“The bike looks a lot like a “WL” 45 CI flat head Harley, however they were not prevelent until the mid-30’s. The old “VL” was around more in the early 30’s, as was a 74 inch motor with a “constant loss oil system” (pun here). I’ve seen a number of ‘30 and ‘31 VLs. Most of the WLs and WLAs (Army issue) are 1937 and newer. They used the same engine in the trikes (the “Servi-car”) but with a “G” on the engine case instead of the WL or WLA….or WR, WLR and WLDR for the race bikes. I believe they built the Servi-car through 1973. Anyway, my vote would be for a VL because of the year of the picture, and the front end, unmistakenly a Harley springer, that looks earlier and narrower than the one’s I’ve seen on the 45’s.”

And this has nothing to do with this article but I found an amazing site about an exhibit of the artist Arthur Radeburgh,
whose work will be familiar to all MM viewers. It’s called “The Future We Were Promised” and
here’s a snip and a link:
Radebaugh was a top-notch commercial illustrator who worked for companies as diverse as Chrysler and Coca-Cola. He was based in Detroit from the 1930s to 1960s, and much of his work anticipated design revolutions in the automotive and other industries. He once described his work as “halfway between science fiction and designs for modern living.”

Radebaugh’s virtuosic airbrush technique created luminous illustrations which conveyed the sleek, streamlined look of the future. From flying cars to glamorous skyscrapers, his renderings were both pragmatic and fantastical, showing possibilities unimagined, derived from the technology of the day.

Radebaugh: The Future We Were Promised is a career-spanning overview of the recently rediscovered artist’s illustrations, cartoons and biography.
http://www.palaceofculture.org/radebaugh.html