Date code on a "K" frame

I found this rolling chassis sitting out in the weeds where it had been sitting for many years. It was an old desert racer minus the engine. The date code on the frame is 3R. Is this a KR frame? I have never seen the letter "R" used in a date code. Only A-L.

Hi Chris,

Same answer as the one I gave you a while back just before you got the bike: early KR frames have an extra bracket brazed in front of the right hand side tomahawk:



Look for it (or the remnants of it...)

Other than that and your special stamping, there's no diffs between early K and KR frames.

Patrick

Hi Chris,

Same answer as the one I gave you a while back just before you got the bike: early KR frames have an extra bracket brazed in front of the right hand side tomahawk:



Look for it (or the remnants of it...)

Other than that and your special stamping, there's no diffs between early K and KR frames.

Patrick

Can't tell what was or was not there from the photo. Sidecar mount cobbled on there.

Hi Chris,

I can just about make out the remnants of that bracket behind the cobbled bits!!!

Gawd, this frame had a hard life!!!

Patrick

Hi Chris,

Same answer as the one I gave you a while back just before you got the bike: early KR frames have an extra bracket brazed in front of the right hand side tomahawk:



Look for it (or the remnants of it...)

Other than that and your special stamping, there's no diffs between early K and KR frames.

Patrick

Can't tell what was or was not there from the photo. Sidecar mount cobbled on there.

This frame is what is left of a sidecar desert racer. It was owned and raced by H-D of El Cajon, CA way back when. After the racin' was over the bike sat for a long time. He sold the engine to somebody and pushed the rest outside behind the shop where it lingered for many, many years.
Note the great job of raking the frame by bending the top tube.

There should be a law against K-Model cruelity I'm allmost compelled to send a donation .

I'd say it's a "B"?

My early KR frame was also a victim of a drive by grinder long ago. They took the tank seat mount off to mount a larger road race tank, so I can't help out with the date code on that bracket. I'm with Patrick, I think there's a lump on the right lower frame rail there that started life as the right side KR foot peg mounting plate lug. Boy, that frame is a mess! Lots of work to undo the damage. Hope they paid you to drag it off. Good luck!

Hey Chris, I'll bet I saw that "hack" running at a deal we used to go to once a year at Tecate, Mexico. I saw one just like it with Jack Cotrell (sp) and I cannot remember who was the monkee. Moly (Jack's wife) was standing on a corner in town, just whoopin and hollerin every time they came thru town. It was called the Tecate road race, half in town and half out in the desert. I'm talking 1960 here, so you get the idea of how long I've been around this stuff. I know that hack looks bad, but I hope someone can spend time and do it justice.

Roger

Now I get the "Ramjet" (he's our man, hero of our nation)...!!!

I'd been thinking for ages that it had something to do with carbs!