pGear, couple years ago we were discussing centerstands.

I was up the road today at a friends shop, he's restoring a 54 KH Racer.

I took a buncha pix.

There's a pic below of the one we were looking at way back when,
and the one I snapped today (won't work on this machine
because the swingarm has been shortened).

Also a pic or two of the KH motor.

He was lacing up a 19" rear wheel for it when I got there.
I know you love lacing.

mud

 

Thanks for the photos Mud........
Those are great shots of a very, very rare bike.
First pic is of the 'California Sportster' we have discussed before, having the center stand.

Second pic:: shows the road racing rear shocks. Those progressive wound springs were only seen on a road race bike or a machine run on a TT course. The springs date to around 1961 I think.

Second pic: This is the seldom seen centerstand and how it is mounted to the rear of the frame. If you removed the swing arm and both shocks from the frame, then you bolted the rigid rear frame section on to those same two bolt holes at the bottom and the two holes at the top (by the shocks) you suddenly had a dirt tracker frame. That is how the factory did the frame switch between dirt and road track machines. I had one of each (frame and engine), but some guys swapped them out.

Third pic: It looks like a KR engine, except for the push rod covers and the 'Flat Looking' Head. Yeah, I know it is a flathead, but I am referring to the flatness of the fins. KR was more rounded.
Has the 'cut outs' on the sprocket cover that allowed you to easily install the chain after a rear sprocket gearing change.

Fourth pic: Up to now I thought the engine was a KH....which is a 45 cu inch. I see by the engine number though that the engine is a KHK.......which is a 55 cu inch engine. This makes it still more rare. The engine size increase was a marketing thing (my understanding) done just before the first Sportster was introduced in 1957. I think the KHK was only made in 1956. There is a possibilty that it was made in 1955, but in anycase it was not long. The KH was first made in 1952 and continued up through 1956. The overhead engine on the Sportster in 1957 ended production of this engine after 1956.

Fifth pic: Good shot of the Fairbanks-Morse magneto. This is mounted where the generator is located on an Ironhead. I have mentioned a few times to members who ask, that putting a mag on a 1970 and newer ironhead can only be done one way, and that eliminates the generator. This shot shows what I was talking about.

Finally some trivia relating to the bike pictured:
Back in the mid/late 1950's and 1960's racing was done under what was called Class "C".
Class "C" allowed a maximum of 45 cu inches for a flathead engine (Harley KRs) or 30.5 cu inches for an overhead valve engine (all the Limey bikes).

Flat track required.......max displacement as above......no brakes on either end......rigid frame was commonly used.
Road Race required....max displacement as above....must have brakes both ends.......swing arm frame always used.
TT Racing (Tourist Trophy).....This is the only type of race that allowed a larger displacement engine to be used. TT allowed 55 cu inches overhead valve maximum for all brands.
Well, the AMA set the rules....... and in those days Harley Davidson controlled the AMA. The Sportster had just come on the market in 1957, and I believe that somehow was connected to the rule for TT.
Now, if I am not mistaken.....Brad Andres won Peoria TT in 1956 and that would have been on a KHK for sure.
So, the machine your buddy is building looks like a bike being prepared for Daytona, mainly because of the seat and the gas tank. Now, if a smaller tank and a solo seat (like I have on my Sporty) was substituted it would be ready for TT racing.
Thank you a bunch for the photos again. This bike is an interesting machine indeed. And yeah, now I have finally seen a center stand on a Sporty type machine............pg

 

Some more trivia for you pGear -

in 1966, you could buy a KR motor forunder 800 bux,
or, the entire machine for 1320.
(picture of the letter comes from the French Owl's website)

The centerstand in my picture appears to be identical to the one on
thatpic of the blue and white machine.

The French Owl has some photos on his website labeled as
1954 KHK's.

It's all extremely interesting to me,
growing up with the ironheads in the early 60s.

A few weeks ago when I was in the shop,
a client came in from Illinois. Old guy.
Mentioned the name Leo Payne.
Followed upwith some really interesting stories
of growing up as a young man with Leo,
including a very veryinteresting story
of how Leo's machine came to be named- "Turnip Eater".

Pic below also of a four banger in progress.
ha ha that magneto is about half again bigger than the FB 2 wire.
Gonna build a sickle around this motor.

mud

 

Well, I am wrong again. I guess the KHK was made in 1954 through 1956. The engine number certainly says that one is a 1954.

Yep, Dick O'Brien was head of the racing dept at that time.

I never knew what the actual cost was for a KR back then. The ones I rode were 1955 models and belonged to the dealer.

