Basket Case

[awiles]

Hello all,
I'm new to the forum and just wanted to introduce myself and ask some of you a few questions. I would love to rebuild a '47 Knucklehead. I don't know how hard it is to come by basket case bikes but if you guys have some suggestions I would greatly appreciate it. I'm really excited about getting into the antique bikes and I would enjoy restoring a bike. I hope you all can point me in a direction to get started.

[exeric]

Anyone that knows where a '47 Knucklehead is. . . . . Well, let's just say they won't be telling you. That's the flavor of the month bike and everyone and their brother wants one of those, including me. There are a lot of great bikes out there and no matter what you find is going to be an adventure when you get into it. I think I would stay with a Harley Davidson, and probably a rigid frame Panhead. Harley's are easy to do, there are tons of original and reproduction parts available, they are well documented, and you have lots of support from web sites like this. Having said all of that, I wouldn't give up on a Knucklehead if that's what you really want. If that's the only bike that is going to make you happy then you should do whatever it takes to get one.

[Ohio-Rider]

Firstly welcome to the site. Here’s something else to think about. It may be cheaper for you to find an already built 47 knuckle than what it will cost you to assemble from a basket case. These things have a way of emptying your pockets rather quickly. Good luck in your quest and if you find two of them let me know.

[Rubone]

awiles, Welcome and good luck on finding a knuckle. If I may offer a bit of advice it would be forget about a basket case and try to find as complete a bike as you can. A basket can be a bottomless cash pit and you might like to ride your bike sometime in your lifetime. A basket can take an eternity to complete. Buy a rider, even if it is not all correct at least you can enjoy it while you track down the missing bits.
Robbie

[Ohio-Rider]

Buy a rider, even if it is not all correct at least you can enjoy it while you track down the missing bits.
Robbie

Very true. Thats the way I do it, and it can be tons of fun between the time you purchase the bike and the time it's all done in your eyes.

[c.o.]

Well you couldn't get any better advice than what's been posted here. You have to ask yourself. What is it that lures me to old bikes? A project to work on (for what can amount to a lot of years) or a bike to ride? The excitement found with boxes of parts can wear off fairly quickly after you get them home. If you want the wind in your face it's much wiser to dole out the cash and get a rider. A project can be cheaper to start with but will probably cost you more at the end of the day. All this coming from a guy who always says...."the next bike I get will be a runner!"

[Paps]

I'll vouch for what everyone else said. Paps

[Rooster]

I'll vouch for what everyone else said. Paps

Me too.

And welcome to the forum, Awiles.

[Glenn]

I agree and bought a runner then made it a basket case

[INLINE4NUT]

Welcome and good luck finding a knuck priced right! I have one I bought in the early 70s needless to say its not for sale and one was offered to me through a friend just a few weeks ago he was ONLY asking 35k!!!!! I passed and wondered to myself what the hell!!! Heh!HEH! and decided mine was worth more to me than any amount of money!!! Maybe thats why Ill be poor for the rest of my life ! But hey money isnt everything!!!

[inrustwetrust]

If this is your first restoration, I would recommend a Harley 45. They are great looking machines and are the most economical in the realm of American bikes. Parts are easy to get and not very expensive. It is a good motorcycle to make the first mistakes on in every sense of the word. There will always be bigger and better bikes if you get bitten by the bug.

[DaveSwanson]

Agree with everything said. I, like most of us have a Knuckle the wish list, but don't know if it will ever happen. I bought this unmolested 56 FLH with low miles (still on its standard bore) this past winter. Wave a magic wand over this bike, make it 9 years older and it would have cost 2 or 3 times more. As much as I like the Knuck I'm not sure they are worth that kind of premium over a bike like this one.

[exeric]

Gorgeous bike Dave. I completely agree with you about Knuckleheads being over priced and over rated I might add. I had a '37 and a '41 and my '51FL is a much better bike. I was much younger and a neophyte to Harley Davidson mechanicals when I had the Knucks, but Panheads have earned my love and given me many trouble free miles compared to the Knucks. Still, if a '47 was within my grasp, I'd be on it like stink on do-do.

[flat-happy]

hello dave---nice pan man----fact is i really have too many projects. thinking about trading my 47FL for a bike like yours. i cant help what the market has done to the price of knucks. like anything its all about supply and demand. we bought a 41 this weekend in rhinebeck. it was the only original knuck for sale at a realistic price. paid 30k for it. send me a pm if you want to talk more. im about 4 hrs from you id say

[Erdos]

I think now is the time to buy a knuckle. At oley I saw more knucklehead frames and motors in one place than I have seen in the past 15 years. With the economy the way it is it seems alot of people need to get out from under there knuck stuff. Prices also seem to be falling a bit.