1936 Harley-Davidson Knucklehead - Jay Leno's Garage 

gotta hand it to Jay, he knows his stuff and isn't afraid to ride/ drive his toys. kudos for standing out in a Sea of rich poser's/ collectors

should have more motorcycles on the channel

Old bikes like this have a certain soul that can't really be described with words. It's about sound, feel, smell, and the fact that they are windows into the past. Great installment. I never miss a bike episode.

when i was 20..now 54..a man befriended me..a true self reliant west Texan..being 20 i knew everything..he had a surplus WLA he rode pretty much everywhere on those bumpy dusty lonely Texas FM back roads..matter of fact he had been doing so with the same bike well before i was born in 1964..one day i asked him why he didn't get a better bike? it seemed he was always doing something to it..(later in life i realized not only was he just doing routine maintenance ..he enjoyed the simple bond of man and machine) well he looked up at me while wiping the bike down and said : "what for?..this is a air cooled job with balloon tires perfectly suited for around here" then i said with all my long years of experience.. but its so slow..lol..ill never forget..he looked down at the baked Caliche..shook his head ..then looked up through squinted eyes and said : "when this bike was built a 100 mph was plenty fast for the roads back then which were mostly dirt and for around here half that speed is pretty fast with the wash board and silt holes..now its been almost 35 years since ive seen my beloved friend and now im older i realize he gave me so many pearls of wisdom..i hope hes well and i like to think hes still putting around on that ole harley..

Original and unrestored Knucklehead? Whoa. Absolutely beautiful bike, Jay.

I lived in Long Beach, CA from '83 to '86 and rode bikes the whole time. I met a guy once who ran into Jay at the Rock Store and several of them went riding. They ended up somewhere near Burbank. Jay said something like, "Hey, you guys want to see my garage?" Granted, that was 30 years ago, but still, can you imagine walking into that place? Motorhead paradise.

Harley Davidson's, they continue to amaze me with the reliability and overall stabilities it has over decades. I got my dads 1992 Sportster, just a month ago, I did the same TLC and replaced the starter motor, it fired right up after three seconds holding the start switch after sitting since 1996 it has straight pipe, so it fired up loud and proud! It's a cruisers dream!

JLG is a fantastic show,and thumbs up to Jay for doing a great job of showing us vehicles like this,and providing the history and technical information on them.It’s great to see the old cars and motorcycles going down the road and Jay explaining what they’re all about.Thank you Jay!👍

Knuckleheads are every old school Harley riders dream bike, when I started looking for an old Harley in 1979, knuckles were already expensive, and they've only gone up, I've seen bikes like Jays for sale from 80, to well over 100 grand.

One of the all-time greats for sure. Thanks for giving us a look Jay!

A bike with a soul will always comes alive when resuscitated

I just looked in my garage to see if I forgot a Knucklehead laying around somewhere. Nope. Hmmmm I could of sworn I had one......

I have my dad's 48 FL with a sidecar. He bought it new.

About 1 5 years ago I met a fellow down in Sturgis S.D. He had ridden his knucklehead from Seattle, pulling a trailer. These old beasts were WAY ahead of their time. I was riding a 1955 Royal Enfield made in India in 1995 (yep, identical and unchanged since they started building them). Some of those good old ideas are still with us and its both important and cool to honour the legacy and the innovation. Thanks Jay.

Well, call me an idiot if you want to, but when i hear storys like this...such a nice old girl sitting in a corner...beeing so thankful to get pulled out that she starts right away...it´s hard for me not to cry...i now this might be too much, but i have very few old bikes too which i restored myself and everytime they start up the first time after i put them together...well...very emotional moment for me. Glad for you Jay, i can see her and you smiling :)

My dad still has his knucklehead he got when he was 17. It is why I keep telling dad that riding a motorcycle at his age is way too dangerous, it's better to stop and donate the bike to me.

Nothing but pure cool.....a piece of American motorcycle history

I'd never think that I would ever like any other motorcycle than the '79 Honda CBX, but when seeing those videos about the Brough Superior SS100, HRD Vincent Series A Rapide, The 4-cylinder Henderson, or '36 Harley-Davidson Knucklehead, I mean, these bikes really have something special about them. Modern bikes look all the same time, like cell phones or tablets. Maybe they are good, but they lack personality. Those classic bikes, they have so much character.

You know Jay, I used to think you were an over-rated big-mouth because you seemed to keep talking to yourself and under your breath. But I have come to realize that every sentence you so seemingly casually toss off is loaded with information. I respect you sir. You are a man of history, in all senses of the term, and as a lover of history myself, I find I have learnt a lot from this great show, which means from you. Thank you. I wish you all the very best.

See this just goes to show that new isn't always better. Sometimes it's good to revisit old tech. You can always learn something new. These old bikes and cars deserve to be shown. They deserve to be on the road from time to time doing what they were meant to do. Or even show them off to people who didn't even know they existed. Thank you again Jay for the work you do and the videos you post.

I really appreciate what Jay's doing with this series. It's fabulous that he's sharing his love of cars and motorcycles with the world. I really enjoy learning about the variety of machines he's pulled together. And it's a pleasure to become acquainted with vintage machines like this Harley. Ride on Jay, and thanks!!

