1948 Harley Davidson WL49
Year of production - 1948
Serial number: 1640
Engine number: 1640
Net weight: 346 kg
Full weight: 606 kg
Engine capacity: 750 cc
Power: 25 hp
This motorcycle was produced according to the order of Austrian Republic (Republik Osterreich), the Federal Ministry of Internal Affairs, General Directorate of social security, ZL 100 199 - 3/48 18 January, 1949. Therefore, this vehicle was a property of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, General Directorate of social security.
The motorcycle had an identification mark W - 112 500 and from 10 August, 1951 till 15 June, 1957 was used in the headquarters of the federal police in the town of Klagenfurt, Ruprechter Straße 3, and mainly in Klagenfurt airport .
At Dorotheum Klagenfurt auction 13 August, 1957 it was bought by Karl Otto Bartl, an engraver from Klagenfurt, Linsengasse 28, for 500 Austrian schillings (ATS) plus 100 ATS as an additional payment – total 600 ATS.
Mr. Bartl exploited that motorcycle from 8 October, 1957 till 20 October, 1975, having made it the motorcycle of his life and he never wanted to drive a car. Here is a curious detail from the history of the motorcycle: Bartl, as usual, rode his Harley to his brother to Reifnitz on one wonderful autum day. He returned at the end of the day and, having put his Harley into the garage, told his wife, “I am not well now. I am going to lie down for some time”. Mr. Bartl died that night.
The new owner took the Harley to various Old-timer meetings from 2 January, 1976 till 28 February, and then it was maintained in the garage till 2008.
This model engine of WLA/WLC type is of 45 cubic inches or 750 cc with a side valve arrangement is very reliable, though not very effective in comparison to the upper valve arrangement construction.
The power developed by the engine is about 24HP, the transmissions are switched manually and the gearbox is three-speed and there is also a foot clutching. This engine remained in the production from 1937 till 1973 in Servi-Car, however, it was replaced on two-wheel motorcycles by more advanced flat engine, used in the K model (the predecessor of the Sportster OHV) in 1952.
The engine of the WLA/WLC is a 45 cubic-inch or 750cc side-valve design, which is reliable though not particularly efficient in comparison to overhead-valve designs. Harley Davidson already had overhead valve engines in production for its Big Twin lines, but the "small twin" flathead design was popular in applications needing reliability more than power.
The engine develops around 24HP and the transmission is a hand-change 3-speed and foot operated clutch.
This engine remained in production from 1937 to 1973 in the Servi-Car, although it was superseded in two-wheeled motorcycles by the more advanced flathead engine used in the Model K (the ancestor of the OHV Sportster) in 1952.
Though the model designation suggested high compression, for reliability, the Army version actually used a medium-compression version. In modern terms, the WLA's compression ratio of 5:1 is very low.
Due to this low compression, a WLC will run on 74 octane gasoline, necessary due to the poor quality of refining at the time, although fuel technology would improve rapidly during the war.
The WLC also features spring front suspension. Harley-Davidson would not adopt telescopic front forks until after the war.
The rear wheel had no suspension, giving this type of motorcycle the nickname "hard tail".
Serial number: 1640
Engine number: 1640
Net weight: 346 kg
Full weight: 606 kg
Engine capacity: 750 cc
Power: 25 hp
This motorcycle was produced according to the order of Austrian Republic (Republik Osterreich), the Federal Ministry of Internal Affairs, General Directorate of social security, ZL 100 199 - 3/48 18 January, 1949. Therefore, this vehicle was a property of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, General Directorate of social security.
The motorcycle had an identification mark W - 112 500 and from 10 August, 1951 till 15 June, 1957 was used in the headquarters of the federal police in the town of Klagenfurt, Ruprechter Straße 3, and mainly in Klagenfurt airport .
At Dorotheum Klagenfurt auction 13 August, 1957 it was bought by Karl Otto Bartl, an engraver from Klagenfurt, Linsengasse 28, for 500 Austrian schillings (ATS) plus 100 ATS as an additional payment – total 600 ATS.
Mr. Bartl exploited that motorcycle from 8 October, 1957 till 20 October, 1975, having made it the motorcycle of his life and he never wanted to drive a car. Here is a curious detail from the history of the motorcycle: Bartl, as usual, rode his Harley to his brother to Reifnitz on one wonderful autum day. He returned at the end of the day and, having put his Harley into the garage, told his wife, “I am not well now. I am going to lie down for some time”. Mr. Bartl died that night.
The new owner took the Harley to various Old-timer meetings from 2 January, 1976 till 28 February, and then it was maintained in the garage till 2008.
This model engine of WLA/WLC type is of 45 cubic inches or 750 cc with a side valve arrangement is very reliable, though not very effective in comparison to the upper valve arrangement construction.
The power developed by the engine is about 24HP, the transmissions are switched manually and the gearbox is three-speed and there is also a foot clutching. This engine remained in the production from 1937 till 1973 in Servi-Car, however, it was replaced on two-wheel motorcycles by more advanced flat engine, used in the K model (the predecessor of the Sportster OHV) in 1952.
The engine of the WLA/WLC is a 45 cubic-inch or 750cc side-valve design, which is reliable though not particularly efficient in comparison to overhead-valve designs. Harley Davidson already had overhead valve engines in production for its Big Twin lines, but the "small twin" flathead design was popular in applications needing reliability more than power.
The engine develops around 24HP and the transmission is a hand-change 3-speed and foot operated clutch.
This engine remained in production from 1937 to 1973 in the Servi-Car, although it was superseded in two-wheeled motorcycles by the more advanced flathead engine used in the Model K (the ancestor of the OHV Sportster) in 1952.
Though the model designation suggested high compression, for reliability, the Army version actually used a medium-compression version. In modern terms, the WLA's compression ratio of 5:1 is very low.
Due to this low compression, a WLC will run on 74 octane gasoline, necessary due to the poor quality of refining at the time, although fuel technology would improve rapidly during the war.
The WLC also features spring front suspension. Harley-Davidson would not adopt telescopic front forks until after the war.
The rear wheel had no suspension, giving this type of motorcycle the nickname "hard tail".
