1942 Harley-Davidson 45 Flathead (1929-1975)

This 1942 Harley-Davidson WLA is said to have been refurbished by David Sarafan Inc. of Lake Worth, Florida, in a project that was completed in April 2021. Work performed during the refurbishment included refinishing the body, frame, and wheels in Olive Drab paint as well as overhauling the 45ci flathead V-twin, three-speed transmission, primary drive, and carburetor and replacing the tires. Equipment includes a sprung solo saddle, a clear windshield, gun scabbards, an ammunition box, a skid plate, saddlebags, a luggage rack, a tire pump, a replica Thompson submachine gun, and a helmet. This WLA “Liberator” was listed on BaT in October 2022 and is now offered at no reserve by the selling dealer in Florida with a clean Alaska title. The bike is finished in Olive Drab paint and features a leather saddle, a high-mounted front fender, a headlight, a taillight, front and rear spotlights, an engine guard, a windshield with a canvas apron, leather handgun and machine-gun scabbards, a rear luggage rack, and both rear and side stands. Wire-spoke 18″ wheels with painted rims, replacement spokes, and rebuilt hubs are wrapped in Coker Classic diamond-tread tires. Braking is from overhauled drums at both ends. Suspension consists of a springer fork with ride control as well as a spring in the saddle post. A color-matched cateye dash housing a 120-mph Harley-Davidson-branded speedometer and an ignition switch sits on top of the fuel tank. The painted handlebar is equipped with a twist-grip spark advance on the left and a front brake lever and a twist-grip throttle on the right. The grips as well as the throttle and spark-advance cables have been replaced. The five-digit odometer shows five miles, a handful of which have been ridden by the selling dealer. True mileage is unknown. The 45ci flathead V-twin was overhauled with replacement pistons, rings, connecting rods, shafts, and a flywheel, and additional work included balancing and trueing the rotating assembly. The engine breathes through a replacement two-into-one exhaust system with a fishtail muffler and a Linkert M88 carburetor that was rebuilt with a replacement high-speed adjustable needle, a vented venturi sleeve, and a rectangular oil bath air cleaner. The bike is titled by the number 42WLA64698 stamped on the left-side engine case. Power is sent to the rear wheel through a hand-shifted three-speed transmission with a rocker foot clutch on the left. The drive chain, chain guard, and rear chain adjuster were replaced, and the transmission was overhauled by Max V-Twin in Rock Hill, New York.