Handlebars

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fatfatboy
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Handlebars

#1

Post by fatfatboy »

Top of the day gents.
I'm trying to put a poor neglected butchered '58-'75 bitsa panhead back together as a 58-60. I'm looking for bars now.
I'm finding 60 and up bars but not much on 59 and lower bars. Is the only difference between 59 and 60 is the riser spacing? Or is there something else different that would keep me from using 60 and up bars?

Thank you.
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Re: Handlebars

#2

Post by Bosheff »

59 and back are 1 piece, while 60 and later are 2 piece. Each type of bar uses its own corresponding type of riser/s set-up....bosheff
1951 adam
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Re: Handlebars

#3

Post by 1951 adam »

Faber cycle has them.
Adam
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Re: Handlebars

#4

Post by RUBONE »

Which part is '58 and which part is '60, as there was a major design change right in the middle of that time frame? You are going to have to decide one or the other or it is no different when finished than what it is now.
'58-'60 doesn't work...
fatfatboy
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Re: Handlebars

#5

Post by fatfatboy »

My front end is a pre '60 (has the wider riser spacing), frame is a '58 motor is a '60.
I want to end up with '58 as much as possible as I always wanted a '58 but when I got the chance to get this Panhead from a friend who couldn't ride anymore it came to me as a basket case chopper so I'm still learning the differences between years.

So from what you guys are telling me I gather I can only use 58-59???

Thanks for the Faber tip.
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Re: Handlebars

#6

Post by RUBONE »

So from what you guys are telling me I gather I can only use 58-59???
As far as the bars go, any '54-'59 will work. Rigid bikes in that era used the same bars as early swingarm bikes. Such things as most fork tins, headlight, etc, also interchange. In '60 the aluminum nacelle was introduced so all the top tree, risers, handlebars, etc changed along with it. Are you sure the frame is '58? What is the date code? Keep your eyes and ears open and a set of '58 cases or an engine may pop up.
Have fun
Robbie
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Re: Handlebars

#7

Post by fatfatboy »

RUBONE wrote:
So from what you guys are telling me I gather I can only use 58-59???
As far as the bars go, any '54-'59 will work.,,,

Are you sure the frame is '58? What is the date code?
Have fun
Robbie
Thanks. I'll be looking for the 54-59.

The date code is 47851-58.
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Re: Handlebars

#8

Post by RUBONE »

The date code is 47851-58.
That isn't a date code, that is a casting number. The date code is a two digit alpha-numeric stamping on the right side of the upper motor mount. It will give the month and year of your frame.
fatfatboy
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Re: Handlebars

#9

Post by fatfatboy »

RUBONE wrote:
The date code is 47851-58.
That isn't a date code, that is a casting number. The date code is a two digit alpha-numeric stamping on the right side of the upper motor mount. It will give the month and year of your frame.
Thanks for the tip on the date code. The friend that I got the basket case from said it was a '58 frame and that's what I was going by.
I pulled the tank and the Date Code is I2.
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Re: Handlebars

#10

Post by RUBONE »

Sounds like a '63 frame. I-2 would be September '62, so well into the '63 production year.
fatfatboy
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Re: Handlebars

#11

Post by fatfatboy »

Thanks for the confirmation. After I read your post about the Date Code and I checked the numbers I thought that's what it was. Now its confirmed.

Perfectly matches the rest of the bike. A real mutt. Heck, even the heads are not stock. The stock heads are long gone and it came with brand new STD heads in box.

When I got it it was in a hundred parts in boxes with the only thing finished was the frame was painted and a 1980 Wide glide front end had a wheel on it but not married to the frame. I got the motor and tranny back together, found the front end at a swap meet and got it into a roller with the '75 swing arm and wheel on the rear but had to stop the project and put it all back into boxes to build a house.
The house is done and I'm now starting to get back into it. The biggest hurdle is the "customizing" that's been done to the bike for 50+ years.

Thanks for the help.
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Re: Handlebars

#12

Post by Speeding Big Twin »

fatfatboy, stamped on the left side of the frame steering head you may find additional original component identifying numbers formatted as per the following example: B123(4). If you find that stamped-on ID can you tell us what the letter is please. I’d expect either B or A. (We don’t need to know what the three or four numeric characters are.) Thanks.
Eric
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Re: Handlebars

#13

Post by fatfatboy »

Speeding Big Twin,
Sorry man, I was not able to locate the numbers you mentioned. I even put on my glasses, ran a flashlight over the whole thing and then asked my young eyed daughter locate any numbers and the only thing she could find was some numbers in a small gusset in front of the tank mount on top. Looked like it could be a 36 with a I in a box??

The frame has a some pretty thick fresh powder coating on it so the numbers could be there but filled in. If I knew exactly where they would be at I would pick the powder coating but I really don't want to scrape the entire neck down.
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Re: Handlebars

#14

Post by Speeding Big Twin »

Thanks for replying. Your daughter did well to locate that other number and it may indeed be 36. It’s a die number and seems consistent with a frame made in September 1962. In March that year the number was either 35 or 36 and by May of 1963 at the latest it seems to have become 37. On the other side in a corresponding position you may find forging number 47591-35.

I see you viewed the thread about round swingarm identification so you will have already seen the picture below. As I mentioned there, the photo shows B5+++ as additional ID on a 1963 model frame. Notice it’s stamped on a flat area and also notice the two small round marks at the upper end of that flat section. If your frame is newly powdercoated then you may not be able to read what ID you have in that area although you may certainly notice something is stamped there. And please don’t cut into the powdercoating; I was only interested in what the letter may be as part of my research.
Eric
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fatfatboy
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Re: Handlebars

#15

Post by fatfatboy »

Eric,
Yes I did see the picture and used it to locate the spot where the numbers would be but the powder coating is so thick I could not find the numbers nor the two dimples. I tried some flame hoping to leave a soot that would help find them but no such luck. Sorry I wasn't much help.

I did look on the opposite side of the "36" gusset and did find some numbers stamped and they appear to be as you mentioned, 47591-35, but again the powder coating is so thick that I wouldn't be able to tell what the numbers are if you had not given them to me.
Thanks again, sir.
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