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work in progress.. turning my sportster into a "war"ster.. WLA look'n harley..

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  • pistolpadre

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    This is a little thread, i'd call it a blog, but we all know this boy's no "bloger" ... so just consider it the story of what i'm going to do with Harley number seven.. I've always completed the projects and this is no biggie so your invited along.. pictures and popcorn.. were rock'n kids.. but before i tell you about my scoot let me give y'uns a bit of American Motorcycle history..

    Before WWII there were a number of motorcycle companies. They were America's first "mass" transportation, and anyone who had a bicycle and an engine started a motorcycle company.. There's a miss conception that it was Harley and Indian.. nope.. dozens of companies were putting out total loss oil system (recirculated.. we don't need no stink'n recirculation) motorcycles that got from point A to B.. on dirt roads.. when ever i read about the early days i think what amaz'n stock we came from..

    tough men and women that rode summer and winter. on dirt roads.. oh yeah and forgot the oil from the total loss systems.. quick note on that, in 36 Harley came out with an engine which is very close to todays sportster engine, it was the first to recirculate the oil back into the tank, instead of just letting it drip onto the road after completing it's "job".. when ever i read stuff like that i think about enviro wackys and how they have to sorta "vibrate" when they read about the old days..

    Then ol Henry Ford and his mass manufactured car came out all of that changed, but even at the start of WWII companies like Thor, and Crocker were building thousands of bikes, and in direct compation with Harley and Indian in terms of sales.. Seems everyone has a reason that Indian went out of business, including Harley out bidding them for war contracts on the bike i'm going to copy. I'm not to sure on that.. Indian moved ahead in terms of technology and introduced a vertical twin.. something like the British were building, this was a big thing, as Harley and Indian were in bed much like Chevy and Ford are today... (oh gosh an F150 and a Siverado that are inside $50 of each other..come on..) the only real difference was Harley's tank shift was on the Left and Indian was on the right.. When they broke tradition and went "hi tech" the sales suffered .. then again there was that pesky WLA...

    Harleys lettter codes are a trip.. i've been studying them for 40 years and my firm conclusion is ... sometimes they just put letters together to confuse people.. i won't go into detail here... it's like baseball fanatics quoting ERA's from the NL in 1956.. i will say that some, like our buddy Sugerland and his FLH blank blank blank (don't know the last) are simple.. FL is the big boy.. Flash and i both have XL's notice the L.. notice that it's also in the WLA.. the W series was that recirculated thing i was talking about.. and although a flat head engine much like Roger and my Sportsters (and anyone else who owns one.. my pard "had" one.. the lop's gon'a get another one too, but that's another story).. back to the engine.. the same size as mine now, and the same dedicated one cam and pushrod for every valve.. thats why you see four equal pushrods going up on sporster engines.. (note here or flash will deck me.. his is larger.. THE ENGINE)... sheesh

    Ok.. so the gov had trials for a war motorcycle.. Harley won.. and the result was the WLA.. very close to todays sportsters, and indeed there's a company somewhere building warboys.. that are converted sportsters made to look like old WLA's..

    MINE WILL !! .. ha ha.. not that big a deal.. i'll paint the scoot OD.. with a big white star on both sides of the tank.. i have a single seat and windshield ordered.. pic's follow.. i'm getting the 3% power warning.. so will close this and more pictures when i have more to show you all.. thanks for reading.. and remember .. "i don't want a pickle" ... "i just wanta ride on my motor....... cycle".

    note.. no wicki was used or damaged in building this thread..
    Military Camp
     

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    pistolpadre

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    Here's a picture of the read deal.. I'm not getting rid of all my chrome.. least i don't plan on it now... i might as they make an exhaust wrap and i'm changing out the air cleaner.. the seats will stay black not brown, (some of the WLA's were black)..

    Have the front fender (old style) ordered, the windshield, the single saddle, and "will" have the rear fender rack next month.. trying to get one used before i buy a new one.. I'm going to do the painting myself.. neat thing about OD green.. hard to mess it up.. i'll make the template for the star, mask and paint.. thought about putting USN, or shore patrol, but over the top.. since it's not going to be a copy as much as an "influenced" by thing..
     

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    pistolpadre

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    Very funny, Very funny .. Young'n ignore the geezers.. but sugars right on the seat.. it's called a tractor seat for obvious reasons, and if you stay with bikes you'll hear most everyone say it's "THE" most comfortable seat there is.. I'm not getting it..

    that pic (yeah sug it's a 45 flat head) is just to show the color and the star.. my solo seat that's coming is black, and "normal" looking.. I'm not going to try to duplicate the WLA.. although that company that makes the warboy makes a sportster that is a dead ringer for whats shown.. as i've said i'm just using the WLA for inspiration.. would like to add a tank shift, but way to much work to move the clutch down to the floor board (sugar you remember mouse traps) .. what i'll do is pull the harley logo.. bondo that puppy and spray..
     

    Jakashh

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    I always wanted a bike like that, I even built something as close to that as I could get in GTA lol. All you need is an m1 garand for it.

    Sent from my HTC Sensation 4G using Tapatalk 2
     

    Leper

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    Nice project. If I ever get another scooter it will be a Ural with the 2wd sidecar option, but yours is an interesting idea.
     

    pistolpadre

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    Nice project, padre! I've thought about doing the same thing, but took a shortcut to having a WWII bike and bought a Ural ;)

    Dan, Jack, Lep.. yeah i've always been interested in the Ural too.. but never had a sidecar and i've heard so much negative about how they handle.. duhh or don't.. anyway Gloria will NOT ride with me so i'd have to come up with some other sort of ballast.. on the M1.. a couple of mil surp outlets sell scabbards .. sure these are re po's.. which is fine.. actually better for me, but then i'd have to spend half my time watching the bike..

    I'm going to just keep it simple.. the fender should be here tomorrow.. so over the weekend i want to get it painted.. i won't put it on till i get the tank and rear fender painted.. I've decided to do this "on bike".. and yes i know it's not going to look 100% . but when i weigh the cost of striping and painting by a pro, compared to DIY then no question about it.. plus if i screw it up then i can have a pro re do it for the big bucks..
     

    TundraWookiee

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    Cool project...will be interested in seeing the final product. I drove an old Ural with a sidecar a few months back and it was very uncomfortable after 20 mins but so cool looking.

    I've gotta get all mine running again.

    Sent from Kate Beckinsale's closet.
     
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