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[OBB]

Ok guys. I did get to talk to the owner and also has a photo of his historical plate to verify the year of this beauty. How good are some of the old bike peeps on here? Who all can tell us all a little something about this bike?

[spydglide]

Nice looking 'stock' 80ci Flathead....Made the same time they were making 61ci and 74ci Knuckleheads and the anemic 45ci service cycle military & police units. Wonder if it was restored or just stored away in like new condition? Looks like the chain oiler is doing it's job.  har!  spyder     p.s. I'll guess 1936 year.

[Chains]

I guess 37

[OBB]

Nice looking 'stock' 80ci Flathead....Made the same time they were making 61ci and 74ci Knuckleheads and the anemic 45ci service cycle military & police units. Wonder if it was restored or just stored away in like new condition? Looks like the chain oiler is doing it's job.  har!  spyder     p.s. I'll guess 1936 year.

Close. This one is a 74 CID. This one is a restored bike. He has one from every decade.

I guess 37

BINGO!!




There's a little more to this bike yet. Notice the shifter and tell me how it makes this bike unique for that year. I'll toss in a little hint. Although this is not the factory color, the color he chose is a reflection of the model of the bike. If that makes any sense.  I just notice how washed out the pix is. The color is a specific shade of silver.

[HUBBARD]

Right-side shifter.  Never saw one like that before.  That's all I know, OBB.  Later--HUBBARD

[SHRADER]

You are correct about the shifter Carl. It was Harleys convention to put the shifter on the left and it was Indian that was usually on the right with the throttle on the opposite side in both cases. However you could get either with the shifter on either side at your request for at let part of the production years that had hand shifters.
You don't see very many right hand Harleys which leads me to believe that at lest the tank set was police issue at some point in its life.
It's much more common to see left hand shift Indians as many bikes have been switched over from right hand at some point in their lives, like I did Dads 1947.
It's real easy to do an Indian because the tanks are the same either way as there is no Gate for the shifter mounted to it. All you really have to change is the shifter itself. Harleys typically had a gate mounted on the tank with rivets which means it was much harder to convert one side to the other.

[OBB]

You are correct about the shifter Carl. It was Harleys convention to put the shifter on the left and it was Indian that was usually on the right with the throttle on the opposite side in both cases. However you could get either with the shifter on either side at your request for at let part of the production years that had hand shifters.
You don't see very many right hand Harleys which leads me to believe that at lest the tank set was police issue at some point in its life.
It's much more common to see left hand shift Indians as many bikes have been switched over from right hand at some point in their lives, like I did Dads 1947.
It's real easy to do an Indian because the tanks are the same either way as there is no Gate for the shifter mounted to it. All you really have to change is the shifter itself. Harleys typically had a gate mounted on the tank with rivets which means it was much harder to convert one side to the other.

Correct. From what the owner was telling me, only police bikes had right side shifters. The color is Police Silver.

[Dan_Lockwood]

Correct. From what the owner was telling me, only police bikes had right side shifters. The color is Police Silver.

I guess that was so they could hold their pistol with the right hand while riding and shoot at the villains....

[spydglide]

You are correct about the shifter Carl. It was Harleys convention to put the shifter on the left and it was Indian that was usually on the right with the throttle on the opposite side in both cases. However you could get either with the shifter on either side at your request for at let part of the production years that had hand shifters.
You don't see very many right hand Harleys which leads me to believe that at lest the tank set was police issue at some point in its life.
It's much more common to see left hand shift Indians as many bikes have been switched over from right hand at some point in their lives, like I did Dads 1947.
It's real easy to do an Indian because the tanks are the same either way as there is no Gate for the shifter mounted to it. All you really have to change is the shifter itself. Harleys typically had a gate mounted on the tank with rivets which means it was much harder to convert one side to the other.

Never knew that Shrader.  When 1st looked at the photo I just thought it was a reversed photo.  It is amazing how many variations that Harley made to their models over the years....almost like a custom shop at times.  My Dad ordered a 61 ci in the late 30's with a # of special modifications (mostly performance) so he could outrun all the police models and I only remember that the price was about $600 which he paid for mostly with nickels. He had a tavern before WWll and sold beer & hotdogs for a nickel.   spyder

[SHRADER]

Yeah Buddy. Harley's with Right hand shift are rare. I never really understood the whole right/left deal between Indian and Harley. I know it has been said that Indian started right hand because most folks are right handed and it freed up that hand from constantly working the throttle, so a peace officer could fire and ride at the same time.

If that were truly the reason for doing the right hand throttle why did Harley build almost 90,000 WLA bikes in WWII, and those guys were in a war zone where shooting was more likely, with left hand shift. I think its more likely that at some point it became kind of a point of contention between the two brands and their followers and each kind of stuck to what they had started with back in the day.

I know some Ol time Indian folks that would never ride a bike, even an Indian, with left hand shift.

[Rooster]

Maybe they had a guy on the back with the 50 cal. to do the shooting
sorry just kidding.

[Chains]

First Harley I ever rode was a RH shift.  Looked like new my buddy bought it in 1966 for $150.00.

[SHRADER]

What year and model was the bike he bought in 66??

[willyB]

My grandpa's bike.

What year is it?

[Chains]

What year and model was the bike he bought in 66??

49 pan head had the bags and everything made it into a chopper. Threw the stuff he took off in the trash.