LOT 635

From The Warr's Harley-Davidson Collection 1953 Harley-Davidson 750cc KK Registration no. 684 YUK Frame no. to be advised Engine no. 53KK2648

Sold for £13,225 inc. premium

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Lot 635

From The Warr's Harley-Davidson Collection, 1953 Harley-Davidson 750cc KK
Registration no. 684 YUK Frame no. to be advised Engine no. 53KK2648

The Spring Sale - The International Classic MotorCycle Show|23 April 2022, 10:00 BST|Stafford, Staffordshire County Showground

From The Warr's Harley-Davidson Collection
1953 Harley-Davidson 750cc KK
Registration no. 684 YUK
Frame no. to be advised
Engine no. 53KK2648

Introduced in 1952, the 45ci (750cc) Model K was Harley's final 'flat head'. Almost a complete break with the past, the K adopted ideas from Europe: unitary construction of engine/transmission, swinging-arm rear suspension, foot operated gear change and hand clutch, but despite better handling than its similar-sized predecessor, proved little faster. Not so the racing KR that it inspired. Harley-Davidson had not won the prestigious Daytona Beach race since WW2, so the KR's winning debut there in 1953 was greeted with intense relief back in Milwaukee.

Enlarged to 54ci (883cc) as the KH, the Model K street bike continued in the line-up until the end of 1956; the racer though, ran on successfully well into the 1960s; indeed, its final Daytona victory in 1969 was the KR's 12th at the Florida track. That year a KRTT achieved an astonishing 149mph during qualifying.

An example of the ultra-rare KK variant, a hotted-up model produced for the 1953 season only, this actual machine featured as Tim Burton's ride in the motion picture I.Q. (1994) starring Meg Ryan. The Harley had already been restored when it was purchased in the USA circa 2012. Re-commissioning will be required before it returns to the road. Offered with a V5C document.
Offered with key

Footnotes

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