1942 Harley-Davidson 45ci WLA

• Benefiting from a full sympathetic rebuild
• Engine and gearbox rebuilt by Damian Eggs of the Fortyfivers Motorcycle Club
• Registered with its original number

Although Harley-Davidson was no stranger to sidevalve ('flat head') engines, it did not apply this valve gear arrangement to a v-twin until the arrival of the all-new 45ci 'D' (standard) and 'DL' (high-compression) models in 1929. With the introduction of the Powerplus model in 1916, rivals Indian had demonstrated that a properly designed 'flat head' could produce all the power a road rider required, so it is perhaps surprising that Harley took so long to follow suit. One of the other advantages of this new engine was that it was cheaper to produce, enabling Harley to price the new 45ci (750cc) Model D at $290, and the 45's relative affordability would prove to be an important factor during the Depression years of the early 1930s.

Production of the '45' took off when the USA's entry into WW2 in December 1941 created an unprecedented demand for military motorcycles; around 90,000 of the WL (military) version rolling off the Milwaukee production lines before hostilities ceased. After rigorous testing in 1939, the US Army had ordered its first batch of WLs in March 1940, with further substantial orders of machines from South Africa and Great Britain following. These military Harleys benefited from the new aluminium cylinder heads fitted to the civilian version from 1939, and came with a full complement of equipment including D-shaped foot-boards, crash bars, skid plates, cargo racks and panniers. Designated WLA (Army) or WLC (Canadian-built), the Harley '45' saw action in just about every theatre of war. 'De-mobbed' Harley WLs helped meet the upsurge in demand for motorcycles in the immediate post-war years, doing much to establish the marque's reputation worldwide, while the civilian version remained a catalogued model until the end of 1951.

This '45' was purchased as a complete basket case at the beginning of last year from the sale of a deceased's estate. The estate informed the vendor that the Harley was dismantled at some point in the 1950s with a view to repainting it but for some reason this did not happen. The bike has since undergone a full sympathetic rebuild, the engine and gearbox being rebuilt by Damian Eggs of the Fortyfivers Motorcycle Club, while the full professional repaint was carried out by Skid Lidz of London. The original carburettor and generator were both fully rebuilt by a specialist. All the original parts that came with the machine were reused apart from the wiring loom, exhaust, tyres, seat, headlight, air cleaner and battery box. All new parts fitted are the best reproductions available. The Harley is registered with its original number.
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