From:Tom Wilcock e-mail:twilcock@hotmail.ca
Subject:RE: RE: RE: RE: Too Many 1931 KJs ??? Date:Sun Mar 2 07:08:03 2014
Response to:5040
Years ago I noticed on one 1931 engine upper case,a cast-in-boss in the corner of the base flange and timing cover flange to accept the timing cover screw that comes through the timing flange at that point. I don't remember the number on this case but could possibly find out. Sometimes, on earlier cases I have noticed this screw coming through half way into the vertical side of the crankcase. The addition of this boss required a pattern modification. I have noticed this change on only one other case since.

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I purchased KJ36100 about two years ago. I titled and insured it as a 1931
model, because that was how it had been previously titled.
My bike has been restored, and unfortunately, it has non matching case
numbers.
The upper case number is KJ36100, and I don't recall the lower case
number off hand. I'm sure that since the upper case number is the latest
and easiest to read, that is why the bike has always been registered as a
1931 model.
My bike has the later pancake type horn and the larger type Motolamp, so it
looks like a 31, even if it may or may not actually be one.

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KL35143 is a good example since it is a bike with a well known history.
The Summer 1997 AMCA magazine had an article by Steve Blanchard
about John Scharle and his lifelong affair with Hendersons. It talks about
KL35143 and calls it a 1930. Presumably that model year is based on
Scharle's notes since Steve had access to some of them while researching
the article. As you note, when Doc Cleveland owned it, it was also listed as
a 1930.
We have to ignore the top case's casting date since it was an NOS case
Scharle used when he rebuilt it and therefore not original to the bike. In all
likelihood the original top case would have had an early March casting date
(perhaps the 5th or 6th, as top cases with near serial numbers were cast on
both those days). The bottom case however is original to that bike and has
a 2-8-30 casting date. February 8th 1930. Given these dates, I think it's
safe to say it was well out the factory doors before the 1931 models were
being built.
I have top case KJ36196 here with an 8-11-30 casting date (August 11th).
Who knows when it was a finished bike and left the factory, but arguably it
was likely a 1930 model too, since it seems the 1931 model year may have
started as late as January 1931. Hence my suggestion that 36000 should
be considered the minimum and that 36200 (or even 36300) may be an
even better line between 30 and 31 ... Perry

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My KL is 35143. My father had it registered as a 1931. I have a copy of the
old Excelsior-Henderson roster from the 80's (I think) which list Doc
Cleveland as the owner of KL35143 and identifying the bike as a 1930, go
figure. Casting date on the cases is early-ish 1930.

I have photos of the bike taken by John Scharle after buying it used in the
19030's showing the large headlight, DU-7 generator, and brake pulling
from the top. Was everything rolling changes? I can't imagine with the
depression setting in they would throw out old parts to use "new" stuff only.

I bet Perry is right about 36000 being a better cut-off point. Based on
Dave's observation alone the number of bikes left doesn't add
up,considering 1930 was a full production year whereas production was
ceased in the spring of 1931.

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It seems that an inordinate amount of 1931 KJs still exist.

There seem to be a lot of 1929's, and a lot of 1931's out there, but not too
many 1930's.

Could Ballak's serial number list be wrong? They show

1929 - s/n 28000 (between 4000 and 5000 bikes)
1930 - s/n 33000 (between 1000 and 2000 bikes)
1931 - s/n 35000 (unknown when they stopped, but the highest serial
number I've seen is 36862)

Does anyone have a bike with serial number 35xxx or 36xxx that has a title
that says 1930?

It just seems odd that so few 1930's have survived.

Dave