Finally after 32 years the 85 gets new paint! Bought it new on 06/13/85 :biglaugh:
Nice! I see you stuck with the RED part. I hear from the 1985 owners, that is the fast one!
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.
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.
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