Overview
The previous owner had this Harley restored in the 1990’s in the LA area. He then brought it to Ft. Worth TX where it sat in his office. He passed away recently which is how it came to me. The machine is all but perfect. I have tried to highlight the flaws so that there are no surprises.
Mileage
No odometer.
Paint
Excellent! Flaws are noted in pictures. Most are very small chips etc. except for one to the lower rear of the fuel tank. Looks to me like there had been a small leak at one time. I have found 2-3 very small paint drips on the chain case. I really had to look hard in a different light to find them). They are so small that I can’t pick them up on pictures.
Sheet Metal
Excellent! The suspension etc., is correct. It does have an acetylene bottle under the seat of the sidecar, which is connected to the Headlight and Taillight. This is nothing of note, but I thought they are cool as hell.
Chrome
The polished/plated metal has light pitting. See pictures.
Mechanical
Crankcase is full of clean oil. I put a couple of ounces of oil in the cylinders and turned it over slowly. It is free, no catches or scraping. Valve lifters/pushrods/rocker arms all move correctly in the correct order. Bike has good compression. Transmission shifts fine and clutch grabs and releases. Throttle works well and all other external mechanical devices are connected and seem to work. There is one wire coming from the magneto that has broken in two. Wheels are free and roll well. Back brake works (as well as it ever did). The carburetor is a Schebler.
Wheel & Tires
All tires in brand new condition
Rims: All 28 inch
Front Tire: Coker 28-inch x 3-inch
Rear Tire: Coker 28-inch x 3-inch
Title
Texas
Engine # 20T
Frame # No frame number
Belly # N/A
Valuation Resource Guide
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Accessories
Engine has a Bosch Magneto. It may have been an option versus a Berling. Both are mentioned in the Harley book. The Mesinger Air Cushion Saddle is a correct option and is installed on this bike. Saddle has some blemishes on it.
The sidecar is an OEM option. From the engine number I believe that it is the correct engine for a sidecar. My reading of a Harley manual says that the “T” engine was a lower compression engine that improved “pulling power”. Sidecars were also supplied with different gearing. I have a friend who is a former top executive at Harley who put me in touch with everyone that he knew to track any info about the VIN, sales records etc. They were unable to provide any information.
