My first Harley was a 1942 WL civilian model with the big buddy seat and windshield. I was 14 in 1955. I rode it to a high school track meet 4 miles away and took a girl for a ride on it. We have been married for 62 years last June 1st. I am 80 now and ride a 99 Softail Custom. Have great memories of the old 45 flat head. Wish I still had it. I started riding on Whizzer motor bikes in the late 40,s. Then Cushman Motor scooters, When I was 10, I bought a Doodle Bug. I have been on some motorized 2 wheeler ever since that first ride on a friend of my older brother let me ride his Whizzer Pacemaker motor bike. That old 45 was a great motor. Tough as nails. Thanks for bringing back the memories.

I'd really like to see you and Craig freshen up the engine, clean the bike up and fix anything else to make it more functional and safe, but not a restore.

True story. Back in 2000 I was passing through Santa Fe N.M. and stopped by a one man repair shop and sitting right by the old school glass counter with an old time cash register on it was one of these military bikes. Had a rifle scabbard on the front wheel and it was in immaculate showroom shine condition. I asked the old gentleman that owned the shop if he was the one that refinished it and he said “No it was a customer’s and it wasn’t redone.” He told me the only thing that was not original was “the oil and gas.” He went on to tell me the owner was a Captain in the army during WW 2 and when the war was over he was put on a transport ship in the English Channel that had 100’s if not 1000’s of these beautiful Harley’s sitting on the deck most brand new. So to make room for the troops they just started shoving them off the boat into the Channel! The Captain made a deal with someone and he was told he could keep one of the bikes, but he would have to ride home sitting and sleeping on the bike until they got home. He evidently paid some privates to sit on it some of the ride home so he could get a break. I don’t know if that story is true or not, but I’ll never forget that bike!!!!! Thanks again for a great video!!

Love watching these old Harleys start up. You gotta kick them 3 times, blip the throttle twice, spit on the tires and pull the choke and then they start right up.

A love for motorcycles and the lack of real friends. Thought that was just me.

That's a family heirloom Don't every sell pass it down .

I know it looked sad hanging up on a wall. It wasn't meant for that. It's an old man. You got to take Grandpa out for a walk every once in a while!! "Sure we can go 50 miles" might take us 2 days! But just enjoy the scenery!

Man, if I had the money I'd be making an offer. Not because of the antique Harley part, but because of it being Joey Chitwood's bike. My dad took me to see the Chitwood Stunt Show when I was five or six and I became fascinated by motorcycles and driving cars on two wheels from that day on. To date I've owned 39 street legal bikes and did manage to drive a Chevette on two wheels (once successfully, a bunch of times not so much). Please make sure that bike finds a good home.

My Dad and I built the servi-car (three wheeler) version of that bike when I was a kid. Some of my favorite memories with my Dad are centered around that bike. Unfortunately, when I was in college, he had to sell it and there is not a day that goes by that I don't wish I could get my hands on it or another like it. I lost him less than a year ago and watching this bring back a lot of great memories. Maybe someday I will be lucky enough to get my hands on one again, until then, I will always have the pictures of that old bike.

Get the bike running absolutely perfect eg. engine, brakes, suspension etc but NO paint job....maybe a Clear Lacquer over the paint work to keep it exactly like it is and prevent more wear. Then you’ll have an awesome piece of Motorcycling History that’ll be worth not only money but pride and joy and the happiness it will bring you and your family, maybe your Great Grandkids will be tinkering with it one day keeping it running as part of the family tradition. Imagine that....cool

Love to see the bike be freshened up and it's hard to believe it was in a scrap yard

God bless you my friend for giving that old beauty a second life back on the road. Awesome classic HD 👍🏻

Thanks man, it kills me to see bikes like these sitting in displays when they were born to be ridden. Keep up the videos like these.

This may be the coolest pile of rust and tears I’ve ever seen. Thank you for sharing!

When referring to the clutch, it is better to say engaged or disengaged. I have a 46 Knucklehead with the foot clutch. It becomes suicide clutch when the bike is chopped and the rocker mechanism is discarded, making the pedal like a auto clutch. Sit at the light in gear, star to fall over to the left, put your foot down-then off you go into the intersection!

