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My motorcycle heritage

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Texas T

Texas T

LD Rider
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Sun Lakes & Show Low, Arizona
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Brian
My dad on his way back to Davis-Monthan AFB in Tucson. March of 1952. 1952 H-D Hydra Glide. First year with a hand clutch. Pea Green in color (as described by my grandmother)

Dad 3-15-1952.jpg



My mom saying good-bye, but she would join him in AZ shortly.

IMG_20200910_064621.jpg



Me, 3 1/2 years later.

Brian's first ride.jpg



I had the plate remanufactured.

1951 NJ plate.jpg
 
Love the pics during a beautiful era in the country. Patriotism at its highest point too.
 
Pinning down exact H-D colors from that era can be tough, but assuming it wasn't a custom-ordered color from the factory (yes, they actually used to do that), it is most likely Harley-Davidson Tropical Green.

Great pics, by the way. I have a lot of motorcycling history in my family as well:

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TWTim said:
Pinning down exact H-D colors from that era can be tough, but assuming it wasn't a custom-ordered color from the factory (yes, they actually used to do that), it is most likely Harley-Davidson Tropical Green.

Great pics, by the way. I have a lot of motorcycling history in my family as well:

View attachment 273145
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I love those haircuts. Flat Tops were cool. Do you know the bike makes? Look British.
 
Windmill said:
I love those haircuts. Flat Tops were cool. Do you know the bike makes? Look British.
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That's my cousin Sonny in the background and I think the bike he's riding is a Harley Hummer or similar H-D model (it was actually his dad's). The kid in the foreground was a neighbor, and I do believe that's indeed a small-displacement Brit bike.

CORRECTION: I'm pretty sure both of them are Hummers, just different years. I think the one in the foreground is a '49-ish.
 
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I've shared this one before, my grandfather on his old race bike. He had this photo as a 4x6 I think in a cheap little frame on one of his shelves. I asked him if I could borrow it and he was hesitant to let it out of the house. I scanned it at high resolution, cleaned it up in photoshop, had it printed as an 8x10 and nicely framed and mailed it to him with the original. My dad said he cried when he opened it. He's passed on since then, but good to know I gave him that moment of joy.

grandfather-L.jpg


After I posted this, my friend Chris, aka DancesWithCurves, made up some t-shirts for my son right after he was born. He made this one from the above photo.

IMG_2488-L.jpg
 
Does thar Harley have a rear brake? I bet your grandfather was good because he looks like a natural on that flat tracker. He has that bike set up great and has the steel plate on his left boot. Love the picture. Guessing around 1947-48 by the cars.
 
StromXTc said:
Nice pics. What was the last you knew /told about that bike 🤔
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My mother relates a story in which they were returning to Tucson from the state fair in Phoenix and she was driving because my dad had had a few. Apparently he was dozing off as he leaned against her; she goosed it for some reason and my dad's legs came flying up as he almost fell off the back. I never heard my dad cuss but my mom said he let out a few words that night.

That was about all I ever knew as my dad passed when I was 15. So other than the photos I have and am finding as I unpack boxes, that's it. I did just now discover that he had two bikes. Here's the other one. If anyone can identify it for me (specific model), please do.

sept-51-lrg_19707401459_o.jpg


Donald Price 1.jpg



Donald Price 2.jpg



So in these photos he most likely just came home on leave after doing a tour on Adak Island. He was about to be sent to Japan and would soon be flying bombing missions over North Korea.
 
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Texas T said:
No, her grandfather gave her a 48 Plymouth and they drove that out there.
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I saw her sitting on the bike and thought "Wow, cool, she rode too!" which was pretty rare for that time period I bet, especially riding alone, but then I noticed it was the same bike in both pictures and started to wonder. Thanks for clearing it up.
 
X1Glider said:
Looks like a WLH
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I thought it was a military spec motorcycle as well. Many were customized I think they were made from 42 till 1952. Many purchased as war surplus and from the dealers.
That kidney belt he is wearing isn't just for looks.
 
Windmill said:
I thought it was a military spec motorcycle as well. Many were customized I think they were made from 42 till 1952. Many purchased as war surplus and from the dealers.
That kidney belt he is wearing isn't just for looks.
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I had a 55 FLH I restored in high school and it was a telescopic fork. I think the telescopic was standard from 1949-on when they introduced the 74 c.i. motor, however the springer front ends were an option for people who wanted to add side cars and make servi-car trikes. And the military being the military, slow to change, probably was still getting springers since they had more trail which makes a better dirt bike. But if the picture is an earlier bike it is probably the 61 c.i. (1000 cc) model which came with a springer anyway and it would have been a foot clutch/hand shift.
 
Web search of Harley-Davidson tropical green results:
John Pierce ColorWrite
Projects Photo Pages - 1952 Tropical Green Hydra-Glide

NOx0nmWxQQQ74kPCezJtMDTR2N_q4qfxkET2XIl4OVwoG_aGUG.jpg
 
gixxerjasen said:
I saw her sitting on the bike and thought "Wow, cool, she rode too!" which was pretty rare for that time period I bet, especially riding alone, but then I noticed it was the same bike in both pictures and started to wonder. Thanks for clearing it up.
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@gixxerjasen Actually she did ride, just not at that time. Within 3 years she was driving it. That's probably why she didn't have an issue with me buying a motorcycle when I was younger.
 
I inherited my long distance riding genes from my dad. On one of his trips from Tucson to NJ to visit my future mother he rode from Davis-Monthan AFB to Wichita KS before stopping for the night. That's a minimum of 1,000 miles and probably closer to 1,100 since there were no interstates back then. So... 1K miles, secondary roads, hardtail... yeah he was definitely Iron Butt Association material back in the day.

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And what's a little cold weather to a Jersey boy?

IMG_20200911_120603.jpg



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Sleeping out in the open near the border outside Douglas AZ (Agua Prieta, MX). They didn't have to worry about human and drug smugglers back in those days.

IMG_20200911_120817.jpg



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No gear at all (shudder). He did gear up (kinda) when he rode cross-country though.

IMG_20200911_120722.jpg
 
Interesting the picture where they are sleeping out. The center bike has a thin front tire. Wonder what make and who was riding it? I love these old pictures
 
Windmill said:
Interesting the picture where they are sleeping out. The center bike has a thin front tire. Wonder what make and who was riding it? I love these old pictures
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I believe it may have been Norton on his BSA. Too bad Norton didn't ride a Norton, huh?

IMG_20200911_120707.jpg



IMG_20200911_120713.jpg
 
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