So last Tuesday I was digging through Craigslist like always, half-looking for project bikes while pretending to work from home. Coffee in one hand, mouse clicking with the other. And bam – this listing pops up: “Barn Find Harley 100 Year Anniversay Model.” Guy said it was stuck behind an old tractor since 2003. My garage is already packed but come on… a 100th anniversary Harley? Had to see it.
The Disaster Zone First Look
Drove out to this farmer’s field near Bumfuck, Nowhere. Thing was buried under hay bales and chicken shit. Paid the guy cash – way too much probably. Called my buddy Dave to help trailer it back. Flat tires, mice nest in the air filter, tank smelled like rotten gas mixed with rust. Tried kickstarting it for laughs. Yeah, no. Felt like kicking a brick wall.
Taking the Beast Apart
First weekend, cleared space in the garage by stacking crap in the driveway. Wife was thrilled. Started stripping it down:
- Got the tank off – found THREE dead spiders inside. Just dumped the whole thing out onto my workbench
- Seized bolts everywhere. Broke two sockets hammering on ’em. WD-40 became my best friend.
- Pulled the carburetor apart – jets were clogged solid with green gunk. Like playdough. Dunked the whole thing in cleaner overnight.
- Cleaned out mouse turds from the exhaust pipes with a coat hanger. Tripped over the tailpipe rolling away.
Damn thing fought me every step.
The Engine Nightmare
Cracked open the engine case. Horrible grinding noise when I turned it by hand. Main bearing felt like gravel in a blender. Ordered replacements online. Took three tries ’cause I mixed up the part numbers. Waited a week shipping just for the wrong damn size. Finally got new seals, gaskets, bearings – whole rebuild kit. Spent Saturday covered head-to-toe in grease trying to seat the crank properly. Swore I’d quit six times.
Putting Humpty Dumpty Back Together
Slowly started reassembling:
- Fresh paint on the tank – deep blue with anniversary gold pinstriping. Taped it myself and still screwed up the lines.
- New tires were a wrestling match. Used three tire irons and still pinched the tube. Had to walk away for a beer.
- Rewired the whole bike by following diagrams on my phone. Screen kept timing out. Burned my finger on the soldering iron twice.
Every part seemed to need a tool I didn’t have. Ran to AutoZone four times in one day.
That First Start Attempt
Finally hooked up a fresh battery yesterday. Kicked it over… nothing. Choke on, throttle twisted – sputtered once and died. Checked the spark plugs. Adjusted the carb jets for the millionth time. Said a little prayer to the motorcycle gods and kicked hard.
BRRRRRAPPPP
Whole garage filled with blue smoke. Still smelled like burnt oil and victory. Let it idle rough for ten minutes grinning like an idiot. Rode it down the block – shifting felt crunchy but hey, it MOVED.
Still needs fine-tuning and a detail clean. But that anniversary badge shines like new. Hundred years of history coughing back to life in my grease-stained hands. Worth every busted knuckle.
