These older Harleys are by far more beautiful than newer Harleys. The lines of the frame and engine are just perfect, and the size of the wheels, everything is in proportion. These are true Harleys.
Do you mean they didn't build them for Doctors and Lawyer and other 'Big Boys' with 'Big Money' but 'True Motorcycle Enthusiasts' ?? But then that's America, Then and Now !!!
It's great that somebody was able to put together one of these small-flywheel VL's. I was always on the lookout for an original one, but I guess they pretty much all got converted. I remember seeing a "Shop Dope" from 1929 or 30 listing all the replacement parts, and among them was the frame! It makes sense, right? Bigger crankcases... bigger engine cradle in the frame. So the upgrade was much more than just an engine replacement. The frame had to be completely stripped, and then after the engine was reassembled with the new flywheels and cases, everything had to be reassembled into the new frame (front forks, tanks, battery box, transmission, rear fender, wheel and brake, primary components, seat and post, clamps, controls etc etc etc.) And I remember reading that although the dealers received the rebuild kits "gratis", they were expected to do all the conversion at their own cost! Apparently the whole debacle ate up all the profits gained from licensing the 45 to the Japanese ( the Rikou), and that was all that saved HD from bankruptcy. As for myself, I owned and rode a '33 VL in the '80's. It was just a nice smooth-running machine... not powerful, but competent and reliable. I never had any issue with the splined-hub wheels, but I can understand how dusty conditions could eventually lead to a loose fit. And more recently I owned a UL that I tried lightened flywheels in. It was horrible at low RPM! The bike never wanted to just "chug" along at low speed. The engine would always start bucking unless you were accelerating. I went back to the original flywheels right away.
First VLs, a huge debacle for H-D right when the great depression was starting ! Could have killed the company but they were devoted to keepin' it goin' whatever it took.
@@boppin_bennie Definitely not enough R&D on those first VL's. Probably one of the reasons they were so slow in releasing the Knuckle. Believing that the rockers had to be exposed to cooling airflow (British practice at the time), they couldn't figure out how to lubricate them without making an oily mess. But because they were gun-shy after the VL debacle, they didn't release the EL until they finally figured it out.
@@garymacdonald2549 makes sense with the EL being Bill Harley's last engine design before his death. Sixty-one prototypes leaked & they didn't want issues like the VL, the engineering team came up with cups, covers & breather making a vacuum to draw the oil down, it worked great and turned out a big success !
Just want to tell you how much I love your videos. Battling stomach cancer and watching you and all your peeps help soo much. Been a rider my whole life and now on a tri glide
The amount of seemingly of the cuff knowledge is mind blowing. So impressive to watch any genuine master of a craft do their thing. Very inspirational, keep up the great work 💪🏻💪🏻
Awesome video. I. Met yo a couple years ago. Me and my buddy were there and asking questions, you actually started up 5 bikes for us. I felt like a rock star. Keep up the. Great work.
Excellent information,beautiful bike. This actually helped with a bit of info about years of availability in the RL springer and VL wheels for my Knucklehead. Excellent presentation Mr. Walksler.
Harley could have provided new Reliable Motors to the dealer so all they would have to do is take out the motor without touching the primary drive or the gearbox. Then with the leftover Motors they can rebuild them when they have time. Customer will be so much happier if his engine can be replaced quickly instead of totally torn down and rebuilt at the shop or being sent back to Harley-Davidson. I'm surprised somebody at the factory did not think of this same thing.
I own an 883. Around the 3 minute mark, he describes my bike. It's ok, I love my 883. Carry on my friend. Also, bless your knowledge, sir. You smack to remember and I love it.
Just listen to every sheet of corrugated iron in that garage shaking when that beautiful machine fires up!! Love the style of the art deco Harley's, second to none.👍
I had a chopper 67 shovel "88 in" Ground up build with 1930s splined hub & brake drum adapted to 1952 backing plate never one bit of trouble SUPER Clean look as well & I also used to own the chopper you have (knucklehead) with the ARLEN NESS paint job ,Originally owned & built by Ted "BOOTS" Shaw in the early 1970s , He has since passed away ...Missouri Paul 👍🇺🇸👍👌
Thankyou all at wheels through time for these videos,you are so thorough in your description about these motorcycles,part,s and history,it,s amazing and very educational,cheers,from,Auckland,New Zealand,best Channel on the internet by far...happy and safe new year to all...
