I found the HOLY GRAIL! (1926 Harley)

harry76 · Feb 7, 2012

Cool I'll be watching this one..... Interestingly we have both found a vintage motorcycle engine that was turned into a stationary engine post-war and we will be returning them to their former glories as bike engines again....... I thought my engine was a cool find.... Your is out of this world!!!!!!

Greg58 · Feb 7, 2012

I have to say that you have found what most all of us here only dream of, if you build a bike around that engine you will truely have a one of a kind ride!

2door · Feb 7, 2012

Restore it, get it running then mount it on a nice chrome stand and put it on your mantel. That way you don't even have to go it to the garage to admire it.

Either that or build a bike that would do it justice and ride that sucker.

Tom

bird · Feb 8, 2012

harry76 said:
Cool I'll be watching this one..... Interestingly we have both found a vintage motorcycle engine that was turned into a stationary engine post-war and we will be returning them to their former glories as bike engines again....... I thought my engine was a cool find.... Your is out of this world!!!!!!

The BSA right? not a bad lookin motor

harry76 · Feb 8, 2012

Yeah a 1950 BSA M20, I bought it as a motorcycle engine but have since been advised it had been used as a stationary engine post war. I paid the same amount as you but I'd imagine yours would be worth a lot more money, and is a lot cooler. Really cool find, you really hit the jackpot. I plan to make mine into a boardtrack with no immediate plans of registering it. I look forward to seeing what you do with yours.

Allen_Wrench · Feb 8, 2012

I have to say: I stand among those of us who would lovingly restore that engine to like-new running order. Then we'd bolt it to a drop-dead gorgeous bike, and ride someplace where Hawg riders would see it and drool. All the while, we'd listen to the music of the exhaust note. Yep, that's what some of us would do if we'd gotten it first.
So if you have plans to sell it, I can tell you how to make a fast buck. Just get on this forum and post the pic with the caption "for sale". I'd bet you'd get a good price here, and I'd bet it would be gone so fast it would make your eardrums pop.

thegnu · Feb 8, 2012

I think you made the right decision , an you are a prime example of dreams can come true now an then , an have to admit I too am a lil jealous but happier for you than anything else . NOW lets see this motor back on the road !
Gary

curtisfox · Feb 8, 2012

Keep it and do a build,were would you find another to replace it. You can always sell but not replace so easy.............Curt

Venice Motor Bikes · Feb 8, 2012

Here's my $.02... Enjoy it, but be very careful not to break it while playing with it.
I learned a big lesson several years ago... I scored a $900 R/C car racing engine for very little money & was quickly offered $700 for it for a fellow racer.
I decided that I would install it in my R/C car & play with it first... A week later it blew up!

I now have a $700 ornament on my key chain...

You have a nice little piece of history there that can pay off a few large bills; Be very careful with it so that when it's time to send it to another home, it will still be worth something.

donb4103 · Feb 8, 2012

I know exactly how you felt when you found it. The same thing happened to me a couple of months ago. I was talking to an older man about my motorized bikes that I build and sell. He stated that he had an old motorcycle in his barn that had been sitting there for over 37 years. He wanted to know if it was something I might want. So I followed him to his farm and walked into his barn. As he pulled the old tarp off the bike, I almost fell over! I knew at that moment I had just found my dream motorcycle. It was a 1946 Indian Chief. 100% there and a full dresser bike. Locked up and rusted like crazy. I offered $1500 and we ended up agreeing to $3000. I have not stopped smiling since I got it home. If I can live long enough to get it fully restored I will have it painted Tangerine and Cream. That is the color of my Dream Cycle.

Whozawhat · Feb 8, 2012

Check out parts prices.... http://www.antiquemotorcycleworks.com/RTF/PeashooterCat.pdf

bird · Feb 8, 2012

Whozawhat said:
Check out parts prices.... http://www.antiquemotorcycleworks.com/RTF/PeashooterCat.pdf

Wow! a grand just for a new carb... time to improvise!

bird · Feb 9, 2012

I re-wired everything and It has extremely good spark now, cranked it over a few times with fresh oil and got a few pops. Now all I need is a decent carb and Im ready to begin the frame build! I am stoked!!!

thegnu · Feb 9, 2012

Don you mentioned dream motorcycle an those colors tangerine an cream , did you ever give any thought to the colors of a "dreamsicle frozen pop?" it occured to you could restore it an call it the dreamcycle.

cobrafreak · Feb 9, 2012

This engine is very valuable. Are you going to find a Harley frame and piece this bike together to original specs or are you going to put it in a custom build?

curtisfox · Feb 9, 2012

At this point I don't think he realy knows yet, he is to bussy cleaning out his under shorts...........Curt

bird · Feb 9, 2012

cobrafreak said:
This engine is very valuable. Are you going to find a Harley frame and piece this bike together to original specs or are you going to put it in a custom build?

I am planning on finding the original model or atleast close to original frame and do a restored boardtrack machine. I have found that almost all of the harley JD frame goodies are compatible 1925-29. At around $5,000 just for the original frame in un-restored condition, This may take a while.

thegnu · Feb 9, 2012

but it should be worth the wait !

Lurker · Feb 9, 2012

There are companies that make reproduction frames and other componets like the link I posted earlier and I'm sure they are are a lot cheeper than 5k. Are you set on using all original parts?

bird · Feb 10, 2012

The beast will awake from decades of sleep this weekend. I have a carb

I found the HOLY GRAIL! (1926 Harley)

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