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Post by flyingzebra on Sept 20, 2022 21:03:20 GMT -5
I've developed an interest in having a pre-1970 Harley Davidson
Earlier would be amazing, but I don't think that I'll be able to afford a complete Panhead, definitely not a Knuckle, but the late '60s FLH looks like it would be a fun bike to ride and maintain
I think that I might be a couple decades late though
The recent surge of Mecum Auctions and Bring A Trailer winnings appear to have maybe pushed even an old Shovelhead out of my reach
Does anyone here screw around with the old American bikes?
Are there still basket piles of complete bikes out there for less than a fortune?
I'm all ears
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rkrcpa
.30 Stingray
Posts: 259
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Post by rkrcpa on Sept 21, 2022 7:00:56 GMT -5
Stock, unmolested bikes of that vintage are hard to come by on the cheap. Are they fun to ride, sure, as long as you take them for what they are. I have a 1980 FLH, that bike's basic chassis was introduced in 1958. These bikes were never meant to be ridden at modern highway speeds but for back roads they are near perfect.
As far as maintenance, parts seem more available now than at almost any time in the past, the aftermarket provides good support. What is more important is having a good, independent bike shop that you can rely on for advice.
I haven't priced Shovels in a while, but they do come up for sale every so often.
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Post by bradshaw on Sept 21, 2022 7:35:34 GMT -5
I've developed an interest in having a pre-1970 Harley Davidson Earlier would be amazing, but I don't think that I'll be able to afford a complete Panhead, definitely not a Knuckle, but the late '60s FLH looks like it would be a fun bike to ride and maintain I think that I might be a couple decades late though The recent surge of Mecum Auctions and Bring A Trailer winnings appear to have maybe pushed even an old Shovelhead out of my reach Does anyone here screw around with the old American bikes? Are there still basket piles of complete bikes out there for less than a fortune? I'm all ears ***** While picking up parts for my M-37 Dodge 3/4-ton 4x4, the owner of a surplus vehicle yard in Spring Valley, New York, showed me an olive drab Harley in the crate, major components to be assembled. May have been WW II, a flathead motor, shift on side of gas tank.The Harley had never been assembled. Picked up at a government auction, came without title and couldn’t be sold for registration in New York. He offered it to me for 250 to 350 skins. This was the same surplus dealer who offered me a 24 volt Jeep, OHV 4 cylinder, contoured hood (post WW II flat hood and flathead 4 cylinder), also without title for $350. In retrospect, even in the 1970’s those would have been good deals. David Bradshaw |
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Post by kings6 on Sept 21, 2022 11:33:13 GMT -5
I will have to deal with the B-I-Ls two Harley’s after I deal with the firearms. One is a fat tired single seater type bone with enough chrome to choke a horse and the other is some anniversary edition Screaming Eagle bagger style cruiser.
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Post by flyingzebra on Sept 21, 2022 12:10:14 GMT -5
This is my ready-steady kick-and-go  It lives on the front porch I definitely understand the care and feeding of pre-1970 motorcycles Here's a candid shot of my '64 BSA  I manage all the things, all the way to the crankshaft If any of you fellows see or hear of a pre-70 Harley Davidson that wouldn't likely have me selling *everything* I own to get it - please let me know |
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aciera
.375 Atomic
Posts: 2,130
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Post by aciera on Sept 21, 2022 17:40:41 GMT -5
Bought my first new vehicle in Germany
A 75 SuperGlide …$3149 out the door
When I got back to NY a rebuilt KnuckleHead motor was $500
A runner Knuckle with a side hack , wrong wheels…..$1500
My brother was going thru things of my dads a little while back and he had found a bike for me
$3000 one owner Vincent Rapide. In NY my last duty station. Yup
How my riding would have been different had I not already bought the SG.
A buddy has done bikes all his life.
Including the ones for Worlds Fastest Indian
The high speed runs were on a Ducati
And Hopkins didn’t use a double when he dumped the bike at the end.
“I’m doing the man’s life for Gods sake!!!” Or some such thing to the director
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aciera
.375 Atomic
Posts: 2,130
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Post by aciera on Sept 21, 2022 17:54:56 GMT -5
And I forgot…….love the Beemer.
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Post by flyingzebra on Sept 21, 2022 17:59:04 GMT -5
Interesting
So I do a quick Google look for that Ducati powered movie replica
Found a couple photos of it in a shop called Deus Ex Machina
That was one of my first DBAs when I was younger, out on the coast, in San Francisco
I was doing two wheeled custom work, frame building and machine work
I'd left the DBA behind years before the Southern CA shop came into being
Small World'ish-ness for sure
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aciera
.375 Atomic
Posts: 2,130
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Post by aciera on Sept 21, 2022 18:29:39 GMT -5
That was 17 years ago when they worked on them.
Small world
When the movie came out I told a buddy that started me going to Bonneville about the movie.
“Yeah. I worked on his bike back then when Burt was making runs”
But that’s Bonneville
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Post by flyingzebra on Sept 21, 2022 21:27:41 GMT -5
My shop in the city was about thirty years ago
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Post by bigbore5 on Sept 21, 2022 21:52:04 GMT -5
Old shovelheads are out there. Some even have reasonable prices if you search.
A basket case project bike rarely gets advertised on the internet for anything resembling a decent price. You're going to have to work the good ol'boy network. Go to a few bike night events. Introduce yourself around and just ask. Let people know what you are looking for. Do the same at some local bike shops. Get to know people who know people kinda thing.
Eventually you will find a solid bike for a good ol' boy price instead of the rip-off RUB price on the internet.
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Post by rjm52 on Sept 23, 2022 5:59:39 GMT -5
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Post by rangersedge on Sept 23, 2022 7:25:56 GMT -5
One of my sisters has an old Harley in her garage. Her husband was an engineer for Hughes aircraft in California. When Hughes was purchased, he was offered a really good severance package and moved to Illinois. That was about 27 years ago. He partially tore the Harley down for some reason (he was a true engineer - measured 5x cut 1x), got cancer, died, and that is how it has remained for several years. It looks new and ran great when he last ran it; but it probably hasn't been ran for 20+ years. She should probably find out model, have it reassembled, and see what it is worth... probably be good to ride it occasionally if nothing else.
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aciera
.375 Atomic
Posts: 2,130
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Post by aciera on Sept 23, 2022 16:15:53 GMT -5
The classic one Rollie Free broke the 150 mark on at Bonneville went for $1.2M I think
Classic picture
A black lightning
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Post by flyingzebra on Sept 24, 2022 13:55:49 GMT -5
This weekend is the annual Reno Street Vibrations meet and show event
I figure I'll get into town today, maybe tomorrow and feed my interest in making something happen
I'm certain I'll have to sell some things in order to fund the path forward
Maybe some S&W and/or Colt things will be going down the road soon
My 10mm Single Six is feeling nervous over there wondering if it'll be finding a new home
We shall see
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