What makes a custom bike a harley?
#11
02-28-2024, 07:05 AM
Stellar HDF Member
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Goose_NC (02-28-2024)
#12
03-09-2024, 08:47 AM
#13
03-09-2024, 10:17 AM
Seasoned HDF Member
I am fine with that. Take clone engine S&S stick in custom frame, call it custom Harley if you want. In conversation I would tell the story of what is.
I am not going to get bent out of shape whatever way you do it
For me as long as engine based on a Harley motor
I am sure this could get hottly debated. And that is good. Men should be able to do that
I am not going to get bent out of shape whatever way you do it
For me as long as engine based on a Harley motor
I am sure this could get hottly debated. And that is good. Men should be able to do that
#14
03-11-2024, 09:38 AM
Seasoned HDF Member
IMO, If the title says harley and it was born as a harley, it's a harley. Before 1970 all that was needed was a motor.. After that motor and frame..
I own 2 HD style bikes that I built from pieces. One most of the stuff that came out of a catalog, the other as a kit. Both have a lot of custom fabrication. I call both of them special construction harleys as CA DVM calls then basically "Special Construction"
Flip side, I owned a CMC motorcycle that was titled as a Indian after Indian bought CMC.. I still called it a CMC..
I own 2 HD style bikes that I built from pieces. One most of the stuff that came out of a catalog, the other as a kit. Both have a lot of custom fabrication. I call both of them special construction harleys as CA DVM calls then basically "Special Construction"
Flip side, I owned a CMC motorcycle that was titled as a Indian after Indian bought CMC.. I still called it a CMC..
#15
Today, 12:04 PM
Seasoned HDF Member
Pre 74 (I think) the only numbers were on the engine lower case. So if the engine is pre 74 the title will be HD regardless of frame. If you put an S&S or ultima or whatever in a custom frame it’s not a Harley although some people still call them that.
If you put a Harley engine in a custom frame IMO it’s still a Harley. The title however may not say that. A lot of it depends on the state you live in.
If you put a Harley engine in a custom frame IMO it’s still a Harley. The title however may not say that. A lot of it depends on the state you live in.
#16
Today, 12:18 PM
Seasoned HDF Member
I’ll also add that if a bike has a real title then most likely you will have no problems getting it re-tagged in any state as long as it had a real title and was registered at one time. I know in the Carolinas Tennessee, Florida, Ohio and Michigan. This is true.
in the early 2000s I was brought a basket case by somebody. He was an older fella and said he had owned the bike for l over 30 years. And he had never been able to get it put together. He did not have a title. He said he did it one time but it was lost in the DMV didn’t have records for it anymore.
I put the bike completely back together, and I took the serial number off the cases, and I had the Ohio DMV do a title search. They came up with nothing. So we then filled out paperwork for a lost title and asked for it to be re-created. the frame was aftermarket and he also did not have an MSO for it. In fact, I don’t even think they were doing those type of things back then. So we just told the DMV that it was a 1970 and they gave him a title based on the serial number from the cases by the way, those cases were 74. and he has a 1970 title. The circumstances and situation was a lot like my own bike. Except for someone had done all that before I owned the parts and pieces. It is what it is. And I would assume that they’re sharper now and don’t do stuff like that. I wasn’t trying to be fraudulent, I was just trying to get this guy rolling. He had pictures of himself as a teenager with that bike. So I know he wasn’t pulling a fast one. He just wanted to ride it again before he was too old.
in the early 2000s I was brought a basket case by somebody. He was an older fella and said he had owned the bike for l over 30 years. And he had never been able to get it put together. He did not have a title. He said he did it one time but it was lost in the DMV didn’t have records for it anymore.
I put the bike completely back together, and I took the serial number off the cases, and I had the Ohio DMV do a title search. They came up with nothing. So we then filled out paperwork for a lost title and asked for it to be re-created. the frame was aftermarket and he also did not have an MSO for it. In fact, I don’t even think they were doing those type of things back then. So we just told the DMV that it was a 1970 and they gave him a title based on the serial number from the cases by the way, those cases were 74. and he has a 1970 title. The circumstances and situation was a lot like my own bike. Except for someone had done all that before I owned the parts and pieces. It is what it is. And I would assume that they’re sharper now and don’t do stuff like that. I wasn’t trying to be fraudulent, I was just trying to get this guy rolling. He had pictures of himself as a teenager with that bike. So I know he wasn’t pulling a fast one. He just wanted to ride it again before he was too old.
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