So many wonderful stories have been told over the decades, chronicling the elusive “barn find” appears impossible that any more could exist. Time has shown us a lot of lessons and none are prevalent than the fact that old stories are retold. Certainly, given plenty of time, it's possible, but the story around this ‘42 Harley-Davidson WLC seems to be a one time episode. A genuine barn find makes for a great tale, but a Second World War Harley adorned in Honda parts and stashed inside a barn in a rural region in England? Well that would be an interesting story.
Custom builder Nick Gale said, “I found it whilst visiting a relative A decade ago. I got to talk to a local farmer whilst strolling my dog one night and he mentioned he has an oldtime motorbike his father had purchased in 1945 from a soldier at the conclusion of World War II. The farmer told me he knows it was a Harley Davidson, and I could buy it if I wanted to. The motorcycle had stayed in his barn from 1945 until 1981 he made a decision to make use of it and get it running.”
Looking over the bike, it had 18-inch front and rear wheels from Honda, a vintage Honda gas tank, Honda fenders, a Suzuki headlight, handlebars from an lronhead Sportster, a hand clutch, and a bigVincent sprung saddle. The farmer had painted the entire motorcycle yellow, as well as all the nuts and bolts. Nick goes on to say that the bike had a long-expired UK registration and after checking the engine, forks, and frame ensuring they were complete, he made the deal for about $1,200.
Nick adds, “When I got it back home, I got the motorcycle working and was thrilled to see there were no crackling sounds, no smoke, and like every '42s, once on the streets, there are no breaks.”
To prep the Harley Davidson for its resurrection, it was stripped down to the basics. New 16-inch tires were purchased to exchange the Honda tires and the very first snafu was encountered. Running the front rim with the springer forks was pretty simple, but the farmer had heated and bentthe back of the WLC's body to make room for the Honda wheel to fit. With most of his friends telling him its junk, Nick opted to keep up the classic frame and just get a little creative with the rest of the bike.
Nick adds, "The drop seat concept happened when we cut the back off. We used most of the original pipe work and chose to form the backbone too. And the frame was created. The hardest part was having the seat plunger to enable us to use a new seat reduced by a few inches from stock. It required 4 hours with a hammer to get rid of the existing seat post that was welded in." From this point the tale goes stagnant. After acquiring the motorcycle in 2001 and getting the bodyremolded, "biker wants" have prevailed and the old Harley Davidson was boxed up and shelved for yet another day. That day didn't come for the next decade. In early 2011 the bins were made available and readied for restoration yet again.
Opening the 45-inch motor uncovered another amazing discovery. To Nick's enjoyment, the interiorwas like new and with the crank split, the World War II oil spilled out. Checking closely unveiledcompletely unmarked interiors with matching numbers. After putting the complete stock 750 cc flathead together again, the Amal carburetor was refurbished and topped with a brass velocity stack. engine received brass accents over fresh paint job and all oil and fuel lines were created with manually bent copper tubing. The bike came with a worn out and dirty clamshell exhaust. To cover up decades of punishment, the pipes were wrapped to disguise the blemishes and a bend enablesthe pipe to boast a little for more style.
Nick said, “The gears are modified by a smaller sized shifter we produced which still runs the mouse trap clutch. All braking systems and clutch systems are authentic as are all the switch gear, levers, and cables. All the parts were acquired as original or refurbished stock wich would likely be very close as Harley Davidson would've done 70 years ago. The motorcycle ignites on the first or second kick and even the hill brake is working, well, sort of.”
Bodywork was not overdone and carries a classic overall look, but that is where resemblances stop. The back fender began life as a winning piece that was modified with a customized set of struts and backed with a back light. Adding some across-the-pond design, the registration tag is meant to seem like a 1940s English pub sign. What would you expect from any English motorcycle builder? Peeking deep into the gas tank, it becomes clear work was done.
Nick designed and made the unit into two parts that interlock just as the original but with added style and a bend more in line with the framework changes. The seat rocks off from the framebrackets to a spring inside the old seat post tube. All the rest of the components are genuine '42 Harley WLC or new old stock. A classic black paint was applied to all the exposed metals with gold highlights painstakingly painted by hand. One last thing is a vintage motorcycle helmet to completethe WW II look of the bike.
