By the mid-50s, America was really starting to rock and roll and the big American v-twin motorcycle became the undisputed King of the Highway.
And who better to dress the King than The Nation's Cycle Center? Their products catalog featured a wide range of dresser accessories as seen here on their brand new (at the time) Harley-Davidson® Duo-Glide.
Genuine Nation-Bilt products featured in this photo include Windshield and Mounts, Rear View Mirrors, Color Handlebar Grips, Fender Tips, Fender Rails, Front and Rear Chrome Bumpers, Wheel Discs, Gas Caps, Seat Rails, Spot Lights, Highway Bars, Saddlebag Guards, Tailgunner Lights, and Luggage Carrier.
This is how the U.S. Government granted patents in the old days, with official U.S. stamps. This one is for Gordon Willey's 1958 patent for a bar clamp. If you had a handlebar-mounted rearview mirror in the old days that was constantly loosening, it's because you didn't have this bar clamp design.
A Nation’s Cycle Center employee was recruited to pose for several photos for the 1962-63 Catalog. No one in the company today remembers who she was, so she is often just referred to as “Mom”.
And here’s “Mom” on the cover of the Nation’s Cycle Center 1962-63 Catalog.
A page from the 1962-63 Catalog featuring the company’s original beaded windshield (which is still made today, but from polycarbonate instead of Pyralin).
The Airstreamer Fender Tips from earlier Nation’s Cycle Center catalogs were still popular and still in production.
A new style of Harley-Davidson® touring seat meant new styles of Nation’s Cycle Center Buddy Seat Rails.
The Little Firefly Spotlights were updated for the 1962-63 catalog.
Nation-Bilt Safety Guards were updated for newer model bikes. The N485 BMW Safety Guards, which are on this author’s 1956 BMW R50, are often assumed to be German-made.
Nation’s Cycle Center introduced new Fender Tips, Fender Trim and Chrome Bumpers for the new-style fenders of the new Hydra-Glide and the later Duo-Glide.
The 1962-63 range of Nation-Bilt Beaded Windshields. Lower sections were available in clear, red, blue or green.
While Nation’s Cycle Center made windshield mount brackets for specific model bikes, they also made windshields and mount kits that could be adapted to fit any motorcycle made.
The Tailgunner Lights, Rocket Lights and License Bracket from earlier catalogs are joined by new Windshield/Spotlight Mounts for the Hydra-Glide and Duo-Glide.
The original Nation-Bilt 2-Piece Mirror and the later 1-Piece Mirror, along with the company’s patented U-Clamps.
The original photo of “Mom” that appeared in the 1962-63 Catalog, taken inside the factory. The new model Duo-Glide is fully outfitted with Nation-Bilt accessories.
So confident was Gordon Willey that he offered a Double Your Money Back Guarantee to dealers if they weren't satisfied with the quality of Nation's Cycle Center accessories.
Another patent was granted in 1964 for this innovative and widely used eyebolt design.