All the VL models thru 36 have the splined hubs with the interchangable wheels. Problem with the splined hubs is that they worn out and that gives some wheel play. i have a 36 VL and i working on a third bearing in the hub so the hub is solid again.
I can think of SEVERAL others that never got recalled to include all of the earlier AMF Shovelheads that had defective valve guides. All of the garbage INA cam bearings bikes. All of the Twinkie bikes that had spring loaded cam tensioners. All of the M8 transmissions with plastic bearings and brass shifter forks.
I have a 1930 VL small case engine. My father just passed away, and I inherited a ton of stuff from my father, which in advertently came from my grandfather. The engine I have was used on a two wheel yard tractor for telling the field, the engine is complete I might have a transmission.
The 1930 vfl had engine difficulties that resulted in a lot of warranty claims. When Harley-Davidson was in Dire Straits and only making 3,000 motorcycles a year. Japanese Yen had dropped by 50% so they put a factory making Flathead Harleys in Japan and when they started with the knucklehead the Japanese did not want the knucklehead and Harley was bought out right before WWII. The bikes that they made before we're basically handmade the j.d., and the jdh. The new bike looked like a plow horse and nobody would buy it and the racers kept their old bikes. Harley went to the AMA because they basically ruled it back then and they change the rules to make it outlawing the old JD and jdh bikes so you had to buy a new motorcycle. The money they got from the Japanese operation rikuro basically tidied them over until economic conditions in America improved.
Great post as usual Matt. Good looking bike but unfortunately had design drawbacks. Reminds me of my beautiful new 78 Low Rider Shovelhead that was recalled for crank bearing issues and front brake fading(Kelsey Hayes). Thx again.
Hello brothers Dale hope you're doing well I sure miss your Dad great guy loved watching him work or even just talk about Harley's anyway I was hoping you or one of your viewers or someone you know I need a set of front brake lines for my 68 Sportster with dual front calipers and maybe a set of forward controls see I'm a old disabled vet with cancer and I get leg and hip cramps and I can't hold my legs out for very long it makes it hard for me to enjoy my ride thanks keep doing what you're doing always keep the dirty side down and remember be safe healthy and happy God Bless 🤠
Another amazing bike! Love the series! Can’t wait to get back up there again and see some of these amazing bikes in person. After watching this series I realize how much I missed last time I was there!
Your HD sweater hoodie is awsome too. Man I live this channel..special bikes..these have a mystique that bikes jst dont have anymore..they should remake some of these beauty's new
Man that was really interesting. So this one missed the recall or was it restored to pre-recall specs? I'm sure somebody woulda been happy with the lighter weight and snappier response and screw the low-speed smoothness and tendency to stall out.
Please show how to set up a Harley to make it start as it should , kick starts using linkert carburetor and points and plugs. My question is can resistors type plugs be used with point, and what type of spark plug wires . I have two pan heads ,a 1961 and a 1963 and neither start well .what am I missing …
Wouldn't Harley have had short motors ready to swap out rather than strip down and rebuild each individual bike? On another note. What's with the twin exhausts at the rear?
Go ahead and highlight this comment but there exactly 25 of these first VL and I’m doing everything possible to find them as is for survivor bike as is . Hopefully this lights a fire in many people who wants to find them.
Hi bro ,,I am sorry but i live in Australia and I have rebuilt a WUL which is a side valve 1200 or 74 cu and i would really appreciate your take on S&S and screaming eagle engines.?
