Couple Pics from EH circa 2001

[franknsr]

Just stumbled across a couple pics I took inside the factory in Belle Plaine when I went there for the auction that never happened back in December 2001. Thought I'd post a couple of the more interesting ones here.
These are from the R&D area an include a row of mules (test bikes), and a couple mock ups. I really liked that Fat Boy looking front end and wonder if that was the intended result for the American X and they just ran out of time. 

[Berlin Bob]

thank yee frank !!

[Donkey Hotey]

Holy cow, those are awesome! Any more to share? There’s so much going on in the photos of those styling mules.

[franknsr]

Well, I 'had" a few more from the lobby but my sometimers must be kicking in because I'm not sure where I put them. The only other pics I have here are of me with the auctioneer in a choke hold and the cops I met that day. Probably shouldn't post those. ;-) 
If I find the others I'll throw them up here.

[Donkey Hotey]

Well, that styling mule has all kinds of pre-production details they were obviously trying to sort out. The spring pitch and shape is different on both fork legs. The strut caps haven't taken their final shape yet. The brake is still on the right side. The rear fender support bars are close to final shape but, that extra rear fender has the clay flourish on the bottom. The engine styling is still taking shape and while the primary looks like it's close to final, the cylinders still have the rear on the right instead of the left.

Wow, wow, wow. That's the missing link between the early prototypes and the final production models.

[franknsr]

I do recall something else that was very interesting; Saw one of the mules there with holes drilled in the engine with fittings and copper tubing leading to a few pressure gauges, as if they were trying to determine oil pressure at various points.
Also saw an engine on the dyno in the room that is at the en of that row of bikes. Wish I'd taken a lot more pics.