At times there are factory morthodites

This is a factory photo of a factory built one off machine. Any guesses what you are looking at?

http://members.aol.com/hd36knuckl/13514

http://members.aol.com/hd36knuckl/13515

[Pa]

VL with weird rear speedo drive. Just a guess Chris. Pa

VL with weird rear speedo drive. Just a guess Chris. Pa

Put yer glasses on PA. Ya ever see a VL with a vertical generator and the chain on the right?

I bet Milwaukee Belle will know the answer.

[Pa]

Should have put me glasses on.

surely 'Factory Morthodite' is an oxymoron, like 'military intelligence' or 'Microsoft Works'?

Isn't the word you are looking for, 'prototype' ?

from the tubular forks, vertical generator, the external speedo drive and tank style, I would guess it is a later variant of the DLD. Hatfields' book 'History of the Motor Company' has a number of pictures of prototypes from around this time... a 65-inch twin of obvious 45 derivation, which pre-dates the knucklehead... the ohv 45.... a knucklehead with telescopic forks... any factory builds these from time to time

surely 'Factory Morthodite' is an oxymoron, like 'military intelligence' or 'Microsoft Works'?

Isn't the word you are looking for, 'prototype' ?

from the tubular forks, vertical generator, the external speedo drive and tank style, I would guess it is a later variant of the DLD. Hatfields' book 'History of the Motor Company' has a number of pictures of prototypes from around this time... a 65-inch twin of obvious 45 derivation, which pre-dates the knucklehead... the ohv 45.... a knucklehead with telescopic forks... any factory builds these from time to time

This is a one off motorcycle built for a very special customer to his specifications. It is NOT a prototype. A prototype is something the factory puts together as a styling excercise to see if it is buildable/marketable.

PS. Read page 5 of Hatfield's Inside Harley-Davidson and see where a lot of those photos came from.

ok.... but what actually is it? that was the original question, and it looks to me like a variant of the DLD 45 inch twin.

It's a 45 factory monted inside a single cylinder B or BA set of cycle parts... General lightness is the key!!! Not fully a prototype, just a factory special when they were desparate for ANY sale in the early 30's... Must have gone like the clappers!!!

And I hazard the guess the customer was called Woolery!!!

Patrick

about like the Indian Motoplane then

Frenchowl is gittin' real close. I need details. This is a famous bike.

I try again then!!

1931 45 R motor in a 1933 B 30.50 single frame, 387 lbs with oil and gas aboard, 88 mph, ordered through Guy Webb, Mineapolis H-D dealer for Mr Woolery...

...and, Your Honor, I've not cheated, I've read it all somewhere, even bad factory books have their uses...

Patrick

I try again then!!

1931 45 R motor in a 1933 B 30.50 single frame, 387 lbs with oil and gas aboard, 88 mph, ordered through Guy Webb, Mineapolis H-D dealer for Mr Woolery...

...and, Your Honor, I've not cheated, I've read it all somewhere, even bad factory books have their uses...

Patrick

Special Model Woolery Bullet– June 20, 1933, 1931-type 45c.i. engine, 1933 B-model frame, Weight: 378 lbs with 2 Gallons gas and 2 Qts oil, Speed: 88 mph (Art Cekes riding) So a post production 1931 engine in a 1933 frame that was sold to a customer is a hermaphrodite and not a prototype.
Patrick wins!

ok, he can buy the next round then!

on a slightly different tack I reckon the term 'morthodite' is a morthodite, if anything is. It's the first word I've come across that sounds like it might be a real word, but even google can't find it anywhere except here.

is the term 'hermaphrodite' commonly used in this context in the US? Because it's certainly not used in any motorcycle connection by anyone speaking British English. I've seen it at work in respect of certain types of couplers ( couplings are often described as male or female, and there are specialised types which will accept both for certain applications ). Over here we would simply call it a 'factory special' or a 'bespoke' bike ( a term used particularly by George Brough, who built quite a few ) or a 'customer order' machine

I don't think I want one of these.....

"Morphodite" is a comic pronunciation, considered offensive, of the word hermaphrodite. It was used most notably in the book To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, when Miss Maudie refers to the snowman Jem and Scout built. To disguise the snowman's obvious and unfortunate resemblance to Mr. Avery, the children borrow Miss Maudie's hat and hedge-clippers. The attempts to feminize the caricature fall short and Miss Maudie describes their creation as "an absolute morphodite."

The term "morphodite" can also refer to a transgendered person who was born with normal male or female anatomy but decided to undergo medical treatment in order to become as much like the sex with which they identify as possible. Because of the extreme difference between a biological male and a biological female, this can leave the person caught in the same "No Man's Land" between the two sexes as would be a person born with ambiguous genitalia, or who is considered intersexed due to chromosomal anomalies.

The word is used as an insult in the Stephen King short story, "The Body" and was also used on a 2006 episode of Spike TV's "Disorderly Conduct" in a string of insults hurled at a police officer arresting a very, very drunk man.

It was used again in the 1986 film Stand By Me, with Teddy saying "Gordie, go get the provisions you Morphodite!"

The science fiction writer M. A. Foster used the word for his "The Morphodite Trilogy", consisting of "The Morphodite" (1981), "Transformer" (1983) and "Preserver" (1985).

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morphodite"

... 45brit,

...let them bikes be called "specials" from here on!!!...

If you can muster some time off your grass tracker at the Festival of 1000 Bikes in July, I'll buy you a beer and you can peer on my other thingies, we'll be on the grass bank opposite the straight!!!!

Patrick

do I want to see your thingies? sounds dodgy to me.....

with any luck at all I will have the time off work to do the weekend, I missed a lot last time. I'd like to bring the 45 project but I don't think I will have trailer space