Black Knucklehead EL 1940

Far from being a latter-day whim of jaded Harley owners, building bobbers and choppers is a genuine tradition of the motorcycling world. By the 1940s it had become de rigueur for enthusiasts to add a personal touch to a bike’s factory appearance by means of some visible interventions, as most famously portrayed in the archetypal 1953 biker movie The Wild One.

Black Knucklehead EL 1940

Far from being a latter-day whim of jaded Harley owners, building bobbers and choppers is a genuine tradition of the motorcycling world. By the 1940s it had become de rigueur for enthusiasts to add a personal touch to a bike’s factory appearance by means of some visible interventions, as most famously portrayed in the archetypal 1953 biker movie The Wild One.

So, thinking ‘rough and tough’ and tuning into the spirit of those times, we decided to knock together a couple of bobbers that wouldn’t be custom bikes in the usual Ehinger Kraftrad sense, but revived classics built as far as possible from original parts – such as this 1940 Knucklehead.

The basis is always as original a bike as possible, which we get on the road using replica parts and then, step by step, rebuild using original parts. These original parts come from our own stocks, auctions, swap meets and friends who have their eyes peeled all around the world – especially in the USA. For some parts this can be an expensive business; a tank of the right age, with original paintwork, can easily set you back by a four figure amount.

About the engine: despite the profound scarcity of good knuckleheads, Ehinger Kraftrad again follows the tradition of amateur mechanics of the time: a later head (1941, 1942) on a completely reconditioned 1,000 cc engine gives it a bit more juice.

All in all, resurrecting a classic from separate parts is a long-haul blend of patience, skill – and luck.