Search results
41,000 Knuckleheads
- The Knucklehead, officially known as the 1936 E/ES/EL, was the first Harley-Davidson to feature overhead valves, whose valve covers resembled the knuckles on a closed fist (hence the name). In production from 1936 to 1947, it is estimated that only 41,000 Knuckleheads were made.
www.topspeed.com/history-and-mystery-of-the-harley-davidson-el-knucklehead/
People also ask
How many Knuckleheads were made?
What is a 1936 Harley-Davidson Knucklehead?
How much did a 1941 Knucklehead cost?
Why is it called a knucklehead?
Who invented the knucklehead engine?
When did the Knucklehead come out?
Nov 10, 2014 · In 1936 1,704 knuckleheads were produced, 1,526 of which were the hotter EL version, while only 152 of the E and but 26 of the ES versions were built.
- Gary Ilminen
Aug 9, 2019 · The bulk of knuckleheads were built in the '30s and I would bet that the real production numbers are only known by studying the complexities of engine, and line bore numbers. The true history of knuckleheads (and perhaps all H-Ds) was lost when AMF (and fate) chose to destroy the mountains of priceless documented factory production data.
Mar 15, 2024 · In production from 1936 to 1947, it is estimated that only 41,000 Knuckleheads were made. Though the motorcycle wasn't 100% perfect upon its debut, Harley-Davidson proceeded to refine and...
- Author
- 45-degree V-Twin
- 74 cubic inches
- 40 HP
- The 1936 Knucklehead – A Milestone Model
- Total Loss Lubrication
- The Knucklehead’s Classic Symmetry
- Indian Motorcycles and The Brit Invasion
- Giving The Knucklehead Some Punch
- The $1000 Carrot to Beat The Record
- Petrali’S Knucklehead Goes For The Record
- The Ultimate Knucklehead Street Sleeper
- Brute Versus The Jet
- Bare Knuckle Ride
What made the Knucklehead such a milestone model? To answer this, we have to take a step back to its predecessor, the Flathead. The H-D Flathead had a side-valve layout, meaning that the valves were located in the engine block. The cylinder head contained nothing more than a spark plug and a combustion chamber under its cooling fins, hencethe name ...
It’s easy to gloss over this particular addition. Consider this though, before the Knucklehead, Harleys ran on total-loss lubrication! It may be hard to imagine, but as it sounds, the Flathead’s lubricating oil was only required to make a one-way trip. Oil drip-fed from its reservoir in the left gas tank into the crankcases, splashed around the eng...
Make no mistake; the 1936 Knucklehead was a beautiful motorcycle. Everything from the Knuckle’s deep balanced fenders to its Springer forks and high-mounted headlamp all came together to create a timeless classic symmetry.
Harley had managed to iron out many of the oil leak problems before the launch in March 1936. With archrivals, Indian, breathing down their necks and the Brit invasion gaining pace, they couldn’t afford to wait until every problem was resolved. For these reasons, the first year of production of less than 2000 E and EL units became the subject of al...
In the spring of 1937, with their eyes set on the motorcycle speed record, the trio headed for Florida.
The gearing in the Knucklehead was good for a theoretical 160-mph. Even with H-D dangling a $1000 bonus (enough to buy three Knuckleheads), if it hit 150-mph, pushing the bike to those kinds of high numbers was a tall order. To help cheat the wind, sheet metal covers enclosed the forks. One half of a gas tank was fashioned into a small fly-screen a...
Back with the pit crew, Joe ordered the bike stripped of everything but the fork covers and fly-screen. Down to its bare-bones, running on 21″ x 2.5″ tires and upside-down handlebars, was how he broke the record. Learn all about the H-D Twin Cam engines right here In boots, a wooly jumper, and a football helmet, ‘Smokey’ Joe Petrali stuck his chin ...
One of the original members of the club, Gil Armas, was in his garage one day tearing down his two bikes; a 74” Flathead and a 61” Knuckle. His good friend and fellow club member, C.B Clausen, called in to say “hi,” and seeing the two engines in bits, had an idea to mix and match the parts. Harley-Davidson Panhead – The Most Recognized Motorcycle I...
Christened ‘The Brute,’ the bike gained a reputation around Californiafor destroying everything that pulled alongside. To put ‘The Brute’ to the test, in 1952, ‘Cycle Magazine’ arranged the impossible. ‘The Brute’ would race a USAF jet. The summer of ’52 saw Louie Castro onboard the Knucklehead lining up on a parallel runway to a Lockheed T33 Shoot...
The fire-breathing Knucklehead only had to take a practice run, and the flyboys threw in the towel. Pilot Irvine Prait, saw the bike run, knew his jet could cover the quarter mile in around 10.5 seconds, and famously said, “we’re no match for that baby.” The Air Force wasn’t ready to call it a day, though, and they wheeled out a 1,650 horsepower P-...
The engine is a two-cylinder, 45 degree, pushrod actuated overhead valve V-twin engine with two valves per cylinder. It was the third basic type of V-Twin engine used by Harley-Davidson, replacing the Flathead-engined VL model in 1936 as HD's top-of-the-line model.
Apr 18, 2023 · Know as the Model E upon its release, the 61 cu in engine made its way onto showroom floors in June of ‘36, sporting an outstanding 37 hp, a full ten more than its predecessor, the Flathead. It also came in an EL sport version sporting an outstanding 40 hp.
Nov 22, 2016 · Like most iconic manufacturers in the world, each model produced by the legendary Harley-Davidson has a rich story behind it. That’s even more apparent in the Knucklehead, a motorcycle that not only revolutionized the brand, but also helped it stay afloat.
