Tuesday, July 29, 2008

Wanted 1912, 1913, 1914 Harley Davidson twin engine or project, Zundapp 600 750

I'm looking to buy a 1912 or 1913 0r 1914 twin Harley Davidson engine, complete or missing parts , what have you...email me at the contact page.
1909 HD twin in loop frame w belt drive not a chain!, just like a bicycle..
so its a "motorbike" not a true motorcycle just yet, that comes later.note
the beehive style cylinders, extremely rare ...

1915 HD twin , first true motorcycle, not a motorbike anymore, first true 3 speed transmission. peddle start it like a bike , the pedal assembly is now part of the transmission not the frame. electric and magneto models available...

1914 HD twin, single speed... how can you tell? no 2 speed shifter on tank top.


1915 HD twin electric model, see the updated oil pump on the cam cover? pedal on this side of trans.. 1915 was a real milestone for the motor company. tool box on tank top, i guess if you were a really good wrench you could use it for a lunch box...note the round stock for fender braces. 1915 has the new 3 speed transmission behind the engine vs 1914 using a single or 2 speed "transmission" in the rear wheel, . big change,

1914 HD twin 2 speed, its got the tank top shifter now...still the older primitive no oil pump cam cover. pedal assembly is in the frame. 1914 is the first year the motor company adds valve covers,

OH BOY.. 1913 HD twin...single speed chain drive, upgrade from a leather belt ! but belts come back MUCH later... why? belts have much less vibration to transfer thru the bike. Straight front down tube, NO footboards ,no brake or clutch pedals, these improvements arrive in 1914, so you are resting your feet on the old style bicycle pedals,,, yes its still a motorbike here, a fast one at that ..what else? the beehive cylinders are gone! now they have a "crewcut" top, cooling feature.
Early HDS are pretty damn rare, singles, ? they are cool but , hey if your gonna build a early bike ... twins go lots faster.... and yes they are even more rare than singles. Singles had shorter frames, shorter tanks and yes sir........ just 1 cylinder.........the rest of the bike was the same.

Somebodys bitchin kool civilian Zundapp...

Waffen ss soldier in camo on a Zundapp ks750, big enough to haul whatever you need to start your own blitzkrieg...looks like schwimwaggons in the background.


With how lucky i am, if i post this on the net... believe it or not , someone will give me a lead on a engine or bike or who knows, i think if i have a guardian angel , its probably a dog and it loves motorcycles as bad as me..









Might as well dream up some future projects Like to build a 1913 or 1914 HD twin rider and a ww2 Zundapp KS 500 or KS 600, i guess i'd take a cannon hauler like a ks750. I dont know Shiite about Zundapps other than its a similiar steel pressed frame like the ww2 BMWS that i'm building now..HDS are straightforward, glorified lawnmowers. once you solve the air leaks they always run, but nothing comes close to the reliability of an Indian motorcycle. Side valve flatheads, unequaled reliability. .
Some production numbers for you the reader to consider;
after 1910 the numbers represent singles and twins.
1901 1 motorcycle made
1904 2
1905 8
1906 50
1907 150
1908 450
1909 1,149
1910 3,168
1911 5,625
1912 9,571
1913 12,904
1914 16,284
1915 16,645
These numbers are from "The Harley Davidson Motor Company , An Official 80 Year History"
by David K Wright.
You might get this on Amazon or Ebay, I highly recomend this book.
The first twin was made in late 1907 ,but could not run consistently w its suction valve. Mechanical valves on 1911 and following models solved the problem.