# 1918 Harley Davidson trussed fork



## chitown (Feb 20, 2013)

On a 1915 Ranger Superbe Motorbike.

Chris (Fat Tire Trader) was kind enough to scan and post this 1915 Ranger Superbe Motorbike model. It even mentions the sloping angles like a motorcycle. 

This is the fork that I said looked like the 1918 Harley trussed fork. In the ad I used (B+W magazine ad) it was hard to decipher if the truss rods were separate or joined to the drop outs like the HD. Opinions?

http://www.fattiretrading.com/images/1915_ranger-superbe.jpg


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## bricycle (Feb 22, 2013)

whose ever lawn the HD is posed on... that mower needs a serious blade sharpening. L@@k at those "split ends" on the grass blades!


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## Balloontyre (Feb 22, 2013)

*These forks do...*

Make a great research project,  I've been studying some Mead and Elgin characteristics that are common, primarily the similarity in the design of the crown fork. So this may apply to Mead and other maker similarities also.

 In regard to Mead bikes. I noticed that there are at least 5 different forks that show up on the Mead bikes. The ribbed Truss fork is the one that is the most interesting, the ribbed fork style is found on several other brands, additionally there are 2 variations of the rib style on Mead bikes.  The span of use on the truss fork seems to run TOC to early 30's.  It seams possible that forks were outsourced by many bike makers??? Just a theory.

Let's dig into this some more


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## fat tire trader (Feb 22, 2013)

1915 may be the first year that truss forks are in a Mead catalog. I don't have 1913 or 14, but 1912 does not show a truss fork.


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## Balloontyre (Feb 22, 2013)

fat tire trader said:


> 1915 may be the first year that truss forks are in a Mead catalog. I don't have 1913 or 14, but 1912 does not show a truss fork.




Is there a description of the forks in the 1912 catalog? anything with a "rib" on the crown or side of fork blade? Can ya please post some pics of fork details.


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## sam (Feb 23, 2013)

1911 mead catalog


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## dfa242 (Feb 23, 2013)

And here's the 1914 Ranger Catalog page.


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## Balloontyre (Feb 23, 2013)

These clips are from 1913 Sears catalog, the Peerless is referred to as the 1914 Model, Master is 1913 model.


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## Balloontyre (Feb 23, 2013)

Chris, it looks to me the drawing is showing the general shape of the Mead truss rod juncture. The Davis truss rod looks to run straight  as it meets the fork eye juncture.
 Does anyone care to share a pic of a 1915 Ranger Motorbike?
It would be nice to see a photo of a 1915 Ranger. Attached is 1920


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## chitown (Feb 23, 2013)

*1915 (no rib, triple crown, fused truss rods that are fussed to triangular dropout*

Here are some more Mead pics for comparison:

1918 Ranger Motorbike (no rib, solid crown, fused truss rods that joins at the fork)

View attachment 85809

1918 Pathfinder (no rib, solid crown, fused truss rods that join at fork and that merge on top to a single bolt to headset  bracket)

View attachment 85810

1923 Ranger Motorbike (ribbed, triple crown, separate truss rods)

View attachment 85811

1923 Catalog showing NEW separate truss rods:

View attachment 85816

The 1915 model posted looks different from most other Mead forks in the way it looks to be brazed to the dropout plate and not the fork itself. The only other model I've seen this is the 1918 Harley.


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## Balloontyre (Feb 24, 2013)

chitown said:


> 1923 Ranger Motorbike (ribbed, triple crown, separate truss rods)
> 
> View attachment 85811
> 
> ...




Good stuff Chris, 
The wide variety of forks that appear on Meads is interesting. 

Do you know if the English ribbed fork with triple crown and *Fused* truss was ever made?
Seems all that I've seen are separate with the triple crown, or a no rib fork, triple crown, and fused rods.


I can see how the drawing of the 1915 ad looks similar to the HD, notice the slight toe curvature where the truss rod meets the axle, this is a perpendicular view drawing, the HD fork is shown at an angel, a picture of a known 1915 Ranger bike would be more definitive. It would also help to get the same camera angle on the HD fork as the drawing of the 1915 Ranger.

