Once you start looking around a little you come across more and more amazing work being done by individual builders. One good example is Mike Hanlon of El Paso, Texas who has a company called Mean Street Products building and selling parts and accessories for custom bikes. But Mike also has this fascination for old motorcycles and he just happens to be a master machinist and mold maker. Looking at old motorcycles he had an appreciation for the parts that went into their construction and thought he would like to reproduce some of them, perhaps helping owners restore their old machines. One specific bike that caught his eye was the 1910 Harley Davidson, and after looking things over, began working on the cylinder head creating the mold, getting the casting just right and finally producing brand new heads for the old engines.
Well, once he had the head finished the rest of the engine seemed like a logical extension to the project and Mike began thinking he could reproduce that, too. Once things got rolling he kept thinking why stop with the engine? Well, you know the answer to that is, don’t stop, just keep going until you reproduce the whole bike.
Mike got in contact with Fred Lange, a restorer of these vintage machines and Fred loaned Mike the original parts one by one so he could begin the process of recreating the pieces. The end result is what you see here, completely accurate recreations of the original motorcycles that run exactly like the motorcycle you would have purchased back in 1910. If you have always wanted one of these early bikes but there was no way you could afford one of the very rare originals, Mike has just what you need.
Timeless Motor Company will sell you one of these reproductions in either street bike or board track form. Mike says the street bike is $10,995 and the board tracker is $9995, prices which I think are pretty darn good considering what went into the tooling and construction. These are like the Vincent I wrote about a little while ago, keep making parts until you make the whole motorcycle. I have a hunch it won’t be long before almost all of the early desirable bikes can be bought again, brand new.
Check out Timeless Motor Company for details on these vintage reproductions. If you like what you see, give Mike a call.
More photos and link below:
Link: Timeless Motor Company
Spaceweasel says
Under 10 grand?!? I have no idea how they manage that. The craftsmanship looks amazing. I’ll take a board tracker in red and gold, please!
Mark Savory says
Bravo! Can I get one with Cyclone inspired frame / bodywork please? Or what is the availability of the engine package itself for custom projects?
Bob Horn says
Why H-D hasn’t, among other things, taken the Buell Blast engine and done a cheap neo-boardtracker/”peashooter”, is beyond me.
todd says
Are they infringing on any H-D intellectual property? I think if this was engineered and built over-seas (say, China) there would be some law suits. Maybe Harley no longer holds any rights on older models. Actually at the prices quoted these things probably source major components off-shore.
Don’t get me wrong, I like the bike and the ability of some people to copy parts and sell them when they were no longer available is a valuable service.
Is CARB going to slap a $270,000 fine on them?
-todd
chris says
hey, where’d he get the tires and belt?
Sean says
Crazy belt, but if you’re into things from the teens and roaring twenties this looks to be awesome. With modern fuels and modern building techniques, something tells me this will turn out to be a cut above the original, too.
Bryce says
That’s simply amazing. I can’t see how they’re building them for that price, but I’m impressed.
Dane McCray says
that thing is aswome to behold, I will take one just to look at in my office. I mean look at all the thinking that went into just reproducing it, not to mention the orginal machanics that went into it. Ohh and on the H-D having a fit with it they most likey won’t becuase the rights to them are so old that more then likely they are open to the public now. I would love to have one of these in a board tracker setup but mixed with street so that I can ride it on the street 🙂
Prester John says
“Is CARB going to slap a $270,000 fine on them?”
Timeless clearly specifies on their web site the bikes are NOT street legal.
Tom
todd says
Actually it might pass easily for street legal; pedals that operate the rear wheel, direct drive, 2HP…
It’s a moped.
-todd
Sean says
Good god todd, so it is. Legally, at least.
MIKE HANLON says
HI GANG, THIS IS MIKE AT TIMELESS. THESE BIKES WERE A TRUE LABOR OF LOVE TO REPRODUCE AND WERE KEPT TRUE TO THE ORIGINAL DESIGN. ON OUR WEBSITE IT STATES THAT THIS BIKE IS FOR COLLECTOR USE ONLY. THERE IS NO WAY THAT A COMPANY CAN MAKE A 1910 TECHNOLOGY BIKE AND HAVE MODERN LIABILITY INSURANCE TO COVER EVERYTHING THAT COULD HAPPEN ON MODERN ROADS. ( FORGET CARB GUYS ) THIS IS A FUNCTIONAL BIKE TO THAT ERA’S SPECS. OUR TARGET MARKET IS TO SELL TO THE PERSON THAT DREAMS OF A $60,000 AUCTION BIKE AND CANT AFFORD IT. ( A PASSION TOY )
Rob Hensley says
I understand what Timeless is sayiing, this is really a rolling piece of art! If you bought a bike of this era at auction, the idea isn’t to go out riding around. This is a bike for your office, bar or business lobby, to be admired. This is a collectible.
todd says
If I paid $10,000 for a motorcycle, I’d want to ride it.
-todd
steve dorste says
I just received my Timeless on Dec.26 and it is a sight to behold!!!
Steve
Den Haggerty says
Hi Mike , Your bike is truely art work at its best ,and it comes alive . To acomplish it is true engineering at its best. Great stuff guy. I’m an old M E Engineer ,product and mold designer 40 years of it, TF/Drag Racer,TF Mud Racer ,Hot Roder & Builder and Biker . Thanks Den
Rob Welch says
Hello world,
I have one of Mike’s bikes and it is so perfect! The only item I cannot find is the proper canvas mud flap that was put on some bikes. If anyone can help me, please e-mail me. Thanks…Rob
Tom says
He can probably keep the price down because he isn’t a freakin union! This is exactly what America needs mire of , WORKERS ! Great Job , my hat is off to you!
Mike says
Hi,my name is mike and i live in England,i would like to purchase one of your repro bikes.could you give a price including shipping in pounds sterling please.
best of luck,Mike.
desmodue says
It’s so freaking cool, I want one and probably would try to ride it, at least until I was ticketed. It does not fall into the moped legality, due to the displacement. Peddles? Yes. Under 2 hp? Yes. 49cc Maximum? No. I live in a small town, I’m thinking the thing is so cool, I would probably get stopped by the cops…but just because they wanted to see it. I’d have to have to get the tank hand lettered with the classic H-D logo of the day. As long as I wasn’t trying to sell it as an original, who cares, it looks good enough to represent the real thing. Come to think of it, isn’t this exactly how the first bikes were made? One or two man shops, doing almost everything themselves.
RP Reid says
I have one of these and they are magnificent. I kitted mine out with original lamps, Klaxon, under-seat pouch, repro mud flap and am working on a short run of luggage racks for a friend and myself. These run like gangbusters. If you are into brass-era vehicles, these are simple to ride and enjoy. Some states are a pain to register reproductions/kits (MA and FL come to mind), but in VT, it’s a piece of cake. I don’t know how long the production will keep up, so if you have any idea you want one, buy one now… someday you will wish you had one.