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Strange vin

PostPosted: Mon Mar 26, 2018 2:48 am
by Andchristoph
Hello, thank you for replay and compliments for the nice page. I have read for a long time yesterday in the late night and I was very impressed for al information about the K-Model i found.
I live in the north of Italy, near Bolzano, not far from Verona, about 80 miles.
I have a Sportster XLCH with a very strange motor and frame twin, but seems original letters. The bike 8H67751H8 is titled as 73 Sportster XLH, but 8H is not a Sportster....
I owned also a 77XLCR and a 1981 XR1000, both disabled for restaurations. My 62 XLCH i have sold to a friend last year. Regards

Re: Strange vin

PostPosted: Mon Mar 26, 2018 8:06 am
by xlh59
How about posting a picture of the VIN?

actually I assume that your VIN is 3A67751H3 ... and maybe someone changed the 3s to 8s or it just appears to be 8s?

Re: Strange vin

PostPosted: Mon Mar 26, 2018 9:30 am
by Andchristoph
Hi thanks for replay, I tried to post some pictures before but the site logged me out everything...
Attached you find the pictures from frame and engine VIN, the numbers don't seem to be modified.

Re: Strange vin

PostPosted: Mon Mar 26, 2018 5:35 pm
by riverdog
Hi Andchristoph, in regards to your 73 Sportster, the vin pad on your frame seems to have been painted a few times, and the paint may be obscuring a good read on the numbers there.
The 70s number fonts were different from any others that HD used, and quite distinctive, your 8s are 8s only in appearance, and have to be actually 3s, I have a 75 XLH in my living room, and the vin ends with H5, as in 1975, yours should end with H3 being a 73, despite what the vin seems to say.
If I were you id take a wire brush and work the paint off the pad for a better read on the numbers.
Further the figure 8 in my vin is stamped like an X with included dashes top and bottom closing the X to form an angular 8 like two triangles pointing at each other
If I figure the picture posting drill out, ill post a pic later

Bob

Re: Strange vin

PostPosted: Mon Mar 26, 2018 5:44 pm
by Ferrous_Head
Banana caliper on the front indicates 73.
I too believe this is an overstamp. Easy enough for anyone to do. The "8" does seem to be a tad deeper than the other numbers as well.

Re: Strange vin

PostPosted: Mon Mar 26, 2018 6:09 pm
by Andchristoph
Thanks for yours answers. The bike this moment is on the way, is not yet arrived in Italy.
If i have the bike here I'll sent new pictures from VIN.
Regards

Re: Strange vin

PostPosted: Tue Mar 27, 2018 3:24 pm
by riverdog
Finally was able to get a clear pic of my vin on low res, it looks clear enough from here. See there are a couple of 3s in sight, they could be mistaken for 8s on a bad day, but also notice the 8 after the 4, it is clearly angular, no curves in it, its the only style of 8 HD used in their vin font from 1970 to 1980, so if your 8s are clearly curved 8s they are restamped or such...good that you have the title

Bob