1934 VL Restoration on Adventure Rider Site

If you are interested in old Harley VL restoration info check this site out.  It's a very detailed account of a restoration on a 1934 VLD .  After the bike was restored he rode it across the country, very cool !

http://advrider.com/index.php?threads/1934-harley-vld-rebuild.929371/#post-22617846

The Harley Davidson VL had a rather rocky start in 1930  There were numerous oiling and overheating problems that sent The Company back to the drawing board until it became a fairly reliable bike with good power for it's time.

I never liked the VL's until the last couple of years and they have kind of grown on me.  I had the makings of a 1934 VLD but sold everything when I got sick.  Here are some specs I gathered out of Steve Slocombes' book...

29 hp for the high compression (ok...relatively speaking) VLD
529 pound dry weight
A "Y" manifold was introduced for the 1934 model
Drop forged steel I-beam forks
Removable Ricardo designed cylinder heads (more on this later )
Dow metal pistons
Drop center rims for safety
Lower seat height than the J Model Harleys

Arguably, the VLD was faster than the JDH Model that it replaced.  I still want a JDH however !
This is not a blindingly fast motorcycle but who cares... I'm not either
Hmmm.....would it go from sea to shining sea ?

Good to be Back

SPRING of 2017.. IT'S BEEN INTERESTING BUT STILL HERE !!

I have been off line for quite a while due to unforeseen life events.  I had been sick off and on all during 2015 and couldn't figure out what was going on.  I saw multiple doctors but was not diagnosed until the spring of 2016.  It turns out that I had been battling cancer for that whole time.  After it was determined that I had Hodgkins Lymphomia.  We went through a year of chemotherapy and recovery and I am thankful to still be alive.  Anyway, enough about all of that.

I will be heading to Phoenix, AZ on Wednesday to pick up the start of a 1935 Harley Davidson VLD flathead project.  The plan is to build it and do some fund raising rides to support cancer survivors and those afflicted with the most horrible disease... Alzheimer's and Dementia.  I know this is a site dedicated to motorcycles but it is the people that make life worth living.

I will keep you updated on the project and on motorcycle history as time goes by...  stay tunes for more musings of a motorcycle aficionado .  I'll try to make it interesting and I appreciate all the support and prayer over the last few years.