I posted a photo of Jim Davis on a HD flat track racer with a V-twin converted by the factory to a single. They removed the forward cylinder, but other conversions removed the rear jug...matter of choice. The photo shows a modern day "Shovester" conversion back cylinder removed. It features a Shovel head mounted on a Sportster case thus becoming a "Shovester" new things following old trends, nothing new about that!
Old Guys Simplex moto-peddle bike
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It's one of those evolutionary things. The pre war HRD Vincent single became a V twin when someone placed a pair of drawings together and came up with a 50 degree twin. Postwar, they went straight to a new 1,000cc engine, and then decided to cut one cylinder off it.
You know, it just struck me. The 1 litre motors were simply too much for British roads of the day, there being no deliberate planning of high speed long distance highways. Perhaps they should have made a lighter 650 to go head to head with Triumph etc.
Well, you can't wind that particular clock back.
You know, it just struck me. The 1 litre motors were simply too much for British roads of the day, there being no deliberate planning of high speed long distance highways. Perhaps they should have made a lighter 650 to go head to head with Triumph etc.
Well, you can't wind that particular clock back.
Here is a link to a chaps face book page. He built a pea shooter style bike. Scroll down and he has some interesting photos and a shot of it running.
Steve.
https://www.google.ca/url?sa=t&rct=...type=3&usg=AFQjCNEN2W8VeFsoi3j3LE3FVeskpaJztw
Steve.
https://www.google.ca/url?sa=t&rct=...type=3&usg=AFQjCNEN2W8VeFsoi3j3LE3FVeskpaJztw
http://www.yesterdays.nl/images/Harley Davidson-1928 28S-40.jpg
Looking at some of the Harley single cylinder engines, I noticed some that have two exhaust ports with one carburetor. No real muffler just angle tubes for exhaust. Is this what I'm seeing?
Extra exhaust for better power?
Looking at some of the Harley single cylinder engines, I noticed some that have two exhaust ports with one carburetor. No real muffler just angle tubes for exhaust. Is this what I'm seeing?
Extra exhaust for better power?
Yes the flat track racers had dual exhaust ports and ran ultra short stubs on the Peashooter & just a single carb. Most were 350 cc displacement but about 1925 HD brought out a few 500 cc Peashooters. Very rare items today as not many of the 500 cc racers survived. I understand that there are more motors left than frames so some of the 500 cc Peashooter motors have found homes in road bike frames without the Keystone cradles. Power is usually the motive in racing so yes dual exhaust ports. The carbs were set up for alcohol...produced 30 hp estimated in the early bikes 40 plus later on running alcohol. Interesting no?
Ludwig I've loved the big Vincent Black Shadow since I was a lad never owned one,but bought a new Bonneville in the sixties...nice but not the same thing. We did have the roads for the big bikes in those days 80 mph over the limit was about a dollar each mph & no jail... well worth it. Rick C.
The art work is beyond impressive Rick. Another talent that passed me by. How long did the knives take to make?
Steve.
Steve.
I was hoping that the link to the Facebook page would help. He had so much information there it looked like a decent source. Glad it helped.
Steve
Steve
Thanks Steve Like a lot of things I didn't know about myself till middle age when quite by accident I found I could draw & then expanded it to paint and sculpture. Same with writing my first book which dealt with the art of crafting fine double guns...side by sides & the history of such... primarily English, Scots and American makers. Then some 25 years later I wrote my first novel.
Thanks for your help and all others who took time to do a little research...it's fun, no?
