Delphine Blue 1937 Knucklehead Up for Grabs
Dale's Wheels Through Time raises the give-away bar yet again.
Live Draw
It might only take $10 to own an amazing piece of American motorcycling history. Dale's Wheels Through Time has raised the bar yet again with their latest raffle bike. Up for grabs, this year is a stunning 1937 Knucklehead finished in one-year-only Delphine Blue. The live draw takes place on November 19, 2022, at the museum's Maggie Valley, North Carolina location.
Photos courtesy of Dale's Wheels Through Time.
Restored Parts
Adorned with Teak Red and gold trim, this Knucklehead is a Harley-Davidson enthusiast's dream. It is also one of the rarest and most original raffle bikes that the museum has offered to date. The restored machine is the culmination of three decades of collecting and compiling OEM parts by the late Dale Walksler and his son Matt.
Fundamental Look
Harley-Davidson's EL ranks among the most iconic motorcycles ever made, but one that almost didn't go into production. Introduced in 1936, only 1,704 first-year examples were built. The Knucklehead went on to establish a look that is still visible in contemporary Harley-Davidsons. The design is so fundamental that it has been adopted by numerous other modern manufacturers.
Stylish Legs
The give-away bike is fitted with a 61 cubic-inch overhead valve engine, built from all original 1937 parts. The motor is cradled in a genuine 1937 double-downtube frame with single-butted, double-diameter downtubes. Of the same vintage, the extruded tubular front fork, with its twin legs and leading links, is a stylish design introduced with the first Knuckleheads.
Feature Design
The Dale's Wheels Through Time bike is an assemblage of genuine Harley-Davidson components. The front and rear mudguards are undated but are all-original pre-war fenders. The model-correct gas tanks feature a 1937-only dash panel that sports an (optimistic) 120 mph speedometer. The dash insert was a new design for the Knucklehead—a NOS ammeter gauge and oil pressure switch complete the instrumentation.
Elegant Modification
Knuckleheads presented many new engineering solutions. One such design was to relocate the oil tank from its usual place as part of the gas tank, to under the seat. The new 'horseshoe' tank wrapped around the battery, with the side benefit of containing any battery acid mist. A valuable modification when it came to protecting the one-year-only paint job.
Logo Leaf
The EL raffle bike sports a gorgeous Delphine Blue finish. The one-year-only colors were Harley-Davidson's attempt at creating demand and boosting sales by creating unique models—a scheme still in place with the CVO lineup. The gas tank's logo is hand-lettered gold and silver leaf instead of the usual decal. The Art Deco-influenced design also appeared on the VL Flatheads and was used until 1939.
Celebration Highlight
There is a bittersweet aspect to this amazing machine. Founder Dale Walksler had a hand in its restoration before he passed away on February 3, 2021. Another highlight of 2022, is a Celebration of Life for Dale on April 2 at the museum. Raffle tickets are available through the museum's website. A quick video clip of the bike is on YouTube.
For help with your do-it-yourself maintenance and repair projects, please visit our how-to section in the forum.
