Harley knucklehead 1936

The motorcycle industry was hit hard by the Great Depression. Byoverall motorcycle sales in the US had reached an historic low, still unmatched to present day.

Harley-Davidson pulled ahead of Indian in with the introduction of its first overhead valve V-Twin. The frame, forks, engine and much of the styling were all new. Interestingly, Knucklehead experts speak of three different engine versions in the model year. Minor problems were attended to as running changes and production continued. The first engines built had problems with valve spring breakage, poor rocker arm lubrication and leakage of oil from the top end.

Harley knucklehead 1936

Willie G. In this space, Style and Function are intertwined with a design template that would carry the motor company into the next century. Not only was the chassis redesigned with streamline fuel tanks and an integrated dashboard, but the new heavyweight V-Twin also offered a standard 4 speed constant mesh transmission. The big news was the new 61 cubic inch over head valve engine that utilized a newly developed dry sump oil system. This was the first Harley that recirculated the engine oil to and from the oil tank. It was given the model designation EL. It has been affectionately called the Knucklehead since its inception in Redesigned crankcases allowed the side valve to fit the same chassis as the OHV machine streamlining cost and production time. Now, Harley had the market covered with the newest designs. The man who led the design of both the Knucklehead and the improved Side Valve engine was chief engineer William S Harley. William was one of the 4 founding fathers of the Company. He had spearheaded the development of their machines along with Willian Ottaway who joined the motor company in William Harley did see the success of his new design before he passed in In approximately OHV machines were produced.

Previous Next. The frame, forks, engine and much of the styling were all new.

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Yet up until the last minute, it was uncertain whether Harley would release the bike for sale. The experimental models were unmarked, and testers were instructed to stay away from towns and dealerships. The point of all this secrecy was to keep the rumor mill down. The motorcycle world was very small, and even without the Internet or cheap, long-distance telephones, rumors would spread from one end of the country to another faster than a Twentieth Century Limited locomotive. For , Harley-Davidson introduced an inlet-over-exhaust big twin to replace its aging sidevalve setup. Unfortunately, the new VL twins had multiple problems, resulting in a general recall and warranty replacement of expensive parts. Even with the repairs, the sidevalve engines were not as fast or reliable as desired, so Harley started looking for a replacement. Although most contemporary motorcycles including Harleys ran total-loss systems lubricating oil was pumped through the engine and either burned or pumped out , recirculating oiling systems were being used in cars and in the top-of-the-line 4-cylinder motorcycles. A recirculating oil system added a little weight, but it increased performance and engine longevity.

Harley knucklehead 1936

Harley-Davidson pulled ahead of Indian in with the introduction of its first overhead valve V-Twin. The frame, forks, engine and much of the styling were all new. Interestingly, Knucklehead experts speak of three different engine versions in the model year.

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This was a unique Harley Davidson custom color; Gold and Black. A key way to show automotive power was by breaking land speed records. A curious crowd edged around to see the famous blue 61 OHV. In this space, Style and Function are intertwined with a design template that would carry the motor company into the next century. Every part of the motorcycle would be improved upon over time, but the modern descendants of the EL owe their design to the motorcycle. American Restoration This area is Dales cornucopia of rare, unusual, exquisite, bizarre but always The story of the four cylinder motorcycle in America lasted a short 33 years This area is Dales cornucopia of rare, unusual, exquisite, bizarre but always Harley convinced the Board to give it a shot. On one of Joe's earlier runs down the beach, while going about m. The first engines built had problems with valve spring breakage, poor rocker arm lubrication and leakage of oil from the top end.

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American Restoration This area is Dales cornucopia of rare, unusual, exquisite, bizarre but always But mere months before its launch, they still debated whether the motorcycle should even be built. Discover culture and history through stories and exhibits that celebrate expression, camaraderie and love for the sport. Everybody had big, happy grins and well they might—hadn't they just seen an afternoon of record breaking performances? Leave a Reply Want to join the discussion? Harley convinced the Board to give it a shot. Among these ideas was a twin cylinder motorcycle unlike any other Harley-Davidson had previously sold. With new oval section springer fork tubes, a more graceful muffler and the tank mounted speedometer, the new Harley was probably the most stylish American motorcycle to date. Scroll through the following gallery of bikes to see some of the descendants of the legendary " Translate with Google. Previous Next.