The special ops folder was a fluke of contracting govt. work & resulted from a quite different contract & contacts with procurement in that process. Time from design to acceptance of the prototypes was lengthy & really not terribly profitable, but actual time spent crafting wasn't too extended, perhaps a month or so to build 4 weapons (one was for me)...the blades of course were the most time consuming, made of a stainless ATS 34 as I recall, the properties of this special material was unique in that it took an extremely sharp edge quickly and holds the edge well in hard use which is indeed impressive; if you've owned many stainless blades & hated trying to sharpen them, then find they also dull quickly. Also I purchased the blade blanks in Japan & the steel grain was magnetically aligned to follow the special contour of the Tanto style blade. This allows the blade to be sharpened along the full length of the steel tip to bolster even though there is a radical change of angle at what would normally qualify as the belly of the blade leading to the tip. The delivered prototypes were also back sharpened, so as to cut coming and going, as they say, without turning the wrist. This is illegal to carry in the U.S. - my blade isn't back sharpened, but it's still not legal to carry in most of our states because the blade is too long, it's an automatic (switchblade) though it's design, which can be completely disassembled by the removal of 2 screws and the hinge pin for field cleaning, allows the disengagement of the auto feature. At that point the knife continues to function as a gravity blade (also illegal) this dual feature allows the blade to be just as functional if the blade actuator fails & should the blade be stuck full of mud the back of the blade has a one finger opener as well. All fail safe features that are kinda important in a fighting knife. It's also a heavy weapon and acts as a bludgeon, in it's closed position, on both ends. So it's not legal to carry period. Simple, durable and deadly just what the guys in charge ordered. The blade also has two safeties to assure the blade can't possibly close during use, which would quite likely sever the operators fingers should that occur and since blood is slicker than ice on ice the bolster and scales of the knife are designed to keep the operators hand in place and not slip forward onto the cutting edge (which quite commonly occurs in knife fights and in skinning wild game as well) just some of my recollections of a weapon built and sold & I hope never employed for it's intended use, but if used I pray American lives were secured. Rick C.
Thanks for your help and all others who took time to do a little research...it's fun, no?
The special ops folder was a fluke of contracting govt. work & resulted from a quite different contract & contacts with procurement in that process. Time from design to acceptance of the prototypes was lengthy & really not terribly profitable, but actual time spent crafting wasn't too extended, perhaps a month or so to build 4 weapons (one was for me)...the blades of course were the most time consuming, made of a stainless ATS 34 as I recall, the properties of this special material was unique in that it took an extremely sharp edge quickly and holds the edge well in hard use which is indeed impressive; if you've owned many stainless blades & hated trying to sharpen them, then find they also dull quickly. Also I purchased the blade blanks in Japan & the steel grain was magnetically aligned to follow the special contour of the Tanto style blade. This allows the blade to be sharpened along the full length of the steel tip to bolster even though there is a radical change of angle at what would normally qualify as the belly of the blade leading to the tip. The delivered prototypes were also back sharpened, so as to cut coming and going, as they say, without turning the wrist. This is illegal to carry in the U.S. - my blade isn't back sharpened, but it's still not legal to carry in most of our states because the blade is too long, it's an automatic (switchblade) though it's design, which can be completely disassembled by the removal of 2 screws and the hinge pin for field cleaning, allows the disengagement of the auto feature. At that point the knife continues to function as a gravity blade (also illegal) this dual feature allows the blade to be just as functional if the blade actuator fails & should the blade be stuck full of mud the back of the blade has a one finger opener as well. All fail safe features that are kinda important in a fighting knife. It's also a heavy weapon and acts as a bludgeon, in it's closed position, on both ends. So it's not legal to carry period. Simple, durable and deadly just what the guys in charge ordered. The blade also has two safeties to assure the blade can't possibly close during use, which would quite likely sever the operators fingers should that occur and since blood is slicker than ice on ice the bolster and scales of the knife are designed to keep the operators hand in place and not slip forward onto the cutting edge (which quite commonly occurs in knife fights and in skinning wild game as well) just some of my recollections of a weapon built and sold & I hope never employed for it's intended use, but if used I pray American lives were secured. Rick C.
Hello Rick,
Interesting back ground on the knife. I do have some experience with stainless steel knives having trained as a chef for three years when I got out of school. I received the paper to say I'd done it and the door didn't hit my back on the way out. Running a kitchen just was not in my future. Over the years all my good/expensive carbon steel knives had been given away. I'm about to replace a couple of them since most of the stainless steel kitchen knives available to day are terrible.
I'm sure that the recipients of the knives were not in the least concerned that they were not legal in the U.S. or Canada for that matter. All is fair when it comes to national security.
The surprises one finds in life are truly amazing. Who would have thought that they would discover art at middle age. What a wonderful discovery it was. We have my Dads double barreled 12 gauge shot gun that he was given by his mother in 1916 when he was ten. It was 50 years old at the time and made in Scotland. The original owner was Scottish as is my family and it had been given to him when he was ten years old.
I haven't seen it in 30+ years but I'll take a look at it and see who and where it was made.
Steve.
Interesting back ground on the knife. I do have some experience with stainless steel knives having trained as a chef for three years when I got out of school. I received the paper to say I'd done it and the door didn't hit my back on the way out. Running a kitchen just was not in my future. Over the years all my good/expensive carbon steel knives had been given away. I'm about to replace a couple of them since most of the stainless steel kitchen knives available to day are terrible.
