1941 Model "WR" First Sales & Delivery Dates????

[HarleyCreation]

Guys:

There is important new information about experimental "WR" engines that has never been seen in print before and that I plan to reveal in a story that I am working on.

To help prove this information is correct, we need to verify the introduction date of the 1941 45 cu. in. "WR" racing model. Does anyone have original period evidence of when the 41-WR model was first available for sale and/or delivery?

The regular 1941 road models were introduced in the September 1940 issue of the Enthusiast magazine. However, there is no mention in that article about the WR model. Nor any mention of the WR in the spiral bound "1941 Harley-Davidson Motorcycles" dealers' book that I just happen to own. That could be because as a competition model the WR was not listed with the regular road models, or because it was not yet available for sale or delivery when these publications were issued.

Just when was the 41-WR first made available for sale and delivery? Does anyone have this information from a period invoice, order blank, letter or anything else? It will really help to know this in order to answer some very controversial and long standing questions and mysteries about experimental WR engines and so-called "cheater" motors.

This is very good stuff and no mistake!

Thanks,
Herb Wagner

[c.o.]

Ahh... so the hunt is on! Great stuff!!! This fellow may have some info... http://www.antiquemotorcycle.org/bbo...R-restoration&

[Hollywood]

Herb,
I sent you a message regarding this topic. It may or may not help.
Jeff

[HarleyCreation]

I think we can figure this out pretty well.

From period info, Walter C. Davidson talks about their "new 1941 job" at Daytona in Feb. of 1941. The "new 1941 job" can only be the 41-WR.

From the BOS website I obtained the following 41-WR VINs and have made a few notes on them. From this we can deduce first delivery dates.

41WR-2207 (Mark Austin, Australia)
Notice how there is one 2000 range number.

Numbers then jump into the 4000 range:

41WR-4527 (1949 Race Program)

41WR-4532
Note that this one was sold to dealer Harry Molenaar. The order was placed on Dec. 31, 1940, and the bike was SHIPPED from the factory on Jan. 24, 1941. Since other 4000 and up numbers exist, this seems to nail down when regular production began. These 4500 range 41-WRs could have been ready for Daytona in Feb. 1941. In a letter dated Feb. 6, 1941, Walter D. says he is LEAVING for Daytona on Feb. 8, just a few days after 41WR-4532 was shipped. 41WR-4527 and 41WR-4534 would be other candidates for the 1941 Daytona races.

41WR-4534
BOS says sold by H. Molenaar and maybe it was, but I found this:

41WR-4534 in 1941 Wis. Regs. #3129 says that Bernie & Vernon Gessler, Milwaukee (Class C racers) owned it, and they would have bought the bike from Bill Knuth and not Molenaar. I know Bernie Gessler ran at Daytona in 1940, but I'm not sure about 1941. I wonder if 41WR-4534 in BOS should actually be 41WR-4532 as above?

41WR-4701 (Dale Walkster bike)

41WR-5048 (Eric J. Mathieu, France)

41WR-6600 (Dale Walkster bike)

41WR-6601 (Jo Gosson, engine only)

41WR-7335 (John Ramsey, NOT ball-bearing, believed to be spare motor for original motor)

41WR-7656 (1949 Race Program)

41WR-7666 (Known to exist, called "The Beast")

41WR-7695 ('43/143) Al Lepsch, Fond du Lac

41WR-9707 (David Monahan, USA, was Henry Reiman's hillclimber)

It looks to me that regular 41-WR production started up in late Jan. of 1941 just before Daytona. But that at least one lower number example was produced before that time and possibly more. But since in 1941 both army and civilian bike VINs were run together, the jump from 2000 range to 4000 range motor numbers might have happened over a short time span. The Jan. 24, 1941, ship date for 41WR-4532, however, is solid and can be relied upon.