Strange Sportster Cases

First year with numbers on the right side.

Hi Ironpimp,

Yep, rare one: one year only cases, 1970

up to 69: serial on left case,

71 and later, serial in the middle of the inlet tappet bores.

In 1970, they had it between the front cylinder tappet bores because they still had the vertical timer...

And 4A is an XLCH, blank plate should cover the electric start hump on top of the clutch.

Patrick

What thefrenchowl said. He beat me to it and had more info than I did. I saw a number of them many years ago that had the number boss machined off and someone stamped supposed 69 numbers in them.

Heard other rumors that pertained to them but I figure they were just rumors that could never be verified.

Jim

1970 Shovelheads were the same way.

[Pa]

I believe they are. I'll check my sons 77 and see for certain. Pa

All 1970 frames had numbers on them. I have see very early ones without a raised pad. Simply an area decked off and numbers stamped there.

I have a good friend who had his 69 Shovel taken away at Daytona because of a raised number boss on his frame neck. There were no numbers ever stamped on the boss.

When we went to the impound yard they were going to torch the neck off making the frame un-useable. We pulled the tanks off and insisted they take pictures of the top motormount, frame neck and after leaning the bike over to both sides the belly numbers. These were sent to I believe Pete Seeger? in Millwaukee, at Harley archives. They told them to give it back it was stone stock. two weeks later my friend received a letter from Harley stating his machine slipped out of the factory with the 70 frame but all of the numbers were correct. hell of a feeling watching that torch be lit, sure glad we fought it!