Concours restored
1942 Harley Davidson 45ci WLA
Frame no. 42WLA54583
Engine no. 42WLA54583

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. Production of the '45' really 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 would roll off the Milwaukee production lines before hostilities ceased. 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. The civilian version remained a catalogued model until the end of 1951.
This civilianised and customised '45' has been fully restored by Motos Antiguas Retrocycle HD in Membrilla, Spain. The bike is sold strictly on a bill of sale with no original registration documents.