April 2: A Real Prototype

All things K & Sportster

April 2: A Real Prototype

Postby hennesse » Fri Apr 02, 2021 12:03 pm

OK, you didn't get fooled by the XLCA.

There's a REAL PROTOTYPE in our Gallery section - under the new Prototypes sub-section. This is a very interesting piece of history - take a look and see how many differences you can find - between it and the production 1952 K.

I found the photo languishing in my "TO DO" area. I have no idea when I originally got it - or from where. The low quality of the original indicates a newspaper or inexpensive magazine, perhaps a Popular Mechanics-type. I used halftone de-screening software to make it more presentable.

Note on the fenders: the proto-K fenders look very similar to the 1951-later Model 125 ("Hummer") fenders. The braces are different, and the curve is very slightly different, but the shape is the same. The 1948-1950 Model 125s used very different fenders - very skimpy with hardly any sides on them, similar to the German DKW RT-125 from which it came. The new 1951 fenders greatly enhanced the Model 125's look, and the 1951 Model 125 was the most graceful of all the Hummers (my personal opinion).

Strangely, the 1951-1952 Model 125 DID NOT have a bell on the trailing edge of the front fender, but 1953-later ones DID. The 1952-1954 K/KH DID have the bell, while the 1955-1956 K/KH (and Sportsters) DID NOT. Bell-Bottoms go in and out of style.
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