Malle Miler: 1942 Harley-Davidson WLC

As Seen at The Mile Mile: Jon & Mandi Gaymer’s 1942 Harley-Davidson WLC…

In 1940, Harley-Davidson began producing the WLA, a military version of their 45 cubic inch (742cc) solo-rider civilian model. The designation used Harley’s own factory codes: W for the model family, L for “high compression,” and A for Army. The side-valve “45” V-twin dated back to 1928, and the engine had been revamped as the W45 in 1937, making around 25 horsepower.

The WLA featured a slew of modifications for military work, including blued or parkerized finishes, blackout lights, stripped-down fenders, an oil-bath air cleaner to combat dusty conditions, a modified crankcase breather for deeper fording, and military accessories such as ammo boxes, radio rack, skid plate, leg protectors, and a leather Thompson submachine gun scabbard.

The bikes were mainly used for police / escort duties, courier work, and some scouting, earning the nickname “Liberator” as Allied soldiers rode them across occupied Europe. They were rarely fitted with sidecars and used for combat duty as was common on the German side.

The 500-lb WLA was no dirt bike, but it proved itself a trustworthy mount in the field, and war-surplus WLAs would be bobbed, chopped, and transformed into the original mainstay of postwar biker culture.

“One thing the WL did have going for it, and which helped make its reputation, was reliability. The Harley might not have been as quick as Indian’s 45s, but it was far more robust – which of course had been a vital attribute when it was modified to become the WLA, and put to the ultimate test.” –Hagerty

In 1941, Harley developed a close variant for the Canadian Defence Forces, the WLC, which would find its way into the hands of other Commonwealth forces. The WLC differed from the US Army WLA in several details:

“Front and rear wheels are interchangable, front brake drum is the ‘Big Twin’ style, lighting equipment is quite different, throttle is on the left handlebar with ignition timing on the right, oil and gas lines are rubber, an auxiliary clutch hand lever is provided on the handlebars, later 43WLC have green plastic handlebar grips, a ride-control is provided on the front fork with an extra stand on the front wheel, the rear stand has additional ‘Sand Pads’, etc….” –The Liberator

This 1942 WLC comes to us from Jonathan and Mandi Gaymer of the UK. Mandi comes from a long line of motorcyclists — her grandad raced and won at Brooklands on his Velocette KTT in the 1930s, and her uncle raced the Manx GP in the 60s!

Below, we talk to Jon about the family’s history with motorcycles, how he got hold of his ’42 WLC, and what it was like to ride it at The Malle Mile 2024, where our photographer Roberto Garagarza (@roga______) captured these gorgeous photos — enjoy!

’42 WLC: Owner Interview

• Please tell us a bit about yourself, your history with motorcycles, and your workshop if you have one.

I first got into motorcycling when I met my now wife Mandi. Her family had a long history of motorcycle racing. Her grandad raced and won at Brooklands during the 30s on his Velocette KTT, and her uncle raced the Manx GP in the sixties.

Mandi’s dad, the youngest sibling, remembers hanging around the pits with his big brother rubbing shoulders with the likes of Agostini!

We did a lot of riding and touring together as a family and in 2000 I started getting into off road riding, mainly green lanes and one season of Enduro.

• When, where, and why did you get your ’42 Harley WLC?

Fast forward to 2014 and a good friend of mine Terry sent me a picture of the Harley-Davidson WLC. It had flat tyres and had been languishing in his cousin’s garage since 1975. I knew nothing about these machines but once I saw it I knew it had to be mine.

The bike hadn’t run since the early seventies but turned over well. Upon inspection we found that the valve seats had rusted and it had no compression. A few bolts were undone and with a bit of grinding paste we re-lapped the valves back in, an easy job on the flathead motor.

Once this was done and a new battery fitted the bike fired into life. It was a bit of a hairy first ride with the foot clutch and left hand front brake but I was beaming from ear to ear.

• Has any restoration or custom work been done to the bike?

To get it fully roadworthy I had to replace the float in the carburettor as it still had the military cork one fitted. Once these few jobs were done the bike ran like a dream with every bulb working and the tyres holding air.

Although the tyres were dated 1959 I ran them for over 3000 miles and only changed them recently for the knobbly tyres now fitted.

• How was your experience at the 2024 Malle Mile?

We have been going to the Malle Mile for the last five years and absolutely love the event. Where else can you just turn up and race whatever your machine may be? There is such a chilled friendly vibe and a real festival feel.

This is the first year I have brought the Harley to the Malle Mile but it won’t be the last. It was an absolute blast to ride on all the events and attracts a lot of attention.

• Is there anyone you’d like to thank?

I would like to thank my wife Mandi for always saying yes when I find another bike. I would also like to thank my father-in-law Dave who helped me with the purchase of the bike and for his mechanical know-how. And lastly my good friend Terry who made the purchase happen and has regretted not buying it for himself ever since.