1936 Knucklehead Vs 1936 Crocker

[Eric MATHIEU]

I was able to take this interesting picture of a 1936 EL Knucklehead next to a 1936 Hemi head Crocker. Both engines are 1936, newly introduced and both are 61".

Notice how the HD OHV seams alot more "modern". The Crocker looks like it is from a previous era. That's because the hemi head Crocker engine used heads that were first conceived for single cylinder speedway engines starting in 1932. The heads used open rockers and valve springs. This would be solved two years later when Crocker introduced the more widely known "parralel valve" engine in 1938, but even still, whatever journalists might say to feed the Crocker myth, I feel Harley was one step ahead.
Eric

[40 Nuck]

Nice Pic. The Knuckle looks substantially heavier as well. Any idea what the weight difference was, or is this more of an optical illusion related to the size of the fins on the cylinders?

[HarleyCreation]

Interesting to see them this way. I'm a hard-core 61 OHV fan myself and no mistake, but we gotta figure that H-D had more resources to develop their engine further compared to Crocker, who had to be operating on a shoe-string. The earliest versions of the Knucklehead probably looked rather primitive too and most likely started out as with the Two-Cam bottom and OHV jugs and heads. Harley massaged that thing for years, but when it was finished, what a beauty! Harley had some real talent back then and we know who they were too, mostly. The gearbox was a masterpiece as well. That baby carried right on through....