Period K

Production K Models

Re: Period K

Postby starcain » Tue Dec 06, 2016 6:00 pm

Very cool pictures Patrick. In the first picture with the three ladies, the middle lady on the K, what the heck is that line coming down from in front of the gas tank, running down under the generator and up to or past the carburetor. At first I thought it might be a fuel line coming maybe from one of the crossover nipples on the tank but it seems too high on the tank for that. Also it looked like maybe an inline fuel filter or shutoff valve there in the middle. Could it be a cable coming from that extra instrument cluster? Any ideas anyone? That last dealer picture is posted in the May 1953 Enthusiast and was taken in Waco Texas on March 28 during their recent sales meeting. Just to the right of where this picture is cropped is a 1953 KK sales folder hanging on the wall. This picture here is realy nice because it shows more top and bottom then what is in the Enthusiast. This picture is also posted on this website in the literature section under 1953. It shows the KK sales folder. Would like to find a full size picture like this one that also shows the KK folder.
Stan
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Re: Period K

Postby starcain » Tue Dec 06, 2016 8:29 pm

Just got done talking to my friend Roger and he came up with the cable on the K model in that first picture as being a rear wheel speedometer cable for the extra instrument cluster. The piece in the middle of the cable is maybe a speed reducer of some kind? Makes sense to me. You can see the cable coming out of the back of the instrument cluster and imagine that it curves around to where you can see the cable on the left side of the bike.What do you guys think. I am sure some of you probably know for sure. Would love to hear it.
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Re: Period K

Postby starcain » Sun Dec 11, 2016 3:13 pm

Hello all,
I was hoping to get some reply's or comments about the odd and what now seems like pretty rare instrument clusters that are attached to the three K's in Patrick's first picture. Since no comments came forth-with Roger and I ( well mostly Roger ) decided to do a little research on the matter. It would appear that when some of the 1952 K street bikes were used for endurance purposes that odd instrument cluster was sometimes used. It was driven off the rear wheel. Not sure if it was factory or what. It appears to have only been used on the 1952s and in 1953 when the KRM came out they went to the big, big twin style counterclockwise speedometer. Roger found these two great pictures of Willie G on a 1952 K sporting the early style speedometer and stop clock combination. Would love to hear any comments you guys might have. I am sure some of you know much more about these then we do.
Stan
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Re: Period K

Postby hennesse » Sun Dec 11, 2016 9:06 pm

Stan,

I thought the most interesting things was that bike #1 (left) has fork boots, #2 has cowbells, and #4 has both. Also bike #5, the "Hummer" (1952 Model 125? 1953 Model 165?) has a big twin speedometer.

Bikes #1, 3, and 4 have custom fenders. Bike #2 has a stock front fender. Bike #5 has a stock front fender, but the braces are rotated so the they can be mounted very high on the fork tubes.

Why did they use the rear-wheel driven speedos? Was this to prevent any possibility of the engine-driven speedo drive failing and damaging the trans? Or just for recalibrating the speedo for exact wheel circumference?
DH
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Re: Period K

Postby thefrenchowl » Tue Dec 13, 2016 9:42 am

If you knew someone at the factory, Dot Robinson did, Pink did, etc... You could ask for anything...

I think the speedos and drives had to be lead sealed for endures and desert races to check real mileage done, so rear wheel drive then make sense rather to crawl under the bike and a hot exhaust pipe!!!

Look at them 2 brothers for non std bits:

Image

Patrick
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Re: Period K

Postby EKHKHK56 » Wed Dec 14, 2016 3:26 am

Neat photos of young customizers! I've seen that dual pipe set before but with a balance tube...might have been an option. A note on the K speedo drive...I think the speedo drive part of the transmission is not to blame for any failures. Unless they actually bind up. The msin culprit is in the design of the bearing support. It is supported only on one end and torque from the transmission works on it as power is applied and reduced. The speedo drive parts just happen to be there along for the ride is think. So the nub holding the bearing gets worked back and forth from torque until it separates. Of course one good full throttle clutch dump drag race could pop it right off also! In later year XLs the bearing is completely in cased.
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Re: Period K

Postby starcain » Wed Dec 14, 2016 9:19 am

Another very cool picture Patrick and a great idea for a thread. It's always fun to look at Period K pictures. I will ad one. I'm not sure what these guys in the snow were thinking but there's a nice little K leading the way.
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Re: Period K

Postby thefrenchowl » Wed Dec 14, 2016 9:44 am

Support for counter shaft next to speedo drive gear... :
OK on a K,
a bit less on a KH,
a bit less again on a Sportster up to 72...

If it had never cracked before, it is unlikely to do so now...
But with some heavy booted PO, no wonder they can sometimes crack...

And no wonder the K is in front, narrow tyres beat big tyres in the snow!!!

Patrick
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Re: Period K

Postby starcain » Thu Dec 15, 2016 10:08 am

A Cool Cat with some serious Ape Hanger's on a 1956
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Re: Period K

Postby starcain » Fri Mar 03, 2017 10:11 am

A couple of cool period pictures of a couple of young ladies on a K Model. Anyone think that's the same woman in both pictures or maybe mother and daughter or sisters? How about them saddle shoes?????
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