1940 Harley Davidson Sport Solo Big Twin Flathead UL 74 c.i. Motorcycle
Rare Matching #'s 40UL3944 engine Big Twin Flathead
Rare UL, reportedly only 822 model built
First year of the semi circular floorboards
Wonderful survivor in excellent condition.
Recently acquired from collection in climate controlled storage.
After the Knucklehead was introduced in 1936 the rest of the Big Twin line got 4-speed constant mesh transmissions and dry sump return oiling also starting in 1937
Hand shift
Foot clutch
Solo seat
Rear fender carrier rack
Ride control
Front fender light
Spot lights
Center stand
Harley-Davidson, and the United States, began to emerge from the Great Depression by 1936, and in a bold move, Harley-Davidson made a complete change to its entire 11-model lineup. By 1937, all the Big Twins shared a new chassis with a stronger frame, beefy springer forks, dry-sump engines with proper oil pumps, and constant-mesh 4-speed gearboxes. While the 61 CI EL Knucklehead was the range leader, the real Big Twins were the 74 CI U and UL models, and the UH in 80 CI capacity. All models shared most chassis parts in a nod towards harmonization of production and cheaper manufacture; they'd learned hard lessons the previous six years.
By 1940, Harley-Davidsons engineers had made their side-valve models U, UL and UH into completely reliable, bulletproof machines. They remained popular with the flathead faithful for many years, and Harley-Davidson continued producing them through 1948. There was a break during World War II, when Harley-Davidson almost exclusively built the WL/WLA/WLC 45s for the U.S. military from 1942 through September of 1945.
This 1940 Harley-Davidson UL motorcycle the Sport Solo model with a matching #'s 74 CI flathead motor, a foot clutch/hand shift, a rear-fender carrier rack, front-fender light, spotlights and a center stand. Its a true matching #'s original survivor that features the higher handlebars of the post-1938 models, which have a more comfortable riding position, a simplified instrument panel that replaced the ammeter with a red warning lamp, the oil-pressure gauge with a green lamp, and a solid White paint job. Model-year 1940 was the first year of the semi-circular footboards, and production of the UL that year was limited to 822 machines, compared to nearly 4,000 EL, making the 1940 UL a much rarer machine than the Knucklehead. The flathead faithful will be pleased with this wonderful survivor, which has no doubt given its owners over the years plenty of smiles.
