# Davis built project!



## rustyspoke66 (Aug 30, 2015)

Just picked this up a few days ago. Very solid, straight, with a few dings and no rot. Does one build a Harley? Has the exact frame and fork features as many Harley's I've seen on the net. Oh and this did not have a badge but has hole spacing of 2-1/16"


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## rustyspoke66 (Aug 30, 2015)

Oh, and it looks like about 2" of the front of the front fender is missing.


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## hoofhearted (Aug 31, 2015)

*1918*

Also .. top nut  AND yoke on upper termination
of truss rods are not factory.


........ patric


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## tommydale1950 (Aug 31, 2015)

Is Davis the only manufacturer that stamped the year separate from the rest of the serial number ?


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## hoofhearted (Aug 31, 2015)

tommydale1950 said:


> Is Davis the only manufacturer that stamped the year separate from the rest of the serial number ?






*Good morning, Tom ....

I really don't know enuff about the other manufacturers
to answer that question.  But i do know that for at least
the period 1912 thru 1922 Davis was pretty consistent
in the manner of crankcase stamping -- as seen in my 
foto-illustration.

However, the YEAR of MANUFACTURE is not always indicated.*


........ patric


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## rustyspoke66 (Aug 31, 2015)

Actually the top plate just needs a adjustment but is correct. Agreed the nut on top is not the usual style. Still I'm wondering what other badges may have been on this bike? It's not a Dayton or a Chief.


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## hoofhearted (Aug 31, 2015)

rustyspoke66 said:


> ..... I'm wondering what other badges may have been on this bike? It's not a Dayton or a Chief.





*With no regard for screw-hole placement on your 1918 machine ...
and, considering only the motorbike model .......*



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


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## Goldenindian (Aug 31, 2015)

Side Holes!!!!!

I know this is probably the wrong place to bring this up, but I have never seen so many motobike Davis badges. I have a Davis with side holes. I see a lot of top and bottom and bottle cap badges but never any side holes. Have kept my eyes open for a while now,but to no avail. Hoofhearted please let me know. I also know that it could be a hardware brand, and I would be fine with that as long as it was on a Davis motorbike, and has side holes. Let me know thanks.


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## rustyspoke66 (Aug 31, 2015)

Nice badge show!! Mine has vertical spacing at 2-1/16" center to center. I checked the Napoleon and the spacing looked to be 2-7/8". Seems like most or all the Elgin pics I could find from the era were bottle cap style. I honestly would like to know if it is a reasonable quest to build a Harley?


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## mike j (Sep 1, 2015)

Sounds reasonable to me.


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## hoofhearted (Sep 1, 2015)

Goldenindian said:


> Side Holes!!!!!
> 
> I know this is probably the wrong place to bring this up, but I have never seen so many motobike Davis badges. I have a Davis with side holes. *I see a lot of top and bottom and bottle cap badges but never any side holes. Have kept my eyes open for a while now,but to no avail.* Hoofhearted please let me know. I also know that it could be a hardware brand, and I would be fine with that as long as it was on a Davis motorbike, and has side holes. Let me know thanks.






*Goldenindian ... the illusive side-hole Davis badge continues
to tug at the strings of my venetian blinds.  Seems those blinds
may be forever closed when the chosen view is either Davis ..
or Davis-Built for Sears and Roebuck. 

Having observed very few side-hole Davis machines -- it may be 
rather presumptive of this typer to proclaim that they are in the 
same category as the Yeti.  But i believe them to be just that.

Hardware brand ... that's the ticket.

The DSM Co. did produce a side-hole badge for a while ... 
see examples below ............*


.......... patric




















*Solid Casting  ^^^*







*Solid Casting ^^^*


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## hoofhearted (Sep 1, 2015)

rustyspoke66 said:


> ......  I honestly would like to know if it is a reasonable quest to build a Harley?





*Not only reasonable, but do-able as well.  *

Go -- Big-Daddy ... !!



........ patric


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## chitown (Sep 1, 2015)

rustyspoke66 said:


> Still I'm wondering what other badges may have been on this bike? It's not a Dayton or a Chief.




Could be a *1918 Wards DeLuxe Stream Line Motobike*! Sadly, I don't have a 1918 Wards DeLuxe Stream Line Motobike badge example to compare to. Just this catalog snapshot of a Davis built Wards. It would be the baddest Ward's on the planet if the holes would only line up... queue the badge collectors input... NOW!





referenced here with a full Davis line: http://thecabe.com/vbulletin/showth...bikes-and-Mont-Wards-quot-De-Luxe-quot/page12


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## Goldenindian (Sep 1, 2015)

Thanks Hoofhearted. Hardware, it must be. The side holes on my 1919 Davis motobike are straight acrossed not kicked. It is a mystery.
(its the last bike posted to "show me your Davis frame thread.")


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## hoofhearted (Sep 1, 2015)

Goldenindian said:


> Thanks Hoofhearted. Hardware, it must be. *The side holes on my 1919 Davis motobike are straight acrossed not kicked. It is a mystery.
> (its the last bike posted to "show me your Davis frame thread.")*


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## rustyspoke66 (Sep 2, 2015)

Wow that Hawthorne is really close! Looks like it's time to build a Harley.


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## hoofhearted (Sep 3, 2015)

rustyspoke66 said:


> *Looks like it's time to build a Harley.*






*Go For The Throat !!*



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


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## chitown (Sep 3, 2015)

hoofhearted said:


> Go For The Throat


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## Balloontyre (Sep 3, 2015)

rustyspoke66 said:


> Nice badge show!! Mine has vertical spacing at 2-1/16" center to center. I checked the Napoleon and the spacing looked to be 2-7/8". Seems like most or all the Elgin pics I could find from the era were bottle cap style. I honestly would like to know if it is a reasonable quest to build a Harley?




Dude man dude, are the fenders 1" deep ?


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## hoofhearted (Sep 3, 2015)

chitown said:


>


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## rustyspoke66 (Sep 3, 2015)

Balloontyre said:


> Dude man dude, are the fenders 1" deep ?




Yep they are 1" deep and solid as a old Buick. I look forward to working on some real steal.


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## chitown (Sep 4, 2015)

rustyspoke66 said:


> Yep they are 1" deep and solid as a old Buick.


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