OEM Primer circa 1969 ?

Classic short-frame models

OEM Primer circa 1969 ?

Postby jOe » Tue Nov 10, 2015 7:13 pm

I have what I believe is a 1969 XLH with what's left of the original paint on the frame and swing arm. Under the paint that's been chipped is a primer which to me looks suspiciously like zinc chromate...that weird yellow-green color. I haven't seen it in many years,but it looks like the stuff the military used on aircraft.
Did H-D use that as a primer?
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Re: OEM Primer circa 1969 ?

Postby EKHKHK56 » Wed Nov 11, 2015 7:55 pm

Hi Joe, Just wondering if you are the fellow who I built a KHKR top end for years ago... My 1952 K seems to have a parkerized type finish under the factory paint. It is dark gray almost black colored though. Maybe they used a different system in 1969. Mine has no primer between, just the dark metal and cover paint. Maybe one of these Sportster fellows knows something about that. Erik K
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Re: OEM Primer circa 1969 ?

Postby jOe » Thu Nov 12, 2015 12:06 am

Hi Erik-- I'm with you, all the EARLIER H-D pieces,painted black don't appear to have been primered. My '69 XLCH which was on the assembly line at the same time as the '69 XLH had all the black pieces blasted clean so I can't compare. The sheet metal had much of the original paint and they had no evidence of a zinc chromate primer . That yellow-green stuff is on the frame,swing arm and handlebar riser (on the XLH)and in my estimation it appears to be factory paint. It seems unlikely that an individual would use zinc chromate as a primer, even back in the '70s as other primers were much more easily accessible.
I touched up the chips so the yellow-green primer ,whatever it is, is still under the paint. If it is indeed zinc chromate, it's really nasty, toxic stuff and I'm not motivated enough to remove it right now. Both of these bikes are very high serial numbers and were produced in the Summer of '69.
To me it looks like zinc chromate.
Just wondering if the factory switched over to it at some point.
It wasn't me that did your top end..............someone around here works on K Models?
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