As mentioned in part one of this blog – “Let me think about it“, my heart skipped a beat when the Bangers & Cash production team contacted me to say they wanted me to restore a 1947 Harley Davidson WLA. For my entire career, the WLA has been the one bike I have lusted after and coveted but I have never been able to get my spanners on one. This is mainly due to the rarity of them and their specialist nature. WLA owners generally either do their own maintenance or stick to classic Harley specialists to undertake any work required.
I want to give you the background to explain what is so special about a Harley Davidson WLA, why the Harley Davidson WLA is so important to me and why it should be important to us all as motorcyclists. Let’s look first at the model name “WLA”.
W: the W family of models. Harley-Davidson (except in very early models) gives a letter designation for each model family. The W series at the time was the newest incarnation of the 45-cubic-inch flathead motor.
L: “high compression”, in the usual HD scheme. The “low compression” W model was only briefly available.
A: Army. Harley Davidson provided the US Army with WLAs from 1939 and would also produce a model for the Canadian army, named the WLC. The WLCs differed from WLAs chiefly in the use of some heavier components, usually Big Twin parts, as well as Canadian blackout lighting. Most WLC’s were produced between 1942 & 1943.
By the time the USA became involved (all be it late) in World War 2 in 1941, the WLA / WLC were familiar machines and already well known for their resilience, reliability and engineering, so much so that they were shipped to every corner of Europe, Africa and Asia where Allied troops needed them. There was no part of the world these bikes could cope with. Being designed for practicality and being repaired at the roadside or having parts uncrated and swapped at high speed in the army motor pool units the WLA was indeed years ahead of its time.
The iconic Flathead engine that was the heartbeat of the WLA used a recirculating oil system that saved time and maintenance, a simplistic Linkert M88 carburettor and aluminium cylinder heads to help keep it cool. The fuel tank was in two halves, one side for petrol and one for oil allowing the rider to keep an eye on fluid levels from their seat. The WLA also featured a foot clutch and suicide hand gear lever that, as I found out for myself is very much like patting your tummy and rubbing your head at the same time while trying to negotiate London traffic.
The WLA later became known as the “Liberator” for its role in the liberation of towns and cities in Europe. Sometimes the first friendly military vehicle that civilians who had been living in occupation saw coming down the street towards them was a WLA, hence it gained its affectionate nickname.
This motorcycle is the grandad of “cool”. The design is classic and unlike any motorcycle before it, it went anywhere and did everything. Where many modern motorbikes today would leave their owner stranded over a lost key the liberator would never do that as no keys were required. Need to ride and shoot at the same time? No worries, the WLA had a non-return throttle so it would not spring closed but only return when the rider manually throttles back, so hands off the handlebars and no need to stop whilst shooting! Ammunition was kept in a box on the front left-hand side of the forks, a gun holster on the front right of the forks and basic survival equipment in the leather panniers at the rear.
So, please join me in celebrating this legend of engineering, you don’t have to like Harleys to appreciate this bike you just have to have a soul.
Watch the episode on channel U&Yesterday now.
Hi Karen & gang, loved the timely (for me!) Bangers & cash HD WLA episode this week. I am currently building a WLA 1/9th scale model & found the program interesting in a number of detail area’s, I had made a note of where the reg (?) was on the front guard, only for you to state that it was in correct, so crossed that out! I have a good reference book “the encyclopedia of the Harley Davidson by Peter Henshaw & Ian Kerr, that has a good section on WLA’s, but I did not see any in there with black primary inspection covers..is it correct or not? this model when done will go to model shows and also a couple of HDRCGB rally’s, so will try to get details right.
A friend in the club has a WLC in civvy form, I have followed him on ride out’s along with another member who rides a 1930 VL (he lives & rides it from Fort William!) and was facinated at their syncronised hand down- shifts at junctions etc, even more impressed with the WLC when a sheep ran out in front of him, the crash bars doing a good job of clearing the unwanted (but tenderised) sheep!
I own (35 yrs) & did ride an ’87 FXR, which I am currently restoring after an accident last year,which put an end to my 45 year riding career, two bolts now holding my pelvis together = no kick starting my XT500 or risk of another accident on HD.
all the best & thanks for a very good WLA rebuild program. Glenn Street HDRCGB 4159
Hi Karen,
a few comments:
– there is no 1947 WLA: the WLA was produced from 1940 to 1945, and again from 1949 to 1952,
– up to 1943 the WLA had a key-lock in it’s ignition switch, from then on a keyless switch,
– shooting whilst riding is a fairytale; you can’t control a riding motorcycle and still shoot straight.
Look here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C8r7CjChVEY @5.20m..
Best wishes and merry Xmas