If Harley-Davidson has a “holy grail” engine, the EL Knucklehead is undoubtedly it. Produced between 1936 and 1947, the Knucklehead— named for the distinct form of its rocker bins—represented an enormous technological leap for the Milwaukee agency. It was Harley’s first manufacturing overhead-valve (OHV) V-twin, a design that changed the growing old “flathead” and set the template for each Large Twin that adopted.
For {custom} builders, the Knucklehead is the final word standing image. Whether or not it’s a real Nineteen Forties survivor or a high-performance trendy replica from S&S Cycle, the engine’s structure is inherently lovely. It’s a powertrain that calls for to be showcased in a inflexible body, stripped of extra, and handled with the reverence normally reserved for cathedral structure. Listed below are 5 of our favourite Harley-Davidson Knucklehead customs featured on Bike EXIF.
‘The Disciple’ by American Metallic Customs
Josh Allison of American Metallic Customs constructed ‘The Disciple’ primarily based on a real 1941 Harley-Davidson EL engine. This bike is a research in mixed-metal fabrication. Essentially the most hanging aspect is the bodywork, which takes direct inspiration from a Nineteen Fifties Schwinn Hornet bicycle, full with bronze “art-deco” wings on a chiseled cut up tank.
Josh didn’t cease on the tank; the saddle is a fancy meeting of metal and bronze layers held along with contrasting rivets and a hinged entrance mount. To maintain the stance genuine, he used a replica straight-leg inflexible body and “windowed” the neck for a cleaner look. The entrance finish is a shortened Indian-style leaf spring setup, which supplies an opulent journey whereas preserving the 21-inch entrance spool wheel tight in opposition to the body.
Regardless of its classic look, ‘The Disciple’ is constructed to be ridden. It contains a Baker 6-into-4 transmission (giving the rider six gears as an alternative of the inventory 4) and twin rear calipers for contemporary stopping energy. It’s a motorbike so evocative that American Metallic even launched a whiskey line aged utilizing the acoustics of this very Knucklehead engine. [MORE]
‘Jenny Lind’ by Asterisk Customized Works
Japan’s Mooneyes present is the final word proving floor for craftsmanship, and Hideki Hoshikawa of Asterisk Customized Works arrived with a masterpiece. Named after the Swedish opera singer Jenny Lind, this bike was constructed fully from scratch over the course of a yr. There isn’t a “donor bike” right here; Hideki used fundamental hand instruments to form a one-off chromoly body with a singular single down-tube design that mimics the curve of the S&S crankcase.
The “Chevy Bel Air” affect is seen within the gas tank and aspect panels, which function trim ideas taken from the 1957 American basic. To keep up a “sano” cockpit, Hideki used internally routed throttle cables and a foot-clutch/hand-shifter setup. The entrance suspension is a modified leaf spring setup from Cannonball, paired with an enormous 23-inch entrance wheel for a dramatic, spindly profile.
Each element is a nod to conventional strategies. The body was chrome-plated after which scuffed with Scotch-Brite for a satin sheen, whereas the exhaust is a stubby two-into-one system designed to remain out of the body’s approach. ‘Jenny Lind’ is a high-water mark for the Japanese {custom} scene, mixing mid-century Americana with obsession-level metalwork. [MORE]
The Zero-Fashion Knuck by Tough Crafts
Winston Yeh of Tough Crafts is thought for his “Guerrilla” model, however for this construct, he leaned into the “samurai chopper” aesthetic pioneered by Shinya Kimura. Utilizing a Zero Engineering Sort 6 body because the skeleton, Winston dropped in a 93ci S&S Knucklehead motor to create a machine that feels each Victorian and gothic. The bike’s stance is outlined by the Zero springer forks and a “neo-vintage” mixture of brass and black finishes.
The fabrication is the place Winston’s genius shines. He created {custom} weld-on hand controls with a distant hydraulic grasp cylinder and a hidden lithium-ion battery field to maintain the strains as clear as potential. The sheet metallic is a spotlight, that includes the signature Tough Crafts scalloped tank and a minimalist solo seat that sits low within the body’s criminal.
Whereas many Taiwan-based builds are purely for present, Winston’s “Brass Racer” aesthetic is backed by the stump-pulling torque of the S&S mill. It’s an ideal bridge between the normal Japanese “Zero” model and the trendy, aggressive street-fighter vibe that has made Tough Crafts a worldwide powerhouse. [MORE]
The Sculptured Knuck by Matt Machine
Australian builder Matt Machine created this sculptured metallic masterpiece for the distinguished Born-Free present in California. His transient was to mix a inflexible body with high-end trendy elements, basically making a “better of” album of motorbike engineering. He paired a 93ci S&S Knucklehead with a Baker 6-speed gearbox and an enormous pair of 40mm Dell’Orto carbs.
The mechanicals are a worldwide affair: Brembo brakes from a Ducati 999, a Moto Guzzi grasp cylinder, and Kawasaki ZXR inverted forks held in polished {custom} triples. The distinction between the high-performance sportbike entrance finish and the basic V-twin coronary heart is jarring however completely executed, due to the cohesive hand-beaten alloy bodywork.
The end is a delicate, satin sheen achieved by blocking again the alloy fairing and tank with a number of grades of Scotch-Brite. Each element, from the wood crate constructed for its flight to Sydney to the {custom} switchgear from Function Constructed Moto, screams precision. It’s a retro-futuristic imaginative and prescient of what a Harley-Davidson will be when the constraints of the “cruiser” label are fully ignored. [MORE]
The ‘Classic Racer’ by Customized Works Zon
Yuichi Yoshizawa of Customized Works Zon threw the {custom} world a curveball with this “aged” racer. Whereas the engine is a contemporary S&S KN93 producing 83 lb-ft of torque, the bike appears to be like prefer it was not too long ago unearthed from a Nineteen Thirties barn. The cylinder heads have been modified to simply accept a pair of Linkert M88 carburetors mounted on handmade manifolds.
The body is a {custom} metal unit that’s 4 inches shorter than a inventory FL body, giving the bike an extremely compact, aggressive silhouette. The wheels are significantly uncommon: 18-inch rims with hole pipe spokes hooked up to custom-machined hubs. Yoshizawa-san even went so far as to dent the gas tank and “soot up” the white high-temp paint on the exhaust to simulate a long time of observe abuse.
The whole lot on the bike, from the hill-climb-style springer forks to the weathered race seat, was aged by hand utilizing gasoline streaks and lightweight rust. It’s a “restomod” in reverse—a high-performance machine carrying a dirty, monochrome masks that Yoshizawa not too long ago put to the take a look at on the Chirihama Sandflats seaside races. [MORE]
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