starcain wrote:I'm pretty sure that used to be Erik Hoopes tank. Sold on ebay a few tears ago.
Yes, it was Erik Hoopes' tank. I'm finishing up the Technical : Nameplates and Transfers page, which I'll upload later today or tomorrow, and I remembered that Erik had sent me a photo of his tank years ago. I had forgotten about it, and just dug it out yesterday. It belongs on the Technical : Gas Tanks page, which only covers the XLCH tanks. So far.
Yes, the top of the tank is K-model, and the bottom of the tank is Sportster -
almost. K-models have the carburator on the left side of the bike, and the petcock is in the left rear of the tank. Sportsters have the carburator on the right side of the bike, and the petcock is on the right front of the tank. Look again at the bottom of this tank - the petcock hole is on the LEFT REAR.
There
IS some documentation of this tank! Look in the 1957 Spare Parts Catalog, and you will find the metal gas tank connecting line, 62355-52 listed for "52 to Late 56 - All K models", and the 62355-56 listed for "Late 56-Model KH, 57 Sportster". So we know that they were definitely produced in late model year 1958.
My theory is that late in model year 1956, Harley simply ran out of KH tanks, and produced a short run of these bastard tanks, as they had already started stamping the Sportster tank bottoms (at least), and it was easy enough to relocate the petcock hole. They probably made enough to finish out the model year, and some for spare parts. Did they subsequently continue to make these in quantity for "spare parts"? Probably not, as we've only seen or heard of two of them. But we'll never know for sure.
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On a slightly different subject, the 1957 and early 1958 Sportsters used a 62375-57 "Gas line to carburator elbow". I remember hearing something about early Sportster air cleaners interfering with the petcocks, and the petcock location or angle being subsequently changed. Unfortunately, my little grey cells are starting to wear out. Anyone know anything about this?