Thursday, March 5, 2009

The Blue Knuckle

5 comments:

drsprocket said...

Jedd, You know I have to comment on this one. Here goes; could be 1941 because of the passenger pegs, 7" air cleaner, and cam cover. But the paint isn't Hd blue even though the tanks have the pinstripe of a '40 model with the emblems sans the chrome strips. If it was a '41 they took them off. it could be a late '40 with that cam cover. Note the '36 style rear stand. Deluxe chrome kit too. Oil tank and dash. Trippy tapered exhaust pipe and no handlebar grips. Plus they chromed the front forks. I'm done. Coool! P.S. Sorry, the 16's were optional in'40 but standard in '41.

Chessie (Chesshirecat) said...

I wish I could look at a bike and say the things DRSPROCKET does...

Nope, I saw this pic, and I commented to myself...how fitting, the weathered boards of the outbuilding of this farm, the dated tractor, rusting to the right of the knuckle...no asphalt under the bike...nice touch...

Guess the photographer in me came out too strong to have noticed all the great details by DRSPROCKET...good thing he posts his observations...I would have been sitting here blissfully unaware of the differences...

DRSPROCKET, I am pleased to read your observations, Your teaching me to observe...not just look! Excellent!

Chris K said...

Because of the tanks, I'd lean towards '40. Don't know when they stopped but, in the mid and late '30's, H-D offered a custom paint program. They would do any color they ever did and would even paint forks, oil tanks, and wheels in combinations of those colors.

Regardless, love seeing this great old color photo.

drsprocket said...

Chris, that's true. This paint has that metallic sheen that didn't start till the '49 Panhead.

Chris K said...

Drsprocket, The info you retain continues to blow my mind.