From:Dave Hennessey e-mail:dave-A-toyhouse.org
Subject:RE: serial number ? Date:Tue Dec 4 21:23:28 2012
Response to:18022
According to The Legend Begins (TLB), 2219 ST and STU bikes were produced in 1956. Given that the serial numbers started with 1001 (although a few examples of 1000 were reported in the AMCA mag awhile back). This makes the ending serial number 3219.

However, in TLD, Harley states: "The following pages contain model year information from a document that was created in 1978 by a Harley-Davidson employee. The figures and descriptions were copied from various schedules and sales reports. [...]

We are passing this information along to our enthusiasts as a matter of interest, and it is NOT to be regarded as totally accurate".

I would consider it pretty likely that they were a few numbers off. Look at their reported figures for 1963-1966 - all round numbers like "500". Not only for Hummers, but the figures for all of their models from 1963-1969 are reported as nice round numbers!

Harley saved a lot of stuff in their Archives, but my understanding was that it was never well categorized - Harley was just trying to get motorcycles out the door, and saving records for posterity was never a priority.

Jerry Hatfield might chime in here - he did some research at the Archives a number of years back.

Dave


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Aloha from Hawaii. My 1956 st has a serial number that does not seem to be in agreement with the information you have posted. The number on the engine is very easy to read and is 56st3222. The highest number, because of the number made, should be 3219. Anyone have any information that can shed light on this.