Now if I had a small case/ small flywheel model I would look at putting some heavier metal inserts into the flywheel to increase its mass. Another lesion might be to spread your more radical innovations over several years rather than throwing them all in at once... or at least don't rush things into production. The first year new designs are tried are usually the years problems get identified and fixed in succeeding models. Everyone is a genius after the fact. 🙂
my favorite channel... can you please showcase a Thor and The History of Thor Motor Cycle? Thank you and i cant wait to visit you in the future. #BucketList
What is a basket case D with "everything" missing worth.? I can get hold of one, but "can't afford it", and have no idea of how bad an idea it is. Frame, cases, gearbox, carb and tops cylinder, is all I can see, but maybe there is a crank in it too.. "Everybody" needs a HD, but I also have probably 70s Sportster on my hands, alledgedly only missing some work on, or a new, gearbox case, that I also "can't afford", but feel might be a decent job for the price. What should I max pay for that one?
Harley did not pay warranty on the 30 vl's you failed to mention that, Police Forces that ordered the 30 v series were sent the upgrade kit free but it was soley left to the dealer to rectify with no compensation given by the Factory,no warranty paid.Customers who had soley purchased one had small surcharge on the kit charged to them by factory but most dealers waived this cost and paid but at least Harley did pay a set amount of hrs for a private use bike,Fleets were not covered..
It’s amazing that HD was able to conduct a recall in 1930 and here we are in 2024 and #ktmmotorcycles can’t do a recall for their failing camshafts in their 790/890 motors 🤦🏻♂️
These older Harleys are by far more beautiful than newer Harleys. The lines of the frame and engine are just perfect, and the size of the wheels, everything is in proportion. These are true Harleys.
Do you mean they didn't build them for Doctors and Lawyer and other 'Big Boys' with 'Big Money' but 'True Motorcycle Enthusiasts' ??
But then that's America, Then and Now !!!
@@sherrycambridge1531 that's it! For the die hards!
@@patrickarchibald6787 You got it babe !!
@@sherrycambridge1531
Harley's have always been expensive, price a new one compared to a new Model A Ford from the same year and you'll see that.
It's great that somebody was able to put together one of these small-flywheel VL's. I was always on the lookout for an original one, but I guess they pretty much all got converted. I remember seeing a "Shop Dope" from 1929 or 30 listing all the replacement parts, and among them was the frame! It makes sense, right? Bigger crankcases... bigger engine cradle in the frame. So the upgrade was much more than just an engine replacement. The frame had to be completely stripped, and then after the engine was reassembled with the new flywheels and cases, everything had to be reassembled into the new frame (front forks, tanks, battery box, transmission, rear fender, wheel and brake, primary components, seat and post, clamps, controls etc etc etc.) And I remember reading that although the dealers received the rebuild kits "gratis", they were expected to do all the conversion at their own cost! Apparently the whole debacle ate up all the profits gained from licensing the 45 to the Japanese ( the Rikou), and that was all that saved HD from bankruptcy. As for myself, I owned and rode a '33 VL in the '80's. It was just a nice smooth-running machine... not powerful, but competent and reliable. I never had any issue with the splined-hub wheels, but I can understand how dusty conditions could eventually lead to a loose fit. And more recently I owned a UL that I tried lightened flywheels in. It was horrible at low RPM! The bike never wanted to just "chug" along at low speed. The engine would always start bucking unless you were accelerating. I went back to the original flywheels right away.
First VLs, a huge debacle for H-D right when the great depression was starting ! Could have killed the company but they were devoted to keepin' it goin' whatever it took.
@@boppin_bennie Definitely not enough R&D on those first VL's. Probably one of the reasons they were so slow in releasing the Knuckle. Believing that the rockers had to be exposed to cooling airflow (British practice at the time), they couldn't figure out how to lubricate them without making an oily mess. But because they were gun-shy after the VL debacle, they didn't release the EL until they finally figured it out.
@@garymacdonald2549 makes sense with the EL being Bill Harley's last engine design before his death. Sixty-one prototypes leaked & they didn't want issues like the VL, the engineering team came up with cups, covers & breather making a vacuum to draw the oil down, it worked great and turned out a big success !