Back in the Class C days there was a claiming rule that allowed you to 'claim' the race winner's machine by pulling out $1500 at the finish of the race. I only know of this happening once, although it must have happened a number of times.
In 1961(?) Carrol Reswebber won a race and George Roeder stepped out of the crowd waving the $1500. He walked away with Reswebber's machine. $1500 was a huge chunk of money in 1961. Real money! But I think George won his next 5 races on Reswebber's machine.
Ralph Bernt was Reswebber's tuner at the time. A master of a mechanic and a true legend.
In 1962 the 5 Mile National was run at Lincoln IL. Reswebber was involved in a crash with several other riders that resulted from the extremely dusty track. Reswebber never rode again after that crash.
Also in this crash was a Houston rider named Jack Ghoulson. Jack was 35 years old and carried the National Number plate 34. Jack was killed instantly when he was run over. His equipment was owned by the Houston Harley dealer (Harry Stelter). After things quieted down a bit I was lucky enough to replace Ghoulson as the new rider of the KRs. That is the way I 'got my KRs.'
By 1963 Ralph was traveling and tuning for George Roeder. In 1964 the dealer in St Augustine FL (Limey Hollinsworth) had a connection with the Florida State Police. There was a cop on each end of this Florida back road and they had closed 5 miles of road so that my dealer (a personal friend of Limey's) and George Roeder could do road test for Daytona that week.
I ran my KR out as fast as it would go and I heard George coming up behind me. He putt-putted by me probably 10 mph faster. Hard to keep up with a guy like that!
Later at the Daytona time trial I posted a best speed of 119 mph. George?.....Just do the math. I recall his speed for the standing start one lap around was close to 129 mph.

Ain't trivia just wonderfull?
I still remember that Studebaker you showed us when our first posts crossed back a couple of years. Man, that was a slick car!
I am curious to see what the 4 banger looks like when it is done. Post some shots if you get them.........pg

 

Thanx for posting all your rememberances pGear.

Much appreciated.

The "good old daze" would be an understatement.

Yeah, the StudeBaker belongs to a hometown friend here.

It was wrecked on the freeway in Georgia ayear or so ago,
if I remember correctly.
Cost like 40 grand to repair it.
Thank the Lord for harnesses.
No one was seriously injured.

Ran 219 at Bonneville - with the A/C on and blowing at 37F.



If I remember correctly they drove the car out from Texas.
Went 219.
Drove back to Texas.

There is a video of the run here (at the top rightof the page):

http://www.vintageair.com/

Interesting essay from HotRod magazine here:

http://www.hotrod.com/techarticles/50997/

The four banger, I'll try to remember to keep you updated.

A couple more pix below -

the 4banger,
and the crusher.

mud

 

Thanks for the Studie pic again Mud! I am sure some members will enjoy seeing it again. I have.
Yeah, try to update us on the 4 banger project....and wow! I like that crusher....pg

 

I don't think I ever posted pix of this machine when it was finished about six months ago.
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current project is a 1950 Factory TT machine. extremely rare.
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The thread is much too difficult to read thru so i'll just pass on this information in case someone here wants it.

Kirt at Sporty Specialties has the Sportster center stands. I believe they also fit KHs but i do not know. One of the guys on another forum convinced him to make them again. He has the original molds so they are exact including the HD part number. If you want one now is the time to get one. I do not know how many he has left. I heard that he was selling them on eBay as well as from his shop.

If you decide to get one do not cut off the bottom nubs as recommended for some years until after you actually have installed it and checked the height.

They are identical to the one in the first pic of this thread.

 

Hi Mud!
Long time since we crossed each other! Good to hear from you.
Thanks for the KH pics. Actually that is a KHK isn't it? (The 55 cu inch version of the KH)
Beautiful bike! And it does look like a real short wheelbase model.
Love that center stand! I still have yet to see one in real life myself.
Someday maybe I will.
Yep, I still love lacing up wheels! Thanks for remembering.......... pg

edit note: I went back to your post again and saw the pics I failed to see at first glance. Man, he has a good collection of engines in his shop!
The orange KH(K?) road racer is just beautiful. That is the way a 1963 to late 60's KR looked if it were set up for Daytona.
I am looking at the 6 gallon gas tank.
I am looking at the fairing.
I am looking at the front wheel and hub.
I am thinking.......... Was any of that equipment once mounted on my old road race KR? The reason I ask is that you said your buddy's shop is right down the road, so that means somewhere in Texas.
Pridgen, the dealer in Pasadena I rode for owned the KR's I rode. In 1963 he bought a 6 gal tank and fairing to mount on the machine. That was the first year 'streamlining' and extra large fuel tanks were allowed at Daytona. We went and I rode.
A couple of years later Pridge and I parted company and I know he wound up junking out all of the KR equipment as salvage. So, it makes me wonder if somehow that fairing and tank may have survived? It sure looks familiar..... Ha-Ha, guess I will never know.

 

It is the same as the one that i referred to in the previous post, that you can get from Sporty Specialties. I have one on my 1980. Ten of us on the other forum got them last year. I "heard" that he made 50 and is having a hard time selling the rest.