New Paint!

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912er

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Finally after 32 years the 85 gets new paint! Bought it new on 06/13/85 :biglaugh:
 

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Yup! I wanted to keep the look of the red 85. From 30 feet away it just looks red. Then when you get closer you start to notice that down in the kandy other things lurk. A local guy John Gill did the airbrush work and the gold leaf. Then Bobby from PBMC just down the road in Oregon City cleared it. He also painted my 36 Knucklehead.
 
Why thank you! Yup, red is the fast color, Ron Hopkins did my dyno work and with Supertrapps, jet kit and airbox work he got 124. Said it was the strongest Max he had worked on. And by the way, I just put the GAZI shocks on and WOW, very nice!
 
Here ya go Fire-medic. My Dad bought the 36 in 41. Any of you guys into old Harley's will notice straight away that it has a later glide front end, the springer is shown in the second photo when I was 8. He liked the glide better and he switched it to foot shift. I found out in 06 that he was not going to be with us for more than 18 to 24 months so a good friend helped me restore it so we could get him in the wind.

The mission was successful and we had a few last rides together. Rather than put the old parts back on I left it just the way he liked it. I still ride it at least once a week. I still have the sidecar and will restore it some day.
 

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Here is a shot of my Max next to my son's Duke before the paint, the color was slightly more burgundy / red so you are right! I wanted the House of Color kandy red.
 

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What great shots, thanks for the personal history. That '36 could be put next-to a Softail from the Evo or newer era, and they don't look that-much different. I think that shows Harley-Davidson got it right to begin.

How long-ago was the pic with your father taken? That's a great one to have, it's a wonderful memory.

As you know, the knuckleheads are all the rage among the Harley-Davidson collectors these days. Having that bike for so-long in your family is a valuable heirloom. I hope you have someone to award custody of the bike to in the next generation. Seventy-six years is a long time to have any rolling stock in a family, much-less one that is still operable. I enjoy hearing stories like this.

I'm trying to give my youngest grandson who lives closest to us, an education in things mechanical, and an appreciation for maintenance to keep things operable. He's just a little boy, but he knows the names of various tools, has both a 'for play' toolbox, and a real toolbox with some simple hand tools he gets to use under supervision. Yesterday he got out his toolbelt and loaded it up with all the play tools it would hold, and then proceeded to tell me he was ready to work. Whenever I have something to do, and he's around, I try to involve him in it for the duration of his attention span. Yesterday he was asking me about my air compressor because I was using it to inflate his pool floats. He followed the bright-orange hose from the nozzle back to the compresssor (it's affixed to the rafters in the garage), and told me, "this is where the air comes-from!" Then he asked me about the motor, and I told him about the compressor, and the belt, and that's how the air comes-out harder than you can ever-blow. Great fun. He remembered about the motor and which piece it was on the compressor chassis.

I bet you have many memories of your father's instructions to you about the garage and workshop. Thanks for the great pictures. Color photography was uncommon for the average family before the mid-1950's, unless someone shot color slides.

Here ya go Fire-medic. My Dad bought the 36 in 41. Any of you guys into old Harley's will notice straight away that it has a later glide front end, the springer is shown in the second photo when I was 8. He liked the glide better and he switched it to foot shift. I found out in 06 that he was not going to be with us for more than 18 to 24 months so a good friend helped me restore it so we could get him in the wind.

The mission was successful and we had a few last rides together. Rather than put the old parts back on I left it just the way he liked it. I still ride it at least once a week. I still have the sidecar and will restore it some day.
 
Here ya go Fire-medic. My Dad bought the 36 in 41. Any of you guys into old Harley's will notice straight away that it has a later glide front end, the springer is shown in the second photo when I was 8. He liked the glide better and he switched it to foot shift. I found out in 06 that he was not going to be with us for more than 18 to 24 months so a good friend helped me restore it so we could get him in the wind.

The mission was successful and we had a few last rides together. Rather than put the old parts back on I left it just the way he liked it. I still ride it at least once a week. I still have the sidecar and will restore it some day.

That is a great story. i hope that you hold onto this bike and pass it down to the next generation.

What great shots, thanks for the personal history. That '36 could be put next-to a Softail from the Evo or newer era, and they don't look that-much different. I think that shows Harley-Davidson got it right to begin.

How long-ago was the pic with your father taken? That's a great one to have, it's a wonderful memory.

As you know, the knuckleheads are all the rage among the Harley-Davidson collectors these days. Having that bike for so-long in your family is a valuable heirloom. I hope you have someone to award custody of the bike to in the next generation. Seventy-six years is a long time to have any rolling stock in a family, much-less one that is still operable. I enjoy hearing stories like this.

I'm trying to give my youngest grandson who lives closest to us, an education in things mechanical, and an appreciation for maintenance to keep things operable. He's just a little boy, but he knows the names of various tools, has both a 'for play' toolbox, and a real toolbox with some simple hand tools he gets to use under supervision. Yesterday he got out his toolbelt and loaded it up with all the play tools it would hold, and then proceeded to tell me he was ready to work. Whenever I have something to do, and he's around, I try to involve him in it for the duration of his attention span. Yesterday he was asking me about my air compressor because I was using it to inflate his pool floats. He followed the bright-orange hose from the nozzle back to the compresssor (it's affixed to the rafters in the garage), and told me, "this is where the air comes-from!" Then he asked me about the motor, and I told him about the compressor, and the belt, and that's how the air comes-out harder than you can ever-blow. Great fun. He remembered about the motor and which piece it was on the compressor chassis.

I bet you have many memories of your father's instructions to you about the garage and workshop. Thanks for the great pictures. Color photography was uncommon for the average family before the mid-1950's, unless someone shot color slides.

The story of you teaching your grandson puts a smile on my face. Thank you.
 
So yes, I am making sure that the 36 stays in the family. Being the first year and the EL model to boot it's in big demand. They made the standard E model which was 7 to 1 compression with a 3 speed and the EL was the performance model at 7.5 to 1 and a four speed.

I have a standing offer from a local Harley guy for 30,000 and all he wants is the motor and tranny only...

The photo of me and my Dad was taken in 1959. No shortage of photos since he was a professional photog for the Portland Or, Rose City Harley club.

The first photo is my Dad long before I was born. This is what it looked like in 1941 when he bought it used for 325.00 I still have the receipt and original title.

My son just started ridin two years ago (Ducati Monster) the second photo is me about a month ago teachin him how to prime, choke, retard the timing and get the old guy down the road. It's actually quite an experience! You feel a bit like Captain America ridin the thing.
 

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