What to do with a KR?

I have an old 1956 KR basket case I've been meaning to do something with for years, and finally decided to get moving on.

It's an old flattracker. Am I going to make all the purists mad and destroy its value if I do it as a KRTT instead of a KR? I know they got converted back and forth in the old days, and you could even buy kits for the purpose, so as to use one machine for both. But collectors are funny people these days, when it comes to engine numbers and such.

Oh, and does anyone know what the deal is on alloy rims on these machines? Several people have told me they didn't come along until 1960, but if you look at the picture on page 49 of Girdler of the 1958 Laconia, both KRTTs appear to have alloy.

"make all the purists mad and destroy its value"

When they buy it from you, they can do whatever they want with it.
Until then....

Slindo,

The Barber Vintage Museum has a 57 KRTT on display in their collection. Saw it again last week. It has shouldered alloy rims. They have a world class restoration shop and are pretty careful about the details in their restorations.

I'm with Panic, it's yours, do with it what you want!

Harley-Davidson first lists alloy rims for the '60 season in 18" and followed in '61 with 19". That seems to coincide with their connections to Aermacchi starting in '59. The rims were made by Borrani in Italy. As far as earlier types, Dunlop made very high quality rims used extensively in the Brit world since the early '50's. They were 40 hole and easily could be laced to H-D spool hubs, or even brake type hubs. I have also seen a KR wheel with a Weinman rim originally on a BMW. BMW used alloy rims starting in the early '50's on their sport models, and continued all through the sixties with shouldered rims. Akront, Sanremo, and even DID in Japan made shouldered rims. Some racers used 21" wheels on their KR's for certain track conditions too. Use what suits your idea of what you like. All the racers at the time did it! Some KR steel rims were unique as well and are stamped with KR part numbers. I don't know if they are lighter or stronger or just marked differently. I will have to weigh one! Have fun!!
Robbie

I see you are posting elsewhere saying it doesn't have a crank, so it must be in a fair state of dismantlement... so i would say you have a free hand, pretty much. Losing the originality of a complete machine is one thing, but bringing something back from that kind of condition is quite another. If you have started with an incomplete pile of rusty junk and ended with a running machine that's the main thing!!

"If you have started with an incomplete pile of rusty junk and ended with a running machine that's the main thing!!"

Agreed: rescue is the plan, running is the goal, restoration takes the back seat.

Keep your mods to bolt on or take off (in your case leave off).. leaving your options open to what ever version you might settle on in the future... You may think you own it now.. but some time sooner or later it will belong to someone else. Now is the time to foster a sense of being "it's" caretaker.. because the older the ride.. the more so since you probably are the 3rd, 4th, 5th or better "caretaker" anyway.... And when you or your family go to sell.. sell to someone who will appreciate and continue it's upkeep and seeing that it is kept in running ridable condition... another "caretaker".. Because.. flatheads should be seen... and heard... forever.
Some may scoff... but all have run into the part or bike that some wanna be Jesse James Jr or some poor shmuck on a russian collective got their hands on previous... and cursed that dude. Don't be that dude. There's too many of those... only a few KR's... There's no reason why you can't build a simple, ridable, well running, as well as nice looking bike and keep within factory or even racing limits as to appearance without dragging out the cutting torch, hacksaw, or grinder. The next caretaker will thank you...

Some KR steel rims were unique as well and are stamped with KR part numbers. I don't know if they are lighter or stronger or just marked differently. I will have to weigh one! Have fun!!
Robbie

Hi Robbie, are you referring to the "KR" stamping on the inside of the (19") steel rim after the part number? I have seen a front (19") steel rim stamped "KF" in the same place, so maybe it's "R" for "rear" rather than "race"?

Hi all,

From the factory KR/KRTT parts catalogues, there's no alloy KR 18" or 19" wheels listed before 1960. These are probably the ones stamped with their race part numbers, the steel ones were just std ones as fitted for ages to street models.

Which doesn't preclude racers using aftermarket alloy ones before that obviously, I believe US made Sun rims are a possibility...

Same goes for steel or alloy front 21" rims, they never were a factory item, but plenty of evidence/photographs of works riders using them, before and after 1960.

Patrick