Pile'aHarleys

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silverbear

The Boy Who Never Grew Up
Jul 9, 2009
8,325
670
113
northeastern Minnesota
Pile’aHarleys,

A friend and his wife of some thirty plus years stopped by the other day. I had sold Marshal a Lac LaCroix Indian Pony eighteen years ago and we were laughing at the recollection of how hard it was loading that colt onto the horse trailer. I’m not a real big guy at six feet, but Marshall was born big and kept getting bigger. Must be 6’6” or so and built for football or brawling. Worn out and exasperated, we finally picked that pony up and got him in that way. Ha! Good memories of good friends.

Marshal saw my American Flyer with canoe sidecar and was taken with it. Both he and his wife ride Harleys, so it was gratifying that they liked my pip squeak 99cc ride so much. I showed them the 34 Elgin and the Hiawatha tri-car and they seemed duly impressed. Marshal said, “I think I should give you my Harley Sprint. You might actually do something with it. I never did.” I said, “Yes, I think you should give me your Harley Sprint, for sure!”

So I took my jeep and bike trailer and followed him to his place. We loaded up four motorcycles, one with a complete engine, one missing the transmission cover and one barely there. Two were Sprints, one was something similar and the third was a bigger bike. All said they were Harleys, but three of the four were Italian made Amerchi Harley Davidsons. Sold by, but not made by HD.

Back in the 1960’s when the Japanese light motorcycle invasion began, Honda made a big splash and pretty well killed the import market from Britain and Germany and left Harley Davidson with it’s pants down. In a hurry, HD bought half of the stock in the Italian company. The Sprint had a 250cc four stroke with a four speed tranny which had some success in racing and by 1970 there was a 350cc introduced. I learned this stuff from Google.

It looks to me like one and possibly two sprints could be put together from the pile a bikes. Not to say that I will. Tomorrow I’ll take the bikes to my son’s and see if he’s interested in a project. If so then we’ll work on them together to see what we come up with. The one that interests me most is least there… the bigger one with the rounded gas tank which looks to me like a “real” Harley and has chopper lines. Looks like a money sinkhole to me.

Whatever their fate, it was nice of Marshal to give me the bikes and I’m sure I can use bits and pieces with my builds. I like those hidden throttle cables for one thing. No doubt other bits and pieces could find a home on ebay. Anybody have one of those Sprints? Anybody recognize that bigger bike?
SB
 

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SuperDave

Member
Sep 24, 2011
179
0
16
Panama City Beach, Fl. USA
Are those single cylinder motors? Wow, I thought all Harley's were 4-stroke twins. Huh, learn something new everyday. Just goes to show that the more you learn, the more you realize how much you do not know.
 

silverbear

The Boy Who Never Grew Up
Jul 9, 2009
8,325
670
113
northeastern Minnesota
The two motors on the Sprints are single cylinder and are Italian made even though the engine has Harley Davidson stamped into the covers. The other bigger one I'll take some pictures of so you can see it better. It says Harley Davidson stamped onto the engine, but who knows what it is. Not me. Maybe someone will know from better pictures.
SB
 

maniac57

Old, Fat, and still faster than you
Oct 8, 2011
4,484
22
0
memphis Tn
You better send your buddy a nice card at christmas...he sure did you a solid!
Wonderful stuff!
I messed with a 250 aermacci back in the day and that thing was fast! (when it ran)
Pay special attention to the electrical, the italians were still in the dark back then. (so to speak)
 

dmb

Active Member
Dec 4, 2010
1,354
3
36
lakewood ca
your correct on the last set of pictures as it is the 4 stroke sprint but the others are 2 strokers and not ''sprints'' but could be amerchi harleys 165cc or euro imports. 20 years ago anything H-D was gold, italian or usa. but now $35,000 bikes 10years ago sell for $3,500 if you can find someone to buy it C.F.L.???. funny that the hot thing is 60's-70's honda twins... and maybe amerchi's good luck
 

2door

Moderator
Staff member
Sep 15, 2008
16,302
175
63
Littleton, Colorado
Silver Bear,
I have a fuel tank that looks exactly like the one on that red bike. It was on a 70s vintage Harley Baja. I had two but sold one.
I'm envious. I would love to have an old MC project bike to restore. Preferably an early British bike. BSA, Triumph or the best, a Norton Commando.

Your friend is certainly just that; A friend, to award you with those gems. Good luck and keep us posted on where you go with them.

Tom
 

silverbear

The Boy Who Never Grew Up
Jul 9, 2009
8,325
670
113
northeastern Minnesota
your correct on the last set of pictures as it is the 4 stroke sprint but the others are 2 strokers and not ''sprints'' but could be amerchi harleys 165cc or euro imports. 20 years ago anything H-D was gold, italian or usa. but now $35,000 bikes 10years ago sell for $3,500 if you can find someone to buy it C.F.L.???. funny that the hot thing is 60's-70's honda twins... and maybe amerchi's good luck
Thanks for the input and clarification, you guys. I did some more looking around on Google and it is indeed the bigger bike with the rounded tank which is the Sprint. My impression is that it might be of some value to someone else who is restoring one or wants back up parts, but there is so much missing that I’m guessing it would cost a lot of money to bring it back to running condition.

