In recent times, the term “factory custom” has been used to describe various new models coming out of Milwaukee. This of course is just marketing hype, but in 1933 Harley built a true factory custom which was the first machine produced by the Motor Company that did not bear the name “Harley-Davidson” on the gas […]
When looking at photographs of old Harley-Davidson motorcycles (I’m talking the teens or older), you’ve probably noticed that a lot of them have a cylinder mounted to the frame or handlebars, about the size of a kitchen fire extinguisher. You may have even thought that this was a fire extinguisher, but it is actually just […]
While my engine was off being rebuilt, I directed my attention to building a three speed transmission. Over their 7 year production run, the V-series used three different transmission cases as well as three different gearing configurations. The cases are fairly easy to tell apart, the main difference being how the primary is mounted. […]
If you look back to the beginning of Elvis’ career, you can follow his rise to stardom through the motorcycle he was riding at the time. At 20 years old, Elvis signed his first recording contract with Sun Records. Although he wasn’t given much of an advance, he made enough money to purchase a […]
When the Batman TV series premiered in 1966, Batman and Robin were fighting crime from a 1965 Electra-Glide with attached sidecar. It was basically a stock machine with customized windscreens added to give it the “right look”. 1965 was the last year of the Panhead engine and the first year that electric starters came stock […]
At first glance, I took this to be something built by the Russian military, but it turns out that this Harley-Davidson was exported to Chile as pictured. It’s also not even for the military but instead for their motorized police brigade. Must have been rough down in Chile during the 1940′s… The motorcycle was built […]
In the 1920′s and 30′s, the motorcycle was still considered a tool and not a customizable extension of one’s personality. You often see old photos of motorcycle engines doing all manner of things that they were not designed to do because all you needed was a belt and a pulley to harness the power of […]
