Beehive tail light

[Erdos]

I found the other thread about the bulb height but no answer was given Jerry said he had read something somewhere but it was packed away. Could the bulb position be an early/late thing or is it definitely a Solo/Servicar thing. On another note I see in the picture that Chris posted the light has no gaskets. Is that a early thing or is that one of his prototype photos?

[IRONWOOD]

Well the tail light matched up perfect with a tail light from a bike not a servicar...so i am calling it that ...thanks for all your input
Ron

[Jerry Wieland]

I believe that the bulb position is a year thing and not servicar/solo bike. If I remember right it is announced in the 1942 Introductory Literature. Jerry

[Erdos]

Thanks for the info Jerry. Do you have any info on my gasket question? The picture Chris posted has no gaskets around the lenses. Do you know when the gaskets were used or not used?

[Chris Haynes]

Starting to sound like a hornet's nest...What did Harley Davidson call it?? Besides a tail light.....

Harley called the 1934-1938 tail lamp The Beehive. The new lamp announced in 1939 was simply called The Streamlined New Tail Light..

[oldsouthmcy]

Thanks for the info Jerry. Do you have any info on my gasket question? The picture Chris posted has no gaskets around the lenses. Do you know when the gaskets were used or not used?

All 1939-1946 tail lamps use gaskets for the glass but there are two distinctly different types of gaskets. The 1939-1941 gaskets are thin strips of rubber about the thickness of a bicycle tube. They are inserted between the glass and the body.

1942-1946 tail lamps use (as quoted from the 1942 Dealer's announcement bulletin) "a new rubber seal [that] overlaps the outside and inside of the housings for the red and white lenses of the tail light. Entrance of both dust and water is thus prevented."