I LOVE THESE VIDEOS. THE KNOWLEDGE OF ALL THESE BIKES ARE UNBELIEVEABLE . GREAT JOB
I love How you Explain EveryThing as you Go👍👍👍🤔🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌
Thank you for all the informations. And thank you for keeping the 1930 VL in great running condition.
Just want to tell you how much I love your videos. Battling stomach cancer and watching you and all your peeps help soo much. Been a rider my whole life and now on a tri glide
The amount of seemingly of the cuff knowledge is mind blowing. So impressive to watch any genuine master of a craft do their thing. Very inspirational, keep up the great work 💪🏻💪🏻
I had heard that the early VL's were lemons, now we know all the details. Thanks, professor!
Sounds great tho..
My '88 FLHS was recalled for shifter forks, at 100K. They were fine, got new ones on HD. Now has 239K, still fine...
Awesome video. I. Met yo a couple years ago. Me and my buddy were there and asking questions, you actually started up 5 bikes for us. I felt like a rock star. Keep up the. Great work.
They should have recalled the 88ci for the cam chain tensioner defect.
That paint livery is out of sight on that bike. Cool man cool.
Ya man
This by far is one of my favorite channels....An what an excellent video....Thanks very very much,l am Sub'ed...!!
Friggin awesome isn’t it!
I absolutely love the look of the dual headlights, always have…just looks so cool
Love these bikes ...keep up the great work....true time capsules!!!!
Excellent information,beautiful bike. This actually helped with a bit of info about years of availability in the RL springer and VL wheels for my Knucklehead. Excellent presentation Mr. Walksler.
Awesome machine......love what you guys do!...thanks for sharing
I just absolutely love the tank badge on that motorcycle!!!
Informative video. Thanks Matt for making history come alive. Great looking bike.
Harley could have provided new Reliable Motors to the dealer so all they would have to do is take out the motor without touching the primary drive or the gearbox. Then with the leftover Motors they can rebuild them when they have time. Customer will be so much happier if his engine can be replaced quickly instead of totally torn down and rebuilt at the shop or being sent back to Harley-Davidson. I'm surprised somebody at the factory did not think of this same thing.
Beautiful Motorcycle. Love the dark blue.
I own an 883. Around the 3 minute mark, he describes my bike. It's ok, I love my 883. Carry on my friend. Also, bless your knowledge, sir. You smack to remember and I love it.
The paint scheme and color is most awesome..
I learn some history every time I watch
Just listen to every sheet of corrugated iron in that garage shaking when that beautiful machine fires up!! Love the style of the art deco Harley's, second to none.👍
Fantastic knowledge of these time machines!
Other history... not so much 😄🤠😆
Thanks for this, wonderful sound, great looking machine ..
Thanks Matt!
I had a chopper 67 shovel "88 in" Ground up build with 1930s splined hub & brake drum adapted to 1952 backing plate never one bit of trouble SUPER Clean look as well & I also used to own the chopper you have (knucklehead) with the ARLEN NESS paint job ,Originally owned & built by Ted "BOOTS" Shaw in the early 1970s , He has since passed away ...Missouri Paul 👍🇺🇸👍👌
This guy has the absolute best job ever.
I love the color combination!
Thankyou all at wheels through time for these videos,you are so thorough in your description about these motorcycles,part,s and history,it,s amazing and very educational,cheers,from,Auckland,New Zealand,best Channel on the internet by far...happy and safe new year to all...
Great job as always Matt. My grandfather had one of those. Wish he kept it. BTW Gotta get me one of those HD sweaters your wearing!! Awesome.
All the VL models thru 36 have the splined hubs with the interchangable wheels. Problem with the splined hubs is that they worn out and that gives some wheel play. i have a 36 VL and i working on a third bearing in the hub so the hub is solid again.
I can think of SEVERAL others that never got recalled to include all of the earlier AMF Shovelheads that had defective valve guides. All of the garbage INA cam bearings bikes. All of the Twinkie bikes that had spring loaded cam tensioners. All of the M8 transmissions with plastic bearings and brass shifter forks.
