Author Topic: Vintage bike age limit cut off?  (Read 3614 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Offline Hoody

  • Jr. Member
  • **
  • Posts: 30
Vintage bike age limit cut off?
« on: April 12, 2013, 03:18:23 PM »
Quick question, Probably missed this somewhere? but does anyone know the ages cutoff for bikes running in the vintage class?

Thnx

Offline Stainless1

  • Administrator
  • Hero Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 8948
  • Robert W. P. "Stainless" Steele
Re: Vintage bike age limit cut off?
« Reply #1 on: April 12, 2013, 03:46:40 PM »
Built prior to 1956  7.J. 10
Stainless
Red Hat 228.039, 2001, 65ci, Bockscar Lakester #1000 with a little N2O

Offline Hoody

  • Jr. Member
  • **
  • Posts: 30
Re: Vintage bike age limit cut off?
« Reply #2 on: April 12, 2013, 03:51:40 PM »
Great, Thnx for the help.

Offline 46champ

  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 51
Re: Vintage bike age limit cut off?
« Reply #3 on: April 17, 2013, 10:43:19 PM »
Isn't there a little more to it than that.  As I understand it the 1956 refered to in the rule book is model year 1956 not year 1956.  So if you have a Harley Sportster built in the fall of 1955 you are not leagle.

Offline desotoman

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 2815
Re: Vintage bike age limit cut off?
« Reply #4 on: April 17, 2013, 11:22:28 PM »
Years ago it was prior to 1957 motor, but the rules got changed to prior to 1956 to eliminate the Sportster. At least that is what I remember. If I am wrong I will be corrected.

Tom G.
I love the USA. How much longer will we be a free nation?

Asking questions is one's only way of getting answers.

The rational person lets verified facts form or modify his opinion.  The ideologue ignores verified facts which don't fit his preconceived opinions.

Offline Stainless1

  • Administrator
  • Hero Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 8948
  • Robert W. P. "Stainless" Steele
Re: Vintage bike age limit cut off?
« Reply #5 on: April 18, 2013, 10:38:54 AM »
Isn't there a little more to it than that.  As I understand it the 1956 refered to in the rule book is model year 1956 not year 1956.  So if you have a Harley Sportster built in the fall of 1955 you are not leagle.

Since Sportsters were first introduced in 1957 that is not an issue.. if you have a 55 you used the time machine a long time ago....
Thus 1956 to eliminate the sportster
Stainless
Red Hat 228.039, 2001, 65ci, Bockscar Lakester #1000 with a little N2O

Offline Dakin Engineering

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 412
Re: Vintage bike age limit cut off?
« Reply #6 on: April 18, 2013, 08:34:37 PM »
It is my unqualified interpretation that side valves are vintage.
Prior to 1957, unitized Harleys were K models.
With the advent of overhead valves, the Sportster was born.

IMHO,
Sam
on a Sportster
« Last Edit: April 18, 2013, 10:45:14 PM by Dakin Engineering »
Turbo Sportsters since '97

Offline panic

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 845
    • My tech papers
Re: Vintage bike age limit cut off?
« Reply #7 on: April 19, 2013, 04:37:44 PM »
The K model stayed in production until 1969 as the KR.
The Sportster began manufacture in mid-1956 for the 1957 model year, traditionally announced in August or September of the prior year.
There are big improvements to the KR in 1954 and 55, but these can be retro-fit to earlier without surgery. An argument can be made that the 1957-67 KR was substantially unchanged, and offers no advantage compared to pre-56 and should be legal, but the 1968-69 were very different.
The 45" flathead "G" motor (mechanically equivalent to the earlier "W" = lowest performace model) continued production through 1973, but again there were no changes offering an advantage in the 1957-73 models.

My credentials? Shameless self-promotion:
http://www.victorylibrary.com/45PER.htm
« Last Edit: April 19, 2013, 04:43:03 PM by panic »