1953 and 1955 Spring Special Paint Colors - Maybe ???

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1953 and 1955 Spring Special Paint Colors - Maybe ???

Postby hennesse » Mon Nov 26, 2018 11:03 pm

Harley offered a "Spring Special" many years. These usually involved special paint colors, but sometimes other options. We've found some of them, and documented them over in How-To-Restore, Chapter 60

We suspect there were more, but these are un-documented - the paperwork just didn't survive the ravages of time.

In particular, there was a 1954 Spring Special which included a Black gas tank with a 3" Ivory stripe across the middle, and Ivory fenders. Here are the documents. You can see what it looks like on a 1954 Harley KH over here on the K-model website.

I just noticed a possible 1953 Spring Special paint scheme, as "documented" in the May 1953 Enthusiast. Go here on the K-model site, and scroll down until you see the 1953 Harley KK Ad, and the May 1953 Enthusiast photo next to it. A little K-model background - the KK was a special high-performance model only sold during 1953, and probably late in the model year.

Click on the May 1953 Enthusiast photo to make it enlarge. The caption says March 28. On the wall on the right (red border around it) is the elusive KK ad. Now look at the motorcycle on the right, with the baby seated on it.

It's a lightweight - most likely a 1953 Model 165. It has a colored tank with Ivory stripe. I'm guessing the color is red, but it is most certainly NOT black. The fenders are the same color as the tank top/bottom. In contract, the 1954 Spring Special specified Black/Ivory tank with Ivory fenders.

That's the only known evidence that there might have been a 1953 Spring Special, and it doesn't really prove that Harley ever offered a production 1953 Spring Special. Note the all-white "Royalite" KH - the only one known - most likely a special advertising job.

Now Google "Harley Spring Special". The "Hunting Harleys" guy has several photos/videos of a 1954 Spring Special FL, and one of an alleged 1955 FL "Spring Special". He says he's seen about 20 of the 1955s. Colored tank top/bottom with Ivory stripe - and colored fenders. Anecdotal evidence, and no corroboration.

Google will also return a photo from the Hummer Exchange. Colored tank with BLACK stripe and colored fenders. Again, anecdotal evidence.

Sometime, where there's smoke, there's fire. Sometimes, where there's smoke, there's a cherry bomb.
(Gosh, remember those? And M-80s? And quarter-sticks?)

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Re: 1953 and 1955 Spring Special Paint Colors - Maybe ???

Postby Mutt » Tue Nov 27, 2018 9:05 am

I've seen original paint bikes 1952,53 and 54 ; all with that stripe. Also know of another original paint 54 with the yellow paint and black stripe, hanging up from the rafters in a shop in Dallas
Here is a pic of the 1952 125 tank
1952 tank side.jpg
1952 tank side.jpg (30.04 KiB) Viewed 4167 times

and 2 pics of the 53 165 tank
1953 165 ST  2 tone paint.jpg
1953 165 ST 2 tone paint.jpg (177.63 KiB) Viewed 4167 times

1953 original paint 165.jpg
1953 original paint 165.jpg (328.39 KiB) Viewed 4167 times
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