1920's Davis Sewing machine co.(Huffman/Shelby) in Cerulean Blue possible Yale or Speedway Special

[The Professor]

So to answer the Standard badge q, The Standard badge does look ok from a distance, however it was glued on because the holes are way off, and it's been hole punched vertical and horizontal. I can't glue a badge on a bike. that's not me. on a bike like this I'd like to have a correct badge.
The only substitute would be something along the lines of a Faust Hardware, Dockery Mississippi badge. To go with the crossroads theme.

 

[The Professor]

Thank you Tommy and Hoofheart. I had originally thought this bike was a Westfield based on the chainring, now I suspect it's a replacement, as well as some other components. I'm positive the paint is original, if you look at the early Yale motorcycles, they are this same bright cerulean blue.
It does appear that this bike has had a refurbish at some point where the seat, chainring and possibly handlebars have been swapped for Westfield components, chrome or nickel painted silver, then the accents were 're whitend and slightly extended and a standard badge was glued on.
I'm positive it's a Davis frame and fork, I'm shocked at how similar the white accents are to Shelby... so I'm onboard with the possibility this is a Davis or a Shelby. I just wonder which or what year...?

 

[The Professor]

Golden Indian, it's looking like your onto it!
I know my Shelby has vertical holes. so does this bike...
My frame size is 19 from mid bb to top of seattube.
Headtube is 5 1/2 without cups, almost 6 1/4 with cups.
My backbone is 23 inches mid. to mid. so 22 edge to edge.

 

[The Professor]

I believe the Napoleons tank opening was way narrower... at least mine was. Mine had this fork also.
http://thecabe.com/forum/threads/1915-napoleon-project.64331/

Don't quote me, but I believe your frame us different because of the year. a 1915 is a lot different from a 1918 i think. the 1918 i saw was very different.

 

[The Professor]

So I continued to search the web and found that the Harley Davidson bicycle advertising, boasts a bike just like mine. we determined mine has the hd fork only offered the Harley Davidson.
We know a later (22,23) frame would have the front frame lugging based on Huffman s patents mine does not.
Huffman is actually the designer, while Davis is the manufacturer until the Shelby tooling purchases.
In the second pic is an excerpt from rusty spokes saying that the hd line was produced from 1917-22 and they were discontinued due to low sales.
In the third pic we have someone saying they thought that Shelby actually bought overstock of bicycles, with the Davis tooling and then sold those bikes off to recoop some cash.
My bike is clearly all Davis built, minus the refurb add ons. mine is clearly painted like a Shelby with vertical badge holes like earlier Davis built frames...
Is it possible that my bike is an earlier (1918-22) intended to be produced as a Harley Davidson, but painted and badged as a Yale in 23 when Shelby bought everything?

 

[The Professor]

Hoofhearted, I wanted to thank you (so here goes...THANK YOU!!!) as I have been scouring the threads and finding out most of my information from your threads. whenever you are up and running again I would love to see and hear any other information you have on this bike or any of the details I'm missing. (Would I have had the barrels on my tensioners, white pedal blocks, etc?) And I am still very open to further examination of this bike. I am curious if it is considered a Shelby bike and if anyone has any old advertising for this I'd love to see it.

 

[Scraplord]

I think my bike might be a Davis as well. I would appreciate any info:

 

[Archie Sturmer]

I think my bike might be a Davis as well. I would appreciate any info:

I thought that the concensous was Schwinn with (out) winged badge and Westfield double-D drive chain ring (not Emblematic).

 

[hoofhearted]

...... What is remarkable here, is the growing number
of CABErs who are bothering to learn and remember
all those little ''Davis things''. Each of you is doing a
great job !! Years ago, can remember telling my junior-
high art classes, ''I hope to get you to a point where
you become MY teacher ... and I become Your Student.''
Am very happy for your scholarly growth.

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

@The Professor ... Your machine has the Shelby-Built
format for Serial Numbers. Also has the Shelby Style half-inch dropside fenders.

 

[hoofhearted]

The fork is 100% Davis. The teens 1915-1917 Davis frame architecture has a real "raked" out fork alinement. Maybe pis is bad but the architecture of the frame seems wrong to be 1916. Check out my 1916 Hearsay Special. The 1918 frame style without the rake has a tighter "tank" space. Different still. Like you... I am kinda stumped. Nice early fork, would work well on a chief. Thanks for sharing. Jury is still out.....Paint is not original

@Goldenindian ... Glenn ... The Professor's ride has a DAYTON / YALE frame ...

It does NOT have the more-frequently seen DAVIS frame.

1914 DAYTON MOTORBIKE ...