Museum: WLA with missing serial number

[Meggo330]

Hello,

I work at a military museum and we currently have a WLA on loan to us. The owner would like to sell it to the museum, and I am currently researching the vehicles and their values.

This particular motorcycle is missing its 42WLA##### serial number (see picture). Considering it was a Russian lend-lease, this seems odd to me. The circumstances under which the motorcycle was first acquired by a German citizen in 1945 weren't necessarily "by the book" so I'm wondering if maybe the original owner filed off the numbers in order to avoid accusations of theft and/or having to return it. I think there's also a possibility the engine could have been replaced at some time with a surplus WLA engine, since it appears those generally weren't stamped with a number.

Regardless of why the serial number is missing, I am wondering how severely this issue impacts the value of the motorcycle? The currently owner is asking over $20,000. (Note: the motorcycle has since been appropriately titled by the current owner)

If anyone has any resources for determining the value of WLAs, and how the missing serial number might impact that value, I would greatly appreciate it!

[chibobber]

The serial # boss is untouched. Replacement engine or case. The #'s stamped are non H-D, meaning unknown.

[jeep-a-holic]

That engine is a replace or and never had a number on it. What is stamped there was done post war to satisfy local registration laws.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[tomasz]

How do you know it's a lend lease motorcycle?

[OLDABEWLA]

It's hard to tell if its a lend lease? The belly numbers should be stamped on bottom side of the cases with the year and a production number when case were mated up together and the should match from side to side?
Some lend lease have custom or home made parts on them from Russia to keep them running after the cold war.
As for a value all depend how much of it is original? With original parts? Repro parts? $15,000-$40,000 some high
end WLA's sold for up wards $46,000 with all original parts restored nos and nos leather seat, bags and scabbard.
Craig

[82ndrecontbp]

ChiBob and Jeep are correct - Those numbers are not WW2 Harley style(font), size, sequence, or placement.
It would be next to impossible to delete numbers and have the surface remain as yours appears.

If the bike runs (or isnt sitting with ruined cases/jugs/cylinders), At $20ish it's a good deal. Buy it.
Even without starting it, if the bike shifts gears, rolls freely, and kicks freely, its likely fixable.

The backstory has a lot of holes in it. among the holes, No bikes were sent to Russia without engine numbers. The many un-numbered motors that harley made were NOT put into the military (or lend-lease) inventories. These were excess and sold off well after the war. This is well documented by Harley.
Unless you can prove it, its just a story. Stories dont add value.

[Darth_Kitten]

My bike was a Russian return as well. It had not been restored so it had the tell tale russian modifications still in place.
It also had a blank boss engine that had been restamped. I suspect that when a motor went bad, crazy Ivan just pulled a new one out of the lend lease crate and slapped some numbers on case.

[tomasz]

Having experience with leftover lend lease
I'm afraid it's mostly a replica but you have to show more photos in detail

[Lib45]

As others already mention; how can you tell it's ex-Red Army?
Almost all LL-bikes that went to Russia got;

- 19" IMZ/Ural rims, so they didn't have to have two sets of tires (as in 18" for the Harleys and 741's, and 19" for their IMZ's)

- a rig (M72).
Again; not all, but most did.
The singleloop frame of the WLA, not to mention its motor, weren't really up to that job.
Result; rappid worn engines and bend frames.

- a pilionseat which was drilled and mounted directly onto the luggagerack.

So IF the bike is ex-Russia, you should find effidence; 19" rims, bend frame and/or drilled rack.

My type VII was ex-Russia and had all three tell-tails...luckily still its original motor but heavily worn.

As for the replacement motor; the casenumbers on the bottom can tell something about the motor's 'birth', but earlier bikes with late (replacement)engines do excist..

[82ndrecontbp]

[quote=Darth_Kitten post_id=1866282 time=1607811462 user_id=2349]
My bike was a Russian return as well. It had not been restored so it had the tell tale russian modifications still in place.
It also had a blank boss engine that had been restamped. I suspect that when a motor went bad, crazy Ivan just pulled a new one out of the lend lease crate and slapped some numbers on case.
[/quote]

Again, NO lend lease motors were blank (not printed with serial numbers).
Any Soviet replacement or re-number would have to ground down first. or have a second set of numbers in with the first.

[Darth_Kitten]

I'm sure when it was originally issued, yes it had a serial number. The crate motors were blank boss though and in my case the motor had been replaced at some time in it's life and stamped with numbers other than WLAxxx. I would assume it occurred sometime during it's soviet service

My bike was a Russian return as well. It had not been restored so it had the tell tale russian modifications still in place.
It also had a blank boss engine that had been restamped. I suspect that when a motor went bad, crazy Ivan just pulled a new one out of the lend lease crate and slapped some numbers on case.

Again, NO lend lease motors were blank (not printed with serial numbers).
Any Soviet replacement or re-number would have to ground down first. or have a second set of numbers in with the first.