I have a new found respect for Sean. I bought a 1964 Triumph TR6 earlier this year. Riding it home an hour and a half with the right side shift and crappy drum brakes was an experience. I can't imagine hoping on a 1942 Harley with a side shift and foot clutch and riding it home on the freeway.

I have a WLA that somehow made it's way back to the States from Russia. When I got it a few years back, it still had tires on it that said "Made in USSR" on them. Pretty cool. It is now running again after languishing unloved for many many years. It is a blast to ride around the back roads of Berks County, PA.

One of my favourite old Harleys, the old WL! A real gem you have there, she just needs a LOT of work to put her into excellent running condition...and she is well worth it! I suspect there are lots of folks out there who would love to own her! Get her sorted...and keep her...and enter her in the Motorcycle Cannonball cross country race!.....😎...😎...!

$125 in the 60s is actually $1,158.40 adjusted for inflation, not bad for a new bike!

I absolutely LOVE that vintage H-D! That is such an awe-inspiring bike and I would give anything to just take it for a ride once! Thanks so much for sharing I really appreciate it!

Sean you've got to be one of the coolest guys on the webs, love your vids, nice bike - I haven't ridden a cycle since 1985 and the KZ 550 LTD (sweet rider), but NOW, I really want a motor sickle , thanks man, keep the great vids coming

Sweet bike, love both your channels. FYI, that's a gate shift. A suicide clutch is an owner modification where the offset spring is removed from the clutch pedal so you have to hold it in without assitance. This mod is usally combined with the jockey shift mod where the lever comes straight off the tranny and you have to reach behind your left leg to shift.

I knew an amazing guy that was a fighter pilot in WW2. When they came home he said they got off the boat, and were told see ya later. He had no idea how to get home to texas from the east coast.... so he spent $25 and bought a WLA, and took it cross country all the way back to texas! Imagine that trip! I saw pictures of him with the bike in his flight jacket. What a guy!

A friend of mine has a cherry WLA that he keeps at his museum (along with his Tanks and Half Tracks!)... Watching you start that and the grin on your face says it all. You have no idea how lucky you are! God Bless and Enjoy Life!

My first motorcycle was a 1942 WLA, in 1965, when I was 18 years old, bought for $75.oo. It only had a back brake, as the front was broken and no front fender. Sweet is the right word. That's what I learned to ride on. If it wouldn't start with the kick starter, like if it was 20 degrees f, we could push start it with a car. Sitting at a red light at the top of a hill, was thought provoking. Right foot on the brake keeping me from rolling back on the car behind me which it always seemed was almost on top of me already, and left foot needed to hold the bike upright, and also needed for the clutch when it was time to pull away... I wish you could have ridden it. That was a combat veteran. I'm 75 now and I have a 2014 H-D FXDL. Some people think motorcycles go stop and turn, and that's all they do. Anyone who ever owned a WL knows better Put a cable on the distributor and buy a can of spray paint, and ride that sucker.

This beauty is one of the coolest bikes I ever seen. 79 years is a complete life! The rough aspect and the fact that it still running Is amazing! I would never change it's appearance, I would just get it running as good as possible, and enjoy it.

This bike reminds me of my Dad's, about mid 1930s WLA flat head have a pic of it takin 1942. My uncle rode a Harley mid 1930s wile in the Marines WW2, mine was a 62 Pan Head back in 1975, thanks for the ride at the first of your video and thanks to Srkcycles for your down loading this bike

Thank you for rescuing this bike!. And thanks to your channels, I decided to take my MSF course and purchased a Honda Shadow VLX :)

That fact that you can run this dust bucket and still deliver a decent video monologue is astounding!

What a great find. Enjoy that piece of history awhile before letting it go. Now I want one.

