in 1978 by a Harley employee named Midge Kimbell who was William H Davidson’s secretary of many years. However, when later asked about all the figures in the book she could not remember which way the numbers were counted. In other words, and using 1949 as an example, Ms Kimbell did not know if said figures meant 1949 models or if they meant the amount of machines made in the 1949 calendar year. If it meant the latter then some bikes included would have been early-1950 models. So the amount of 3,419 can only be used as a guide because no-one knows if it is correct and no-one even knows which way it was calculated. Page 198 of The Legend Begins even states that the production figures in the book are not to be regarded as totally accurate.

Notice the type of 4 in the SN shown above. It is often called an open-top 4 and is the normal style used at the factory for 1949 Panheads. If your SN was factory-stamped then your 4 should look like that. However, some engines are not factory-stamped so even if your 4 is an open-top style that won’t necessarily mean it is authentic and some engines out there have been stamped with an aftermarket 4 similar to the Harley 4. If you’re not sure what you have you could post a photo revealing just the first five characters—for example, show 49EL1 and cover the last three characters.

For some time it was thought that two code numbers were used at the start of belly numbers (BNs) for 1949 Panheads and that was partly due to info in a certain restoration book. However, that info was later found to be wrong so for 1949 model Pans it now seems there was only one code number, regardless of whether the bike is 61ci or 74ci. Therefore, if your BNs are factory-stamped they should begin with code number 2. In full they should be formatted similar to the following example: 249-1234(5). You probably won’t find any letters in the BNs although it is possible there may be a single capital letter at the end, usually an A. If so, please let us know and I’ll explain it. (It doesn’t indicate anything untoward.) Also please note that some characters in the BNs may be different styles to what you find in the SN but that was normal procedure at the factory for 1949. Again, if you’re unsure then you could post a photo showing part of the BNs.

The sequence portion of your BNs probably won’t match the sequence portion of your SN but it is possible, even with factory-stamped numbers, regardless of what some people may tell you. (I have evidence via the factory that it happened at least once with a 1960s Panhead and therefore it is indeed possible it may have occurred with Panheads built in the 1940s–50s.)

Lastly, does your bike have a Glide front end or a springer? (Originally most 1949 model Panheads had Glide forks but some had springers.)
Eric