I'm sure that the recipients of the knives were not in the least concerned that they were not legal in the U.S. or Canada for that matter. All is fair when it comes to national security.
The surprises one finds in life are truly amazing. Who would have thought that they would discover art at middle age. What a wonderful discovery it was. We have my Dads double barreled 12 gauge shot gun that he was given by his mother in 1916 when he was ten. It was 50 years old at the time and made in Scotland. The original owner was Scottish as is my family and it had been given to him when he was ten years old.
I haven't seen it in 30+ years but I'll take a look at it and see who and where it was made.
Steve.
The half V twin using the Knuckle head engine must have been the beginnings of the Harley Davidson peashooter that they built in later years. Here is a nice video of a one cylinder Peashooter but with the engine in an upright position.
Steve.
https://www.google.ca/url?sa=t&rct=...rnbqto&usg=AFQjCNEYDmF4ycmulgBWl1rUHwMZAW-F-A
Steve.
https://www.google.ca/url?sa=t&rct=...rnbqto&usg=AFQjCNEYDmF4ycmulgBWl1rUHwMZAW-F-A
Never leave an bored old man with nothing but time on his hands alone with a computer. Tri car can wait, I'm on a mission.
Here is another Peashooter that sold at auction but if you pause the second photo you can see where the it looks like the space for the front cylinder wasn't machined and there is an oil line going into it. That can be the only reason the crankcase on that side is flat.
The engine was rotated forward and the rear cylinder was turned upright.
Steve.
https://www.google.ca/url?sa=t&rct=...el-21/&usg=AFQjCNFY1Cun9hxS-1S00XOsg6srd33X4Q
Here is another Peashooter that sold at auction but if you pause the second photo you can see where the it looks like the space for the front cylinder wasn't machined and there is an oil line going into it. That can be the only reason the crankcase on that side is flat.
The engine was rotated forward and the rear cylinder was turned upright.
Steve.
https://www.google.ca/url?sa=t&rct=...el-21/&usg=AFQjCNFY1Cun9hxS-1S00XOsg6srd33X4Q
Looks like I'm wrong once again. Here's a motor on eBay no mounting place for a second cylinder.
Steve.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Original-19...ash=item33bdf1690d:g:SVIAAOSwRgJXkq21&vxp=mtr
Steve.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Original-19...ash=item33bdf1690d:g:SVIAAOSwRgJXkq21&vxp=mtr
Steve I'm also bored and on the net this afternoon. I was chasing parts all morning and I'm in recovery mode for the duration of today!
The interesting info is valued. The two bikes, both 1926 road singles frames are interesting. They have quite different motors installed. The one in the "Price collection" is indeed an overhead valve, exposed valve springs model 21 Peashooter vertical cylinder. It is not a Half Harley twin conversion rotated back cylinder to vertical and blocked off front jug, as that would have the intake in front with exhaust on the rear...all the peashooters were OHV with push rod tubes on the right side of the engine & carb on the back. The "Price" bike is also correct in having the magneto in back of the jug and engine driven from the right side of the motor with side plates to match. All the examples of peashooter verticals that I've seen have the oil line going into the "flat" in front of the jug...why they cast the flat I don't have a clue, but it's not blocked off by a plate like the "half Harley" conversions.
The video of the bike from Bolivia reveals not a single (no pun intended) feature of what I just described. It is a flat head design & has no magneto drive plates on the engine cases & the carb appears to be a round slide type. I'm certain the frame is correct but the engine if original was not a model 21 type.
Both these bikes are three speed road bikes and as road bikes the model 21 had a single exhaust outlet on the right. This differs from the dual port stubby exhaust of the vertical 350 cc & 500 cc factory race engines. Horse power was also down on the road version 350cc to about + or - 10 hp verses 30 + hp on the alcohol powered race engines.
I'm lovin' the input guys...keep it coming. Rick C.
The interesting info is valued. The two bikes, both 1926 road singles frames are interesting. They have quite different motors installed. The one in the "Price collection" is indeed an overhead valve, exposed valve springs model 21 Peashooter vertical cylinder. It is not a Half Harley twin conversion rotated back cylinder to vertical and blocked off front jug, as that would have the intake in front with exhaust on the rear...all the peashooters were OHV with push rod tubes on the right side of the engine & carb on the back. The "Price" bike is also correct in having the magneto in back of the jug and engine driven from the right side of the motor with side plates to match. All the examples of peashooter verticals that I've seen have the oil line going into the "flat" in front of the jug...why they cast the flat I don't have a clue, but it's not blocked off by a plate like the "half Harley" conversions.