This is such a cool bike, Sean. Really loving the build btw. Can’t wait to see you ride this thing again

Thanks for everything you do Sean, I went down for the first time on the road last night and if it weren’t for you I wouldn’t have ridden to work the next day

Great that you brought this bike back to life and are using it! You look good on it. Interesting that it took until 1975 before motorcycle controls were standardized. So, my first bike, a 1984 Honda Nighthawk 650, was only nine years into standardized controls. Just something I took for granted.

Happy for you Sean that you own a piece of rolling history. Just keep it, don’t even think of parting from it.

That’s a really cool bike. It seemed like it shifted better with a little more RPM!

I had a smile the whole time Very cool

Looks like you're getting it down.. COOL! The old rigid bikes WERE a bear to ride, but I love em! Mine is actually a rigid scooter. Keep up the great work,and may God bless you.

Beautiful old scoot. A rebuild and wow what a bike you would have.

I’m not a Harley fan, but I really like this bike. Sounds great too.

I feel ya man! I ride a ‘62 BMW and feel like the bike really appreciates being out on the road

It's awesome watching you ride around on that

Oh the drama of it all! But glad you saved it and will hopefully restore it. Very cool.

Great video thanks for sharing it. You were riding it pretty dam good. Great piece of history. Keep it you'll never find another one like it

This brings back memories. My 1st Harley was a 1946 wla. I was 16, and the year was 1972.

That is a great way to look at motorcycles. I kind of look at motorcycles that same way. I traded my motorcycle for a new one, and it sat at the dealership for almost a year without being bought. I felt so bad for it that I bought it back!

Brilliant Video Good Buddy!!!!,! Really good!!!! Always Wanted more information on that Bike!!!!,👍👍👍

Sean it sounds a little bit rough which is expected from an 80 year old bike but because this was similar to the military style version the primary things I would suggest is taking the engine out and cleaning all the parts on it because I believe a full on restoration of the motor may get it running to optimal speeds but i'm also very knowledgeable in how the foot clutches work so it's all about timing and since this bike has the indicator light (not sure if it still operates) that light is actually crucial because it doesn't just let you know when to shift but it also is an indicator so the gears inside the engine don't get grinded out since this bike was used for stunts and speed stuff so it may take a little bit of getting used to but for these styles of bikes shifting earlier as opposed to once your at the top gear speed will save you a lot of unwanted repair work to the engine and will keep the bike operational in the long run.

I can never seem to find any of these in my junkyard...

I remember going and seeing Joey Chitwood and The Super Chevy show it was pretty insane it's cool with that bike has that kind of History

That bike is beautiful!!!!

What a cool old bike. Stay safe and God Bless.

Easiest way to get more power and make it more practical for everyday use is to stroke it with the 74” flywheel. Yes it’s a job to split the crankcase to install the flywheel, yes you’ll want a bigger carb. But those were the mods people did back then. And yes they take some time to learn to ride. Look into it as there are ways to hop them up. Also take the heads off and polish them and the piston heads. If you keep it you could make the mods over the course of the winter. My grandpa had one and the mods I mentioned he did. Also the intake manifold can be widened or a wider one( think the servicar had it at one point ) lastly Harley made the motor , G motor for 3 wheelers until 1973-74, so parts are out there if you look

Definitely the next project bike!!

Old Harleys may not be the fastest but there's something about them that just makes you love them.

This is the best video of any bike by any youtuber I have ever seen. Had me grinning the whole time and laughing some of the time. Awesome

Was waiting for this one!!!

That bike would be a fun restoration project...my 99 Road King had that automatic cruise control too when I first got it because it hadn't been ridden much & the cables were all crusty & didn't work right...replaced those cables with new ones & the throttle now operates like it should...

Cool history and operational overview!

The head light flows right in with the springer front end lol!

Hey Sean , I really like that bike , love classics.. .

Very cool, Sean! Thanks! 😎

Been waiting for this one 👏

Sean that's a very cool bike this is one of my favorite videos

Ride yur ride! You do you! Love that bike! Brakes tune up! Enjoy!

so cool! God bless the bike, it has soul ride!

What a super cool antique 👏

What a great ride !

Ohhhh.... 'Chopper'.... I get it. Thanks for the living history lesson. Cool bike.

