Arnes Model F from Milwaukee

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Some blacksmiths forge jewelry from gold, others from steel and iron. Arne Aarum from Oslo belongs to the latter category, and it is no small amount of work that he has put into restoring the Harley I present here, the 1000cc "F" from 1917.

Arne Aarum from Oslo is not “just anyone” when it comes to “The Iron from Milwaukee”. Many people probably know Arne from the time he ran his own company Custom Service, where repairing and rebuilding Harleys provided butter on the bread slice. After many long years as a self-employed person, the next stop was Harley-Davidson Oslo AS. There, Arne works at the workshop and contributes his expertise to keep customers satisfied. To say that Harley-Davidson is a central part of Arne’s life is therefore no exaggeration.

The Trondheim Ride

When he joined the Trondhjemsridtet as a serviceman a few years ago, he was opened to the really old Harleys. Arne had so far focused mostly on the classic Harley models from the 1960s and 1970s, but after learning that 100-year-old Harleys could actually drive hundreds of kilometers, not to mention miles, Arne's perspective on the really old bikes completely changed. When he heard that there was an old Harley from 1917 for sale in Western Norway, he didn't hesitate to jump in and grab it right away.

The Harley was buried during World War II

Arne's Harley-Davidson is a model F from 1917 with a carbide headlight and magneto ignition. The displacement is just under 1000 cc, and the power output is about 20 hp. For an additional price, customers could have the model delivered with electric lights and spark ignition. It was reportedly sold new in Stavanger in 1917, but this has not been confirmed by reliable sources. However, it has been rolling with L plates until Arne came across it a couple of years ago. After over 100 years with different owners and a life that included dismantling and burying during World War II to prevent it from falling into the clutches of the Nazis, it needed an overhaul. Knowledge and skills regarding the brand are not enough alone to take on a project from 1917; a solid portion of knowledge about metal is needed, and not least skills regarding the use of various machining tools.

Knowledge and skills

The sum of this provides the right conditions to embark on the task of stripping down and rebuilding an old Harley. Arne now possesses much of the knowledge and skills required, and the result is that the bike appears like a piece of jewelry. The work of stripping it down to what he refers to as "small pieces" and then restoring it piece by piece and putting it back together again into the very piece of jewelry that the old model F has become has not been an easy job, and when Arne came across the bike it was lying disassembled in boxes. Arne no longer counts hours, as he did when he ran Custom Service, now enjoys himself in the workshop at Alnabru. Every now and then he takes the old Harley out, finds some quiet roads outside the capital, and feels the results. The twin from Milwaukee has 3 gears and about 20 hp. It's enough for the whole journey and then some.