What year is that detailed fork description?  Mead was pretty liberal in the use of "New" in all their ads, seemed that many times the same item would maintain "new" status for several printings and years,


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## Balloontyre (Feb 24, 2013)

This 1920 photo is near the same angle as the 1915 drawing


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## chitown (Feb 25, 2013)

I'm not so much focused on the angle of the truss rods more the fact that the 1915 is painted and fused to the dropout. The 1920 has the separate nickel plated truss rods. One feature we can't tell from the 1915 is if the rods connect at the top to attach to a single bolt instead of staying separate. 1918 has both single and double bolts on top.

The catalog that listed the NEW removable truss rods was from 1923. You are correct in that they would reprint the same information for a couple years. So the NEW feature listed in 1923 goes back to at least 1920, but not a feature of the 1918 lineup. I don't have a 1919, but Larmo63 has one so maybe he can confirm if the 1919 catalog has the NEW feature of removable truss rods.

I don't know think any of the ribbed forks ever had the fused truss rods.


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## Balloontyre (Feb 25, 2013)

*1917*

Chris, here is a more detailed drawing of the 1917 Ranger, notice the strut overlaying the fork, same shape as the 1915 color drawing just in better detail showing that the struts are separate.  Whatchya make of it?
Ivo

A fun photo of boy and bike also, 1920.


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## chitown (Feb 25, 2013)

1917 shows a solid crown. No triple plate as the 1915 looks to be. So yet another variation.


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## Balloontyre (Feb 25, 2013)

It's just difficult to make a determination based on drawings, what we need is some real steal photos.
Anyone reading this care to share a 1915/16 or any year Ranger that has a triple crown fork with integral rod ends at the dropout?


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## hoofhearted (Feb 25, 2013)

CHRIS .. IVO ... have been at play today ... toys ?? --  paint.net  ...... included as an attachment, are two Mead Ranger-Superbe Ads ... 
one of the ads is untouched ... the other ad is fantasy.  Just wanted to see what a different fork would look like in the Ranger -Superbe.

Have been enjoying this particular thread ... your investigation is to be applauded !!   Very Good Work !!! .... 

............ patric cafaro


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## chitown (Feb 25, 2013)

Patric,

Very nice touch with your font choice, it blends right in. Lyman Gould would have approved!


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## chitown (Feb 25, 2013)

*Heavy Duty Inspiration*


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## Balloontyre (Feb 26, 2013)

*TWO STYLES of Ribbed Truss Fork*

Here are 2 forks from Mead Ranger bikes, both are ribbed, triple top plates and Non-integral trusses. The fork that does not have the nickle rib is from a 1935 28" wheel bike, notice the profile of the rib is sharper, more pointed and obviously not plated. 


The other is from a 1920 Ranger bike, wider flatter rib in nickle, this fork is consistent with the catalog descriptions of the teens.


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## chitown (Feb 26, 2013)

*A market for truss forks is born on the velodrome!*


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## hoofhearted (Feb 27, 2013)

CHRIS  (Chitown) ... Here are some Davis, truss fork pics that i recently sent to IVO ... 

.............  patric


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## hoofhearted (Feb 28, 2013)

JUST A Few More DAYTON and Davis Truss Fork pics .....


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## Balloontyre (Feb 28, 2013)

Post #22 last 2 pics on right, these pics show the angle of truss (straight) what I believe is different from the drawings of the 1915 Mead. The drawing shows the truss end to have a little bump like the picture I provided earlier.

We REALLY just need a known mid teens Ranger motorbike fork foto that can confirm if the 2 forks were indeed the same. Really diggin the research, but i'm at an end.


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## wspeid (Mar 3, 2013)

*1917 Dayton truss by Davis*

Here's the fork off my Dayton.  The green is apparently the copper cyanide wash they used to prep for the nickel plating.


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## Larmo63 (Mar 3, 2013)

*From my 1919 catalogue*


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