It’s great to see an old bike being ridden.

Hello, friend! I'm writing from Russia, watching your channel and especially about Harley-Davidson. I like them and I'll take them as soon as possible, but this model amazed me, with non-standard gearshift and clutch it's still the best of its kind, thanks for the video!

Listen to that clutch rattle! Love it!

Was just watching you in class and then this upload pops up 😎 let’s go

Omg absolutely gorgeous machine love it 👍🇬🇧

Reminds me of the movie, The Heavenly Kid! That angel road that old Bike!🙏🏻

This really makes me appreciate my "crusty old" 90s bike, my Intruder looks very luxurious right now

While yours may have a top speed of 50. My old WLA would run at 65 all day with a top speed somewhere around 75-80. Back in the days of the 55 speed limit I rode from El Paso to Dallas many times and got more than a few speeding tickets. It's a hand shift or jockey top with a foot clutch. God that sound brings back memories. Loved that bike.

My mom got me a poster of one of these, it's awesome!

Actually looked pretty good riding it. Some people try to be too gentle with shifts, and that can be worse… gotta be a bit firm. Practice timing up shifts with the throttle. And use the shift gate (may need to adjust the shift linkage). On my ‘49 big twin I back off the throttle and shift when stress is off the drivetrain, just a quick flick. Push the shift knob to the side when shifting and the gate should guide you right to the next gear. One little correction is you said the second ignition position was for the generator. Your generator was already running, because your GEN light went off right after startup. Second position on mine is lights. So start it, let it warm up, then turn the lights on when you take off (easy to forget). Pretty sweet bike, and they are a blast to ride.

Wow I really like it. This is what I am into now

I would say it IS a Character. Love it

Wow, Really Interesting. Thanks.

Thumbs Up ! Nice bike and video.

maddeningly awesome...wish I had one.

My step dad bought one in 1948. Under several coats of paint we came to olive drab. We painted it red after bobbing it and the motor was hopped up by the people that built Joe Leonard's track bikes. It was one of the fastest street bikes in the Bay Area in the early 50s.

Doing good man! Good to see the old war horse out for a stroll. I hope you keep it, and keep it operational

That bike is awesome, I like it old and rustic. Wouldn’t change a thing on it if I owned it.

Nice piece of history! 😎🤘

I just love how the restoration job saved all the patina.

thats an amazing bike mate l watched the vid of you rideing it home... less is more as in the least amount of work done the better new rings maybe & a gentle tiddy up new spokes maybe as well.... ld love to find a bike like this.. cheers from Down Under & Keep Ya Knee's in Da Breeezzeeeeee

This is The Best Motorbike channel on KZfaq!!!!!

That looks so hard to ride...... but soooo much fun. full of character that machine!

My first Harley, was a '72 Servicar that belonged to the Long Beach Ca Police. Left hand throttle, left foot clutch, RIGHT tank side shift. The only thing they took off to sell it, was the siren. Still had the take down lights, and pull over lights. The LBPD star and insignia, while peeled off, was still very much easily readable in the paint. That little 45ci engine could barely get her up to 55mph (but national speed was 55 anyway!), but all the guys loved having me along, because the huge trunk could carry a lot of beer and ice! LOL! One week after I found an old spin-up siren from a fire truck to bring her back to glory, she was stolen. Never saw her again :(

Look at that dinosaur on the road! Always such a beautiful sight to see an old grandfather still have it's pep running around.

Brilliant!. Shaun is doing better than me, i still end up in on coming carriage way trying to do the hand shift / foot clutch jive

Thanks Sean! This video made me really appreciate my fuel injected, heal to shifting modern day bike lol

What a beautiful machine.

Cool Verses ... Cool beard ... Cool style ......... and ......... Cool Harley

Pacific Mike is going to be your dude. Not only does he know a whole bunch about old Harleys, he knows all the people who have the parts and knows more stuff about old Harleys. Can't hurt to say hello.

That bike is pure awesomeness

Sounds good once you got it shifting better. Great find. Keep it.