Did Harley make reserve drop seat frames?

[Norrimichlson]

So I'm kind of the drop seat frame guy it seams, because I have yet another question regarding those frames. Some time ago I saw something on ebay. A dude that sold an original drop seat frame he claimed was some sort of never used reserve frame.
I asked him about the number letter code on the top motor mount and it said ''A7'' so either it was made '57 or '67. I honestly think its genuine so what do you think or know about this?

Did harley make frames they never used as some sort of reserve or is it just a tiptop pre-manifactured one?

[JBinNC]

It would not be a '57, too early in the year, in my opinion. It could be a replacement frame made in '67. But most likely it is a later frame that has been modified to the DuoGlide style.

Jim

[Tattooo]

Come on guys look at your books........... 57 was a rigid not a swing arm frame..........

[JBinNC]

Come on guys look at your books........... 57 was a rigid not a swing arm frame..........

They started producing the new model year bikes probably around July or August, for fall introduction just like the car manufacturers. So a frame with an F or G code, with a 7, could be an early production '58 model. But the A7 puts it in January '57, so as I said, too early in the year for a '58 frame, in my opinion.

Jim

[Tattooo]

They started producing the new model year bikes probably around July or August, for fall introduction just like the car manufacturers. So a frame with an F or G code, with a 7, could be an early production '58 model. But the A7 puts it in January '57, so as I said, too early in the year for a '58 frame, in my opinion.

Jim

But you never mentioned a rigid frame...... That changes everything........ 57's were rigid period...........
Find some documentation and I might believe it but I have never seen any...........

[MOTher]

I agree with JBinNC. They would have produced model year 1958 frames in calendar year 1957, and if they started putting bikes together in July/August the frame shop would have had some frames ready to go by then, but I still think January of '57 in too early for model year '58 frames.

In Palmer's book, volume 2, there's a couple of pages describing the various drop link frames and how to differentiate them besides the date code. Mostly forging marks. If you have the book and can inspect the frame, that would tell you for sure. Palmer also said they continued to produce that frame as a replacement part for several years, with forging marks that could tell you when, besides the date code.

[Tattooo]

I agree with JBinNC. They would have produced model year 1958 frames in calendar year 1957, and if they started putting bikes together in July/August the frame shop would have had some frames ready to go by then.

Yep could be and if?
I have never seen any documentation to back that up.
The OP original question was just in case people have forgot was {I asked him about the number letter code on the top motor mount and it said ''A7'' so either it was made '57 or '67.} So it can't be a 57 because it's to early for sure and it's not a rigid so it's a 67 plain and simple. End of story.