Just in two days of its 6 week transformation, the '42 WLC was exhibited at the South of England Rally and came home with its very first award as winner of the Best Professional Category. Two weeks later it made an appearance and won Best Classic at the annual Bulldog Custom Show. After sitting in boxes for A decade, Nick clearly understood that if he didn’t took time to work with the Harley Davidson, it would be subject to another 10 years of sitting there. It started from an ordinary project into a labor of love. Nick concludes, "It's fun to drive a bike once you get used to it. I, for one, love it to death."
Looking over the bike, it had 18-inch front and rear wheels from Honda, a vintage Honda gas tank, Honda fenders, a Suzuki headlight, handlebars from an lronhead Sportster, a hand clutch, and a bigVincent sprung saddle. The farmer had painted the entire motorcycle yellow, as well as all the nuts and bolts. Nick goes on to say that the bike had a long-expired UK registration and after checking the engine, forks, and frame ensuring they were complete, he made the deal for about $1,200.
Nick adds, “When I got it back home, I got the motorcycle working and was thrilled to see there were no crackling sounds, no smoke, and like every '42s, once on the streets, there are no breaks.”
To prep the Harley Davidson for its resurrection, it was stripped down to the basics. New 16-inch tires were purchased to exchange the Honda tires and the very first snafu was encountered. Running the front rim with the springer forks was pretty simple, but the farmer had heated and bentthe back of the WLC's body to make room for the Honda wheel to fit. With most of his friends telling him its junk, Nick opted to keep up the classic frame and just get a little creative with the rest of the bike.
Nick adds, "The drop seat concept happened when we cut the back off. We used most of the original pipe work and chose to form the backbone too. And the frame was created. The hardest part was having the seat plunger to enable us to use a new seat reduced by a few inches from stock. It required 4 hours with a hammer to get rid of the existing seat post that was welded in." From this point the tale goes stagnant. After acquiring the motorcycle in 2001 and getting the bodyremolded, "biker wants" have prevailed and the old Harley Davidson was boxed up and shelved for yet another day. That day didn't come for the next decade. In early 2011 the bins were made available and readied for restoration yet again.
Opening the 45-inch motor uncovered another amazing discovery. To Nick's enjoyment, the interiorwas like new and with the crank split, the World War II oil spilled out. Checking closely unveiledcompletely unmarked interiors with matching numbers. After putting the complete stock 750 cc flathead together again, the Amal carburetor was refurbished and topped with a brass velocity stack. engine received brass accents over fresh paint job and all oil and fuel lines were created with manually bent copper tubing. The bike came with a worn out and dirty clamshell exhaust. To cover up decades of punishment, the pipes were wrapped to disguise the blemishes and a bend enablesthe pipe to boast a little for more style.
Nick said, “The gears are modified by a smaller sized shifter we produced which still runs the mouse trap clutch. All braking systems and clutch systems are authentic as are all the switch gear, levers, and cables. All the parts were acquired as original or refurbished stock wich would likely be very close as Harley Davidson would've done 70 years ago. The motorcycle ignites on the first or second kick and even the hill brake is working, well, sort of.”
Bodywork was not overdone and carries a classic overall look, but that is where resemblances stop. The back fender began life as a winning piece that was modified with a customized set of struts and backed with a back light. Adding some across-the-pond design, the registration tag is meant to seem like a 1940s English pub sign. What would you expect from any English motorcycle builder? Peeking deep into the gas tank, it becomes clear work was done.
Nick designed and made the unit into two parts that interlock just as the original but with added style and a bend more in line with the framework changes. The seat rocks off from the framebrackets to a spring inside the old seat post tube. All the rest of the components are genuine '42 Harley WLC or new old stock. A classic black paint was applied to all the exposed metals with gold highlights painstakingly painted by hand. One last thing is a vintage motorcycle helmet to completethe WW II look of the bike.
Just in two days of its 6 week transformation, the '42 WLC was exhibited at the South of England Rally and came home with its very first award as winner of the Best Professional Category. Two weeks later it made an appearance and won Best Classic at the annual Bulldog Custom Show. After sitting in boxes for A decade, Nick clearly understood that if he didn’t took time to work with the Harley Davidson, it would be subject to another 10 years of sitting there. It started from an ordinary project into a labor of love. Nick concludes, "It's fun to drive a bike once you get used to it. I, for one, love it to death."
Walang komento:
Mag-post ng isang Komento