HARLEY-DAVIDSON ENGINES
Harley-Davidson engines. Nothing sounds like a Harley engine. Harley's been making that great Harley engine since 1903. Here's a look at some Harley-Davidson engines from the first V-Twin to the Twincam 96.
 THE FIRST V-TWIN
Harley-Davidson's first V-Twin engine was produced from 1909 to 1911. It was a 45-degree 49.5 cubic inch with 7hp.
THE FLATHEAD
The Flathead was produced from 1929-1939. Introduced for 1929 with its side valves. A flathead has no valves in the cylinder head. It gets its name from the flat vented tops of the cylinder heads. Harley used the flathead to power the three-wheeled Servicecar until 1947. This was a very reliable engine for Harley-Davidson engine.
THE KNUCKLEHEAD
The Knucklehead was produced from 1936-1947. Harley introduced a new model called the EL, its first production bike with overhead valves and recirculating oil system. The first knucklehead displaced 61 cubic inches which grew to 74 cubic inches in 1941. The UL and ULH got an 80 cubic inch engine from 1936 to 1945. It was mamed for the knuckle shaped valve covers.
THE PANHEAD
The Pan head ran from 1948-1965. After WWII Harley introduced the next generation of engines. The panhead featured aluminum cylinder heads and hydrolic valve lifters. It was offered in both 61 and 74 cubic inches. In 1965 Harley used an electric starter on the 1965 Electra Glide, which was the last year for the panhead. It got its name from the pan shaped valve covers. New features included aluminum heads and hydraulic valve lifters that supplied oil through the rocker arms.
THE SHOVELHEAD
The Shovelhead was produced from 1966-1985. The shovelhead was introduced in 1966. The rocker boxes were made of cast aluminum which replaced the leaky panhead. Two big advances occurred in 1980. The Sturgis was the first Harley model with a belt final drive, which was quieter and lasted longer than chain drive. And the Toru Glide was suspended by three rubber mounts. This isolated vibration from the frame. The Shovelhead got its name from the shovel shaped valve covers.
THE EVOLUTION
The Harley-Davidson Evolution engine ran from 1984-1999. It displaced 80 cubic inches and had steel-lined alloy cylinders with new pushrods, pistons and cylinder heads. The Evo was very reliable and was easy to modify. Many say it was the engine that saved Harley-Davidson. The Evolution engine was introduced not long after Harley-Davidson was bought back from AMF. New features included electronic ignition.
THE TWINCAM 88
The Twin Cam features two camshafts and was available in the FL and Dyna models and was rubber mounted to isolate vibration. A year later, it was brought out in a B version, which was available only in the softail models. It used twin counterbalancers that cancel out most of the engines vibration. Becauce of the counterbalance, the engine is mounted directly to the frame, which strengthening the frame. The Twincam 88 ran from 1999-2006 and the 88B ran from 2000-2006.
THE REVOLUTION
The Revolution was introduced in 2001 and is still used today in the V Rod models. It is the only liquid cooled Harley-Davidson engine. Features include double overhead cams, four valves per cylinder and fuel injection. It redlines at 9000 rpm. It is a 1130cc 115hp engine made for higher performance.
THE TWINCAM 96
The Twincam 96 was produced in 2007-present. The new 96 cubic inch Twincam has a longer stroke, from 4.0 inches to 4.38 inches, which gives it the 96 cubic inches and keeping the bore. This also increased the compression from 8.9 to 9.2:1. The 96 also got the new six-speed Cruise Drive transmission. The Twincam 96B (balanced) is available in the Softail models. All Harley engines are now fuel injected.
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