1915 Harley Davidson Twin

This 1915 Harley Davidson 3 speed twin is one of the best of its kind in the world.

This machine has been completely mechanically rebuilt on the inside, while maintaining all the remaining original paint and patina left on the outside. Don’t miss out on this extremely rare chance to own a running & riding piece of early Harley Davison motorcycling history!

Full history below:

In January 2024 I was able to purchase this motorcycle from the 2nd owner - and man named Mel from East Grand Forks, MN. Mel purchased the bike from the original family over 20 years ago on a farm not far from where he lived in the area. This motorcycle was bought new in 1915 by a farmer near East Grand Forks, and ridden for only about one year when they farmer crashed into a barbed wire fence. This crash bent the front forks of the bike, and cut up the legs of the owner! The owner put the bike behind the barn and healed up for a few months. After he was healed he entered into World War 1. By the time the original owner returned home, any thoughts or hopes of repairing this bike back into working order were long gone. So, after only 1-2 years of use, this 1915 Harley Davidson motorcycle sat for over 80 years until Mel bought it. Mel was wise enough to realize this bike was a time capsule of originality. So, instead of sandblasting it or doing anything irreversible with it, he strapped it to the wall in his garage! Thank you Mel!

The entirety of the rebuild and preservation process for this bike was filmed, and it will be uploaded to my YouTube channel in the near future.

*Note: The bottom tank screws and seat pin bolt are missing in these pictures, but they are installed on the bike now. We had a very small window in between storms to take these pictures while buttoning things up, so those last tiny details fell through the cracks. The bike is now 100% complete though!*

Here is a list of details regarding originality and rebuild work on this bike:

The 1915 Harley Davidson is a landmark bike within Harley’s long history. Many consider this to be the “first real motorcycle made by Harley”, because it is the first year of the 3 speed transmission.

That being said, this 1915 boasts many original one-year-only parts, including:

• Crankcases with matching belly numbers and correct late 1915 VIN: 14731K
• Cylinders
• Rocker towers and arms
• Intake Manifold
• Chassis
• Front Fork
• Transmission
• Tanks (original tanks, but not the original tanks from this bike)
• Wheel / Hub / Spoke assemblies
• Handelbars
• Fenders
• Toolbox
• Schebler HX carburetor with correct air horn
• Troxel Jumbo Seat
• Front fork rockers
• Many other original parts and assemblies not necessarily specific to 1915

I tried to use as many original parts and pieces as possible while rebuilding this motorcycle, so it contains very few reproduction parts.

However, there are a few “new” upgrades I included to help improve the life and rideability of this bike. Those upgrades include:

• Internal expanding drum break on the rear hub. The rear hub is original, but the brake drum and backing plate are new. The backing plate was made by Pat Murphy and uses Knucklehead front brake shoes on the inside. This hub has incredible stopping power compared to the original band rear brake setup.
• New internal front fork springs and guide rods
• New pinion, crank, and sprocket shafts inside the engine.
• NOS SKF left side case bearing
• New connecting rod crank end bearing races and rollers
• New connecting rod wrist pin bushings
• Completely rebuilt Bosch ZEV magneto with new magneto gear
• New spark plug wires
• New handlebar twist grip internal assemblies
• NOS 1940’s Firestone spark plugs
• Transmission rebuilt using sealed bearings on each end of the main shaft.
• New Transmission kicker & kicker idler gears
• Rebuilt front and rear hubs including new ball bearings and rubber seals installed
• Rebuilt clutch with new internal steel and composite discs
• New G & J reproduction tires and tubes
• New primary and secondary chains

This is a turn-key piece of history - don’t miss out!

Reach out to me with any questions or interests at my number below.

701-240-1641

• David

Located in North Dakota 58790

Asking Price: $115,000 USD