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Dad's Harley http://www.yesterdaysweapons.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=54&t=9793 |
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Author: | DeanMk [ Wed Feb 09, 2011 12:47 pm ] | ||
Post subject: | Dad's Harley | ||
Seems there's a lot of motorbike posts in this section, so I thought you guys might get a kick out of this one. That's my father's 1948 Harley-Davidson motorcycle. Dad said that was the last year for the springer front end and he always called his bike a "73" (for those who only know the metric system, that's a 1200). Leather saddle bags and a "buddy seat" rounded out this flat-headed wonder. Dad used to say all the guys who had bikes used to flip the handle bars over and ride the bikes standing up, sort of like how one would ride an off-road bike these days. By doing it that way, you were able to rest your weight on your hands, and allow your legs to be the shock absorbers....and at 60 mph! This is because Dad owned the bike during his tenure in the USAF and while he was stationed in Japan. During the occupation, Japan was a slightly different place than it is now. Back then, all the roads were dirt, uneven and just wide enough for one car. No softtails until the 50's, so either you got jarred to death, or learned another way to ride the bike. This is actually my father's second bike, while he was over there. He told me his first was something he called a "Rico" (Ricoh?). It was the Japanese version of a '36 Indian and featured a 61 cu.in. engine (1000 cc's). Anyone here ever heard of a Japanese Rico motorcycle? I've never run across anyone who has. A few internet search turned up absolutely nothing, too. Dean
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Author: | txpete [ Wed Feb 09, 2011 1:49 pm ] |
Post subject: | Re: Dad's Harley |
nice bike and pic of your dads bike.it looks like a pan head to me. http://www.factoryfat.com/hdmotorhistory.html Rikuo....Harley sold manufacturing rights to the Japanese Sankyo Pharmaceutical Company around 1929. They built flathead Japanese Harleys for a short while from design details supplied by HD 3-11_1200_cc_Rikuo.jpg [ 208.34 KiB | Viewed 5015 times ] |
Author: | A square 10 [ Wed Feb 09, 2011 4:03 pm ] |
Post subject: | Re: Dad's Harley |
pretty cool - is that a left hand sidecar ? |
Author: | NebrHogger [ Wed Feb 09, 2011 8:58 pm ] |
Post subject: | Re: Dad's Harley |
I have a pic somewhere of these bikes in military mode - I'll see if I can't scare it up. SW |
Author: | DeanMk [ Thu Feb 10, 2011 1:20 pm ] |
Post subject: | Re: Dad's Harley |
Oh my Gawd, really? Is that what dad was saying all those years?! Oh well, I'll chalk it up to his NY accent. Thanks Pete. I appreciate your help very much. Dad said his bike was a flat head. Pics I've seen of H-D engines from around that time also show an L-head format. Dean |
Author: | txpete [ Thu Feb 10, 2011 1:43 pm ] |
Post subject: | Re: Dad's Harley |
my dad in WWII england cdn army. harley was a WL flat head my 66 shovel head.this is where it gets interesting.panhead lower end with a shovel head top end then the next generation of shovel head (cone) evo twin cam 96" (1584 cc) |
Author: | A square 10 [ Sat Feb 12, 2011 10:06 pm ] |
Post subject: | Re: Dad's Harley |
damn pete -mmmmm , you make me lust , its what i might die on , but what a way to go ...... |
Author: | txpete [ Sun Feb 13, 2011 12:19 am ] |
Post subject: | Re: Dad's Harley |
I bought that 66 from a CWO shipping out to korea for 1000.00 cash .I just made SP/5 when I bought it. |
Author: | NebrHogger [ Sun Feb 13, 2011 8:54 pm ] | |||
Post subject: | Re: Dad's Harley | |||
I didn't find the group pic of Type 97s - pics on gunboards vanish after a few months - but a little google-fu found these: SW
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