Iron Motors Tech

[Jerry Wieland]

Here is a frame that I bought over the weekend. It has been bastardized but it is a very restorable straight leg pan frame. The pan frame is absolutely flawless except the hacking - no cracks or skid marks anywhere. The neck is 39 vintage knucklehead/flathead. It has been sitting like this for probably 30 some years

It was never finished and you have to wonder if the man doing it had any inkling as to future value. The last straight pan frame I saw on eBay brough $2500 and recently I saw a 39 frame bring 0ver $4000. So this guy tore up $6500 worth of frames to make this???

Notice the nice piece of galvanized well pipe used to make the backbone splice.








Jerry

[panic]

Well.... a frame has no inherent value (much like art, since you can't eat it, wear it, or burn it to keep warm) except what someone is willing to pay for it, and this means the price is determined by the most foolish, gullible and profligate buyer.

To give some perspective on this, I once helped someone to deliver some H-D rigid frames in 1968.
They were purchased from Cardinal Motors in Brooklyn (also a BSA dealer), and they were of such little value that they were stored outside up on the roof.
My friend paid $25. each for 7 or 8 of the best ones (no damage, some had ride-off stands, seats, forks, pedals, etc. still attached). To give you some idea of what money was worth, this was a 20 mile trip with 3 guys and a van to get no more than 8 frames for $200., because he could sell them for $75. each. That's 1/2 a day's work for 3 men to make $400. I got $20. and lunch. He didn't buy them all (there were at least 5 left) because:
1. he didn't have any more money
2. who would buy them?
After carrying 1 or 2 down the outside ladder, he decided they were too heavy, and the rest were simply thrown off the roof into the parking lot.

[Jerry Wieland]

Panic I totally understand what you are saying. I am probably just about you age and was around HD's at least from 1970 on and have watched (and partcipated in) the escalation of prices with total amazement.

Jerry

[45Brit]

same with 45 here in UK. They have AT LEAST quadrupled in price in the past 20 years, which means they are at least double the price in real terms, looking at my respective daily rate then and now.

[Cotten]

It looks like a great start for a project to me!

But then I always found framework to be fun.

....Cotten

[Jerry Wieland]

Cotten I probably will restore the frame and couple it up with a 1956 FL engine I have. The neck will probably find its' way back on a knucklehead frame - but that is way in the future.

Jerry

[Tim Riste]

Gee Jerry, That neck would be a great start for a " Pre-War Knuck " project !! Hell, where I come from, they start thoes types of projects from oil spots on the ground !!!

[44u]

I've seen much worse, including one I rode. Back in the 70s I obtained a BT SV that had been customized, or bastardized, to death. It ran good though.

Coming home one night around 11 o'clock and about 20 miles out of town on a lonely highway, I noticed the bike (extended HD springer) was all of a sudden riding very nicely. The spine jarring bumping had gone away.

An inspection the next day showed both down tubes separated from the steering head and left a 1/2" gap on each side. When the Bondo was chipped off I found out that front legs had been extended with plumbing pipe. And they didn't even bother to cut the threads off the ends. That's where they welded her up.

[Cotten]

I knew a buddy who stretched his with concrete reinforcing rod!
The little knubs held the bondo surprisingly well.

Incredibly, he rode it for decades, and across the continent many times.

When he matured and wanted to de-stretch it, no welder could be found who would touch it, and it is probably still out there somewhere!

.....Cotten