I have a 1930 VL small case engine. My father just passed away, and I inherited a ton of stuff from my father, which in advertently came from my grandfather. The engine I have was used on a two wheel yard tractor for telling the field, the engine is complete I might have a transmission.
I’ll continue to look for an email or some type of contact info please reach out to me
😵
I must visit this museum very soon
So much knowledge always learn something thanks guys great place to far from Oz for me
The 1930 vfl had engine difficulties that resulted in a lot of warranty claims. When Harley-Davidson was in Dire Straits and only making 3,000 motorcycles a year. Japanese Yen had dropped by 50% so they put a factory making Flathead Harleys in Japan and when they started with the knucklehead the Japanese did not want the knucklehead and Harley was bought out right before WWII. The bikes that they made before we're basically handmade the j.d., and the jdh. The new bike looked like a plow horse and nobody would buy it and the racers kept their old bikes. Harley went to the AMA because they basically ruled it back then and they change the rules to make it outlawing the old JD and jdh bikes so you had to buy a new motorcycle. The money they got from the Japanese operation rikuro basically tidied them over until economic conditions in America improved.
I also read that the 1200cc JD’s were as fast as the early VL’s.
Great post as usual Matt. Good looking bike but unfortunately had design drawbacks. Reminds me of my beautiful new 78 Low Rider Shovelhead that was recalled for crank bearing issues and front brake fading(Kelsey Hayes). Thx again.
depression was in the 30's .............. prohibition was in the 20's ......that being said , your doing a fantastic job !
Maybe he met the bike came after the stock market crash of 1929 which ignited the depression.
Love the paint
Beautiful machine! Even a recalled H-D is show quality.
Beautiful bike.. It sounds great as well.
I would love to be able to come down this summer and see your museum
Someday I would like to visit the museum.
Es hermosa siempre los modelos clasicos son los mejores 😃😃
Diff sounds nice and great looking scoot
Beautiful bike!
What a lovely looking bike!!
Hello brothers Dale hope you're doing well I sure miss your Dad great guy loved watching him work or even just talk about Harley's anyway I was hoping you or one of your viewers or someone you know I need a set of front brake lines for my 68 Sportster with dual front calipers and maybe a set of forward controls see I'm a old disabled vet with cancer and I get leg and hip cramps and I can't hold my legs out for very long it makes it hard for me to enjoy my ride thanks keep doing what you're doing always keep the dirty side down and remember be safe healthy and happy God Bless 🤠
This was fascinatingly informative, as are most of your videos, so thank you! once again.
Another amazing bike! Love the series! Can’t wait to get back up there again and see some of these amazing bikes in person. After watching this series I realize how much I missed last time I was there!
Such a beautiful bike.
Beautiful bike
Love you guys hope I can visit this summer
💀Why recall it when they could let it slide like they do everything these days?! (I own a '03 Twin Cam)Keep up your awesome videos man.
Your HD sweater hoodie is awsome too. Man I live this channel..special bikes..these have a mystique that bikes jst dont have anymore..they should remake some of these beauty's new
These videos are incredible.
I do think they made at least one more. Early bigtwin swingarm frames were prone to breaking on the rear right tube i think.
Thanks again Matt ❣️🇺🇸
thanks Matt , man.
Good thing they caught it in time
Cost them dearly but they didn't want the H-D name to be trashed & go down as a failure !
The sensible thing would be for Harley to have used the small cases and flywheels for race models
It would be extra special to get an idea what these are valued at too.
Man that was really interesting. So this one missed the recall or was it restored to pre-recall specs? I'm sure somebody woulda been happy with the lighter weight and snappier response and screw the low-speed smoothness and tendency to stall out.
Light flywheels, harder to kick start too. I put the kick in for younger people.
Yes, they had to go into the heart of the engine, but those engines are very easy to work on an every dealer had a flywheel truing stand.
@@rivjoy
I'm sure they were pissed. Those problems should have been caught before the VL entered production. Why it wasn't caught remains a mystery.
Matt, when are you going to get and restore an example of a VL chariot from the chariot races? That would be a hoot!
Wow!!! That's a lot of great information.
