On any week end way back in the 60s you could stroll around practically just about any small community in The us and surely you would most likely find a vintage Harley Davidson such as this left in front of a tavern or bar.
Most likely, too, that the Harley Davidson shines beneath the glow of street lights or neon lights that illuminated the landscape. These bikes were good, straightforward, old machines, too, that yet not 100 % stock, carried a liberal amount of authentic Harley Davidson pieces.
More and more H-Ds have been enhanced over time and put on more contemporary pieces, practically all in the name of retaining the bike up to date until such time as enough funds has been saved to get a brand new motorbike. Seat posts were moved straight back to make clearance space for more recent motors. After the renovation craze hit in the 1990s, most of these motorcycles were brought back to stock specification or gave up their components to a more ambitious restoration mission. The ones that remained, we called them "ham and eggs bikes" due to their mixed parts.
Like older choppers and custom bikes from an earlier time, only a few still exist, and people who do signify that can-do approach and mindset that reminds us of our traditions and our nation's success as of yet. In the 1970s, I took off with my mom's station wagon to Kentucky from our home in New York to buy a 1948 FL wearing 1954 sheet metal as well as a Glide on the front. I was so in love with 1948 Fls and afraid that I would never get a fully stock one that I purchased it without even looking at it in close detail. Soon I realized that it was an EL originally equipped with a 61' V-twin.
This specific motorcycle is actually owned by Wes Hogue of Gentry, Arkansas. The bike began life being a law enforcement motorbike that worked with the Manila (Philippines) police force. The EL was part of Harley-Davidson's export fleet that produced foreign profits during that period. The bike was utilized in service from 1948 until eventually 1970 when it was retired and parked for good in the police force's bone yard. A couple of years later, sometime in 1974, "Greasy" Collins, an officer in the USMC positioned in the Philippines, was looking for something to drink when he went in a bar in Manila to have one.
From where he was sitting, he had a good view out the rear door. What he spotted was a Panhead resting in the police department's weed-infested warehouse. He asked if somebody knew something regarding the aged motorcycle; and he was advised to speak with the local police. A proposal was struck for the bike, and then he shipped to the states in his Bay Area shop for a reconstruction. Immediately after inspecting the bike Arlen determined that merely the motor, transmission; rear wheel, and front were usable; the rest of the corroded pieces were thrown away. Arlen started with an all new framework as being the foundation for the motorcycle, and the rest flourished from there. The fresh motorcycle also offered a Sportster tank, custom made oil tank, a custom paint job, and loads of attitude. Wes also said that Greasy's motorcycle "had a sissybar over it higher like the Empire State Building."
Around 1984, Wes acquired the bike from Greasy and planned to make it a more road worthy bike, so he started altering things and gathering parts to achieve that goal.
The earlier motor unit cases are standard, reinforced with a big welding in strategic spots to keep stuff intact. It sports a 61'' base end mated to a 74" top end with low-compression pistons. The refurbished motor sips gas through an older Mikuni carburetor.
The luggage bags and windshield are genuine H-D items from the 80s. Wes says these come in handy; too, as he rides this motorbike most of the time. As of this writing, the bike's bottom end has burned 130,000 miles, and it is even now looking good.
Most likely, too, that the Harley Davidson shines beneath the glow of street lights or neon lights that illuminated the landscape. These bikes were good, straightforward, old machines, too, that yet not 100 % stock, carried a liberal amount of authentic Harley Davidson pieces.
More and more H-Ds have been enhanced over time and put on more contemporary pieces, practically all in the name of retaining the bike up to date until such time as enough funds has been saved to get a brand new motorbike. Seat posts were moved straight back to make clearance space for more recent motors. After the renovation craze hit in the 1990s, most of these motorcycles were brought back to stock specification or gave up their components to a more ambitious restoration mission. The ones that remained, we called them "ham and eggs bikes" due to their mixed parts.
Like older choppers and custom bikes from an earlier time, only a few still exist, and people who do signify that can-do approach and mindset that reminds us of our traditions and our nation's success as of yet. In the 1970s, I took off with my mom's station wagon to Kentucky from our home in New York to buy a 1948 FL wearing 1954 sheet metal as well as a Glide on the front. I was so in love with 1948 Fls and afraid that I would never get a fully stock one that I purchased it without even looking at it in close detail. Soon I realized that it was an EL originally equipped with a 61' V-twin.
This specific motorcycle is actually owned by Wes Hogue of Gentry, Arkansas. The bike began life being a law enforcement motorbike that worked with the Manila (Philippines) police force. The EL was part of Harley-Davidson's export fleet that produced foreign profits during that period. The bike was utilized in service from 1948 until eventually 1970 when it was retired and parked for good in the police force's bone yard. A couple of years later, sometime in 1974, "Greasy" Collins, an officer in the USMC positioned in the Philippines, was looking for something to drink when he went in a bar in Manila to have one.
From where he was sitting, he had a good view out the rear door. What he spotted was a Panhead resting in the police department's weed-infested warehouse. He asked if somebody knew something regarding the aged motorcycle; and he was advised to speak with the local police. A proposal was struck for the bike, and then he shipped to the states in his Bay Area shop for a reconstruction. Immediately after inspecting the bike Arlen determined that merely the motor, transmission; rear wheel, and front were usable; the rest of the corroded pieces were thrown away. Arlen started with an all new framework as being the foundation for the motorcycle, and the rest flourished from there. The fresh motorcycle also offered a Sportster tank, custom made oil tank, a custom paint job, and loads of attitude. Wes also said that Greasy's motorcycle "had a sissybar over it higher like the Empire State Building."
Around 1984, Wes acquired the bike from Greasy and planned to make it a more road worthy bike, so he started altering things and gathering parts to achieve that goal.
The earlier motor unit cases are standard, reinforced with a big welding in strategic spots to keep stuff intact. It sports a 61'' base end mated to a 74" top end with low-compression pistons. The refurbished motor sips gas through an older Mikuni carburetor.
The luggage bags and windshield are genuine H-D items from the 80s. Wes says these come in handy; too, as he rides this motorbike most of the time. As of this writing, the bike's bottom end has burned 130,000 miles, and it is even now looking good.
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To ensure about your safe keeping, ensure you replace only top of the line parts for your motorbikes like tires, wires, z bars, harley grips, and a lot more. Cheap low quality products can put you in danger.