The video of the bike from Bolivia reveals not a single (no pun intended) feature of what I just described. It is a flat head design & has no magneto drive plates on the engine cases & the carb appears to be a round slide type. I'm certain the frame is correct but the engine if original was not a model 21 type.
Both these bikes are three speed road bikes and as road bikes the model 21 had a single exhaust outlet on the right. This differs from the dual port stubby exhaust of the vertical 350 cc & 500 cc factory race engines. Horse power was also down on the road version 350cc to about + or - 10 hp verses 30 + hp on the alcohol powered race engines.
I'm lovin' the input guys...keep it coming. Rick C.
Well Steve that was fast discovery! The 1926 was available as a side valve and that's what the Bolivian bike is and no magneto on the side valve road bike. Thanks for the two posts...they brought closure to our questions and suppositions.
So you are a master of culinary arts. So you can undoubtedly sharpen carbon steel in a flash using steel on steel. Discovering who we really are seems to be a part of life's work. One of my dear friends, now passed, retired from the Army as a Brigadier General & promptly left for Paris and enrolled in the Cordon Blu....he just wanted to be the best cook in his circle of friends & had the best kitchen I've ever seen in a private home. He never earned a cent from the experience but banked much respect from those he esteemed the most. Meaningful moments are often centered around the kitchen & table. When my friend, the General, introduced himself it was always as a "cook"...modesty is also a great attribute! Rick C.
So you are a master of culinary arts. So you can undoubtedly sharpen carbon steel in a flash using steel on steel. Discovering who we really are seems to be a part of life's work. One of my dear friends, now passed, retired from the Army as a Brigadier General & promptly left for Paris and enrolled in the Cordon Blu....he just wanted to be the best cook in his circle of friends & had the best kitchen I've ever seen in a private home. He never earned a cent from the experience but banked much respect from those he esteemed the most. Meaningful moments are often centered around the kitchen & table. When my friend, the General, introduced himself it was always as a "cook"...modesty is also a great attribute! Rick C.
Hope it's a help Rick. My knowledge of thing Harley Davidson are restricted to a friend from school who had a complete collection of Superman and Batman comics including the first edition of both into the early 60's. He traded the whole lot for a old Harley. I thought at the time he was going to be very sorry and time and history proved me right. Every comic book had to be mint or he wouldn't buy them.
I did see on someones blog that there were two peashooter models. An 8hp side valve road model and a 12hp over head valve racing model. I'm basically tossing bread on the water since they all look the same to me. The experts such as yourself will know the difference. I've seen a lot of the track bike photos taken when they were new didn't appear to have a blocked off cylinder. The cylinder was vertical.
Did all the track racers have a blocked off cylinder or just the early ones when they were trying to get into compliance with the new track rules? I did see that Indian came out with a factory made bike to comply with the new class and Harley Davidson was working to catch up.
I did put in 1926 Harley Davidson peashooter so that is why the photos and videos are all from that year. Not a lot that I can find for the blocked off twin. That's why I'm wondering if they were a stop gap for the factory until they could get a single cylinder bike on the market.
Steve.
I did see on someones blog that there were two peashooter models. An 8hp side valve road model and a 12hp over head valve racing model. I'm basically tossing bread on the water since they all look the same to me. The experts such as yourself will know the difference. I've seen a lot of the track bike photos taken when they were new didn't appear to have a blocked off cylinder. The cylinder was vertical.
Did all the track racers have a blocked off cylinder or just the early ones when they were trying to get into compliance with the new track rules? I did see that Indian came out with a factory made bike to comply with the new class and Harley Davidson was working to catch up.
I did put in 1926 Harley Davidson peashooter so that is why the photos and videos are all from that year. Not a lot that I can find for the blocked off twin. That's why I'm wondering if they were a stop gap for the factory until they could get a single cylinder bike on the market.
Steve.
Steve I devoted a couple of chapters to the Edinburgh gun makers especially the Dickson family. The round action shotguns they created are among my favorites. My my Mom was a Scot, clan Stuart. I'd be very interested to know the maker of your family double & perhaps a photo? I'm guessing it was not armor steel barrels but the lovely Damascus hammer welded tubes which were not up to modern smokeless powders but the metal patterns were exceedingly lovely. London and Edinburgh makers set the mark for "best" guns and are highly sought after worldwide. I'll stop here before I write another book on the matter. lol Rick C.