Please show how to set up a Harley to make it start as it should , kick starts using linkert carburetor and points and plugs. My question is can resistors type plugs be used with point, and what type of spark plug wires . I have two pan heads ,a 1961 and a 1963 and neither start well .what am I missing …
Wouldn't Harley have had short motors ready to swap out rather than strip down and rebuild each individual bike?
On another note. What's with the twin exhausts at the rear?
Go ahead and highlight this comment but there exactly 25 of these first VL and I’m doing everything possible to find them as is for survivor bike as is . Hopefully this lights a fire in many people who wants to find them.
What code or name does that blue have? it's lovely
OMG! MATT, I JUST Walksipidia'd everything you said.
ALL TRUTH!
Hi bro ,,I am sorry but i live in Australia and I have rebuilt a WUL which is a side valve 1200 or 74 cu and i would really appreciate your take on S&S and screaming eagle engines.?
Now if I had a small case/ small flywheel model I would look at putting some heavier metal inserts into the flywheel to increase its mass.
Another lesion might be to spread your more radical innovations over several years rather than throwing them all in at once... or at least don't rush things into production. The first year new designs are tried are usually the years problems get identified and fixed in succeeding models. Everyone is a genius after the fact. 🙂
Beautiful machine
Why don’t Harley-Davidson make these bikes anymore..a work of art..
my favorite channel... can you please showcase a Thor and The History of Thor Motor Cycle? Thank you and i cant wait to visit you in the future. #BucketList
So what's the big 6 cyl engine and transmission out of behind you???
That’s is a stutz vertical 8!
Touchy subject I'm sure, but is there a follow up on Dale's battle with cancer?
How is he doing??
I am very sorry to hear that. I am praying for Dale. I love this channel and can't wait to go see the museum. Thank you so much Wheels through Time.
he got cancer? Thats very suprising
The Harley’s of the thirties are very cool
What is a basket case D with "everything" missing worth.? I can get hold of one, but "can't afford it", and have no idea of how bad an idea it is. Frame, cases, gearbox, carb and tops cylinder, is all I can see, but maybe there is a crank in it too.. "Everybody" needs a HD, but I also have probably 70s Sportster on my hands, alledgedly only missing some work on, or a new, gearbox case, that I also "can't afford", but feel might be a decent job for the price. What should I max pay for that one?
was the crankpin reused?
Have to wonder what in the world was the reasoning behind the overly complex termination of the exhaust.
I’ve been looking to buy a 30 VL, and they are basically impossible to find.
I guess the carter had to be different to fit the bigger flywheel cover.
Didnt they use cast iron pistons in ‘30 too?
Kinda miss the vids of Dale riding the aisles.
That’s a good looking bike
best looking Harley for sure, they should think about making bikes that are attractive and practical again not just increasing capacity to up sales
What a Beauty
Does it have linked brakes?
Harley did not pay warranty on the 30 vl's you failed to mention that, Police Forces that ordered the 30 v series were sent the upgrade kit free but it was soley left to the dealer to rectify with no compensation given by the Factory,no warranty paid.Customers who had soley purchased one had small surcharge on the kit charged to them by factory but most dealers waived this cost and paid but at least Harley did pay a set amount of hrs for a private use bike,Fleets were not covered..
Now that’s a motorcycle
You're gonna make some archeologist in the Futures day when they wonder who we were...
When he says its the only known one in existence does that also mean the museum harley davidson owns and operates also doesn't have one?
Yup. Actually WTT has several models that the Harley museum DOESN'T have.
@@thatsmrharley2u2 interesting i plan on visiting both soon
@@LRP-e1m It's an awesome museum. Went several years ago. I guess the covid has got them shut down like so many other venues.
It’s amazing that HD was able to conduct a recall in 1930 and here we are in 2024 and #ktmmotorcycles can’t do a recall for their failing camshafts in their 790/890 motors 🤦🏻♂️
i wondeer how these bike would look with a 1986 gsxr double head light front fairing!
Crappy.Just like you would imagine.
💩
@@t.s.racing hahaha lool