Engine number ID

[hayleyl]

Hello all - wondering if anyone can help with an engine number ID - a mate of mine has a basket case engine - number on engine pad is 9B902//H/ and that's it...has me stumped.
Cheers Hayley.

[EKHKHK56]

What kind of engine? Might be some DMV done random number. I don't recognize it.

[hayleyl]

It's an Ironhead - I'll see if I can get belly numbers etc. Cheers Hayley.

[hayleyl]

Hello EK - The friend of mine who has the bones and engine of this old ‘Sportster’ has relayed the ‘story' behind the machine - it is quite intriguing.
'Apparently' it is one of two machines produced via a special order in 1971 - the ‘story’ is two XLRs were built for a customer in 1971. Not sure who the customer was.
I would assume if someone put in a special order in 1971 for a couple of XLR's that they would he been raced but being 900ccs not sure what category they would have competed in. Not sure when XLR production / availability stopped. I would have thought that by then an 'iron maiden' XR or an alloy XR would have been preferred?
The number on the engine pad is 9B902//H/ or 9B90211H1. Not sure if the forward slashes are to represent the number one.
I am led to believe that 9B is the code for XLRs. Is there anyone out there that may have information or has heard about this ‘story’? I'm awaiting photos. Cheers Hayley.

[thefrenchowl]

Hi Hayleyl,

I think your mate already has had all the answers he could wish for here some time back...

http://xlforum.net/vbportal/forums/showthread.php?t=1963881

Patrick

[hennesse]

The number on the engine pad is 9B902//H/ or 9B90211H1. Not sure if the forward slashes are to represent the number one.
I am led to believe that 9B is the code for XLRs. Is there anyone out there that may have information or has heard about this ‘story’? I'm awaiting photos. Cheers Hayley.

There are many, many websites like this one which explain the Harley VIN numbers. None of them mention the 9B code in the 1970's. (Not surprising, because everybody just copies other people's stuff, so mis-information gets spread, and spread...)

Go to the Gallery section of this website, and look at Gene Payne's 1970 XLR-900. The motor number is plainly visible in one of the photos.

The 5-digit sequence number in 1970-1980 did start with "10001" - my 1970 XLCH is 4A 12481 H0, which I believe is production number 2481. What is odd about yours is the sequence number 90211 - one would think that they didn't make 80,211 XLs in 1971... The H1 designates 1971.

Photos would clarify things...

[thefrenchowl]

Dave,

The owner has had all the answers he needs already from others and meself on other sites...

I think him and his mate are on another fishing trip trying to unload that engine.

There are XLR parts in it, but it's not all right or all there... Plus broken bits... Plus unmatched cases... Plus serial where the 1 are stamped with an I... Etc...

Patrick

[hennesse]

There are many, many websites like this one which explain the Harley VIN numbers. [...] everybody just copies other people's stuff, so mis-information gets spread, and spread...)

These websites say that the strange odd/even pattern was used 1962-1969. Is this really true?

Back in the 1980's, the Harley Hummer Club kept a roster of members and their serial numbers.

We have about fifty 1960 serial numbers, and they all start with a 2, 4, or 6. The Legend Begins reports production of 2488, so the last serial number should be 6488. The highest serial number in the roster is 60 BT 6433.

We have about fifty 1961 serial numbers, and they all start with a 1 or a 3. The Legend Begins reports production of 1587, so the last serial number should be 3587. The highest serial number in the roster is 61 BT 3583.

We also have a few Topper serial numbers, and they seem to follow the odd/even pattern. For 1960, TLB reports production of 3801, which would make the last Topper serial number 8801. We have 60 A 2892, and 60 A 8688.

SO - either (a) these websites are all wrong, and the odd/even pattern really started in 1960; or (b) The odd/even pattern started in 1960 for the Hummers and Toppers, but not on the larger bikes. Any thoughts about this?

-----
These websites also report that if the serial number had 5 digits, the first TWO digits would be odd/even. I think this is not true, but I could be wrong. Does anyone have a 1960/1962/1964/1966/1968 Harley of any kind that has a serial number of 20XXX or 22XXX ??? My feeling is that for even years, they went 2000, 4000, 6000, 8000, 10000, 12000. Any thoughts about this?

[thefrenchowl]

Yes Dave, late 60s were busy, the factory doin' quite a few bikes after the 63 low ebb, so some of these have 5 digit serials, that's when they made over 4000, so for evens: 2000, 4000, 6000 and 8000 so next lot were in the 10000, 12000, while the uneven years went 1000, 3000...etc , 11000, 13000. Seen Sportsters in these 10000, but never in the 20000 for the pre 70s serials.

After that, yes, AMF did produce a lot

But I'm not too sure when they actually started the even/uneven rule...

Patrick

[hayleyl]

Hello all - here are pics of 71 XLR numbers as discussed in earlier posts...Cheers Hayley. P.S. Has anyone had John Lienwebber regrind K series cams?