I need to better determine just what the other bikes with the motors are. They were made by the same company and sold through Harley Davidson, but I don’t know anything about the size of the engines or the number of gears. At the least they are 125cc and at most 175cc. I’m guessing 125cc. although they look kind of big for 125cc. One is a street model and the other looks to be more of a trail model. As far as restoration I think one nice bike could come out of it if my son is interested. And I don’t think a whole lot of money would be involved. Mostly it would require a lot of work. So, one bike with another for spare parts. And if he’s not interested, then neither am I. My Hiawatha has a light German made Fitchel & Sachs 2 stroke motorcycle engine in it made in 1934 and has a two speed gearbox. And it is nearly done, so what would be the advantage of the 125cc? If the 250cc Sprint was more complete I’d be real interested, but I don’t have the kind of money it would take to restore it.

At least that’s my thinking at this stage. Marshal said I could do what I wanted with the stuff, sell it on ebay or whatever. I’ll talk to my son and we’ll go from there…
SB
 

dmb

Active Member
Dec 4, 2010
1,354
3
36
lakewood ca
here in so. cal in the 70's almost every garage had a dirt bike/enduro. and it seemed everyone rode desert or MX. but the MX track's were sold for sub-divisions and now it takes 3 hrs to get to the desert to deal with the BLM nazi's writing tickets. and criminal gangsters all over the desert running wild and hiding back in mexico. what once was the place to live and ride has turned into 3rd world crap. the california dream has turned into a nightmare. dennis
 

silverbear

The Boy Who Never Grew Up
Jul 9, 2009
8,325
670
113
northeastern Minnesota
here in so. cal in the 70's almost every garage had a dirt bike/enduro. and it seemed everyone rode desert or MX. but the MX track's were sold for sub-divisions and now it takes 3 hrs to get to the desert to deal with the BLM nazi's writing tickets. and criminal gangsters all over the desert running wild and hiding back in mexico. what once was the place to live and ride has turned into 3rd world crap. the california dream has turned into a nightmare. dennis
One reason I live where I do is there are not all that many people in my neck of the woods. Tourists come in the summer months for the lakes, but once winter comes there aren't many of us left. In my opinion there are too many people... especially in some areas of the country and too many in general through out the world. Many areas think that unbridled population is a great thing for their local economies, no matter if the land can carry the weight of all those people's needs and the waste they generate. Many of the wild things we share this planet with are getting crowded out. I'm for more bears and wolves and fewer people.
Imagine how Native American Indians feel when they look around at the changes which have come to Turtle Island in such a short time and the degradation of our water, air and soil. It is a poor and mindless legacy we leave our children. We act like we have a couple spare planets for when this one goes bad. There are simply too many of us. People have always generated trash, but before it was in ways which were benign. Now it is toxic and doesn't just go away. Sad.
SB
 

silverbear

The Boy Who Never Grew Up
Jul 9, 2009
8,325
670
113
northeastern Minnesota
Nice score Mr. Bear!

Based on my own little experience of your generosity I say it’s karma!

You deserve it.

-Kirk
Thanks for the kind words, Kirk. People here have been generous to me in the extreme. I don't forget that. Besides, we came into this world with nothing and you can't take stuff with you when you leave, so we might as well share it while we're here.

I took the bikes to my son's yesterday and although he isn't committed to it, he has pulled out the two bikes with pretty complete 2 stroke engines as it looks like one pretty nice bike could be put together. He'll do some staring at them and talking to his buddies and by winter will have either decided to pass or take the plunge. So, I'm down to two and brought home the Sprint and a rolling bike with no motor which is really light weight... I'll salvage parts which are the same as my son's bikes, salvage the forks and wheels (drum brake hubs) for myself and that's that.

As for the Sprint, if I had the money I'd go for a rebuild. But I don't so that will never happen. From what I've read that 250 four stroke engine was a winner. Looked at a couple of videos on U tube and it is quick and looks good. Puts me in mind of a Simplex. Pretty basic motorcycle which appeals to me. I'm a little turned off by $30,000.00 mega machines since they are so out of reach for poor folks like me.

I've offered to give the Sprint to a friend in Colorado to see if he wants to take it on as a project. He certainly has the skills. I'd love to see it restored to the road. So out of the four bikes I expect to keep one fork and two drum brake hubs... which will probably end up on a motored vintage bicycle. I'm happy. And if my son chooses to work on his bike then I'll get to take part in that, too, since I have more time than he does and am on friendly terms with rust. It's all good.
SB