Select your Bike >

BACK

Knuckster

Unique among aftermarket companies, Cobra Engineering's approach to marketing is not based on the quick-n-easy "catalog bike" formula, as in taking a particular model and outfitting it with one of everything from the product line. Instead, company co-founder Ken Boyko has concentrated on generating excitement and attention with a series of one-off customs, each more concept bike than rolling business card. In almost 20 years there have been more than 35 showbikes, all still owned by Cobra, many sprinkled about the company's Yorba Linda, California headquarters for visitors to see. This is one of Ken's favorites.

As its name suggests, the "Knuckster" is part VTwin Knucklehead and part Sportster. The motor's look was inspired by the backyard hop-up artists who transplanted Knucklehead top ends onto Sportster engine cases--except in this case the whole motor is a modern 100-horsepower S&S Buell powerplant with aftermarket Knucklehead cosmetic covers added. The ruse is effective, with more than a few onlookers wanting to know, "Hey, what year is that bike anyway?"

Inspiration for the whole motorcycle came via Roger Ritzow's immaculately understated 1932 Ford hot-rod, one of the most awarded show cars of 2005. With Ritzow's blessing, Boyko was given the paint codes so that a color-matched bob-job could be built; the concept being, car and bike, perfect bookends in the ultimate rodder's garage. A signature item is the Knuckster's exhaust, looking like a header attached to one bank of an old Ford flathead V-8's cylinders. Oh, the kickstarter seen snuggling up to the pipe? No such thing needed for the electric-start-only motor, but a heat shield for the exhaust system was required where it passed close to tender inner thighs, so Berg figured why not keep up the 1930s facade?

Besides being one of Boyko's favorites--it stays in his garage, ready for weekend rides--and foreshadowing the current fascination with bob-jobs by several years, the Knuckster underscores the fact that Cobra may have started out specializing in metric cruisers but now is a full-line operation with pipes, fuel modules and accessories for Harley-Davidsons.

"I like it because it was just so different from most custom Harleys being built back in '05," says Ken. "It wasn't a stretched-out chopper, it didn't have flames and skulls for paint, there was a minimum of chrome, no billet. It was just cool, especially with the tie-in to that '32 coupe."

    Emissions Notice

    The state of California considers aftermarket exhaust systems to be legal replacement parts for non-catalyst equipped motorcycles and/or if slip-on mufflers are installed downstream of the OEM catalysts.

    California does not allow the use of aftermarket systems that remove original equipment catalysts, (except for racing use only) unless the Air Resources Board has issued an Executive Order for that system.

    For California riders we offer Air Resources Board approved Fi2000 R ARB units. (ARB E.O. No. D-633-1). All other Fi2000 models are not legal for street use in California.

    spinn