Good ol' American engineering. Really cool to hear that machine came back to life so effortlessly. The points were still good after all those years... Nice.

Mr. Leno: There are no words. Thank you for sharing. My '36 Knuckle story dates back to 1978. Me, my wife and our 2 boys traveled up Pikes Peak on vacation. At the top were several old guys on their circa '30's & 40's Harley's. I fell in love with a specific '36 Knucklehead, the most beautiful engine Harley has ever built in my opinion. All of those guy's had ridden from Los Angeles and Pikes Peak was their destination. Thanks to you sir, I just relived a fond memory watching this video. You just made an old man very happy. My current and last Harley: 2006 Dyna Wide Glide, aka: "Last Chance". She'll go to my grandson when I'm gone. Thanks again.

Leno working that tank shift like a Boss while talking away in LA traffic. That was cool,,,,,way cool.

Captain America called, he wants his bike back ;-)

I wish you made a half an hour video of this bike. This is my favorite episode.

My dad had a '36 and '47. He loved those bikes. So many stories of hill climbs and mud runs and racing around Tacoma in the 40's. Love to tell you more some day Jay.

He's having so much fun he don't want 2 get off.I just bought a 2019 slim i love it.

now to get Jay to put a GoPro or other action camera on the front of his helmet and a mic and get him to start motovlogging on all his different bikes

That thing really is a piece of American motorcycling history. Never even heard of a knucklehead single! Very cool. They don't make 'em like they used to, that's for sure, but an HD is still a very good bike.

Great Video! When I was a kid (about 50+ years ago) There was a man who had one of these for sale in my hometown. He wanted $150 dollars for it. My older brother wanted to buy it but he only had $100 (he had earned from mowing lawns). He asked our dad for the remaining $50 but he refused (sigh). I have always loved older Harleys. Thanks for all your videos, Jay...I love 'em!

Well, not much to say really, Jay says it all and its delivered with passion and knowledge. Just brilliant. Jay thank you so much from all that love what you do. John

Flat head,Knuckle head,Panhead and early shovels and Sportsters. I really like those old Harley's I bought a 76 Electra Glide and gee I wish I would have held on to it.

another good monday morning in the UK.thanks Jay.

Love the authenticity of Jay, you can feel his passion and relate to it! I love these old bikes!

I've had a 99 sporty for 6 years and recently realized its simplicity is a strength not a weakness.

It's interesting how back in the day they'd decorate a Harley Davidson seat with little flowers. Kind of makes you laugh because of how tough the old guys that were probably riding them.

That's an 80 yr old machine. To put it in perspective, eighty years before this bike was manufactured was 1856 and that was before the Civil War, The thing is ancient and not just a whole lot different from current air cooled V twin Harleys The original engine design was good enough that it could be kept and just refined over the years yet perform as well as many more modern designs.l

What a gem!

American legend : Simply ingeniering pratic, solid, super finitions and think for many many many... years !

I respect anything with 2 wheels, I love the diversity.

Jay any chance of a further update on your current projects?

Heart and soul , Harley Davidson is a great motorcycle, darn near bullet proof, stone reliable and will hopefully be around for hundreds of years. I have a 2008 Heritage Softail which I ride hard and often. I have never had a problem with her and it is like no other MC I have ever owned which is four prior bikes: BSA, Suzuki, and a Honda . Are prior bikes were great bikes but the HD is truly fulfilling .

You da man jay ! Thanks for not ruining it by restoring , Looks like custom ordered paint possibly . Amazing bike !

My mother was a 1921 Knucklehead.

Thank god for Jay Leno's garage, Saabkyle, and 2Theredline.

Love You Jay. So knowledgeable and knows how to ride. His confidence shows

I just love your car videos, But the motorcycle videos are just the best. Hopefully these will still be there for people to watch a hundred years or more in the future. If it was not for you doing such wonderful things like this, No one would have anywhere to learn about all these wonderful motorcycles. Its a wonderful thing you do. Dave

wow.... now when someone asks me..... what is your favorite motorcycle? I will procede to tell them about Jay Leno 's 19and36 HD Knucklehead and everything I can remember about this video. ....jay...your garage shows are by far your best works. ...thank you...Corey M

That is an awesome bike Jay , I don't have anything that old but I do ride a 1989 FLHTCU.

Jay is such cool humble guy. He would never be the type to brag about his money or lifestyle. But here he is stating he had a perfect 1931 knucklehead laying in the corner " He just forgot about it". Thank's Jay.

Be so sweet to have an old classic bike like this

W0W! What a story Jay. Just yours alone on the bike is awesome. Not, counting the stories from the years before you got it (if it could only talk) huh? I know there a Lot of bikers out there that has seen this video now and are just drooling over this machine...ha-ha. Another Great video on the 0lden years Iron, Thanks!

It takes 2 kicks just to get me off the couch ! :)

Speaking of things that sat since 1952 - I have an Aeronca L3B airplane that I am working on; when I tore down the engine, it became clear to me that I could have just put oil in it and fired it up! It was that well preserved, although no effort had been made to do so; it simply sat in a dry shed for over 60 years. I wonder if 60y years from now there will even be any "classic" vehicles of any kind. Nothing is built to last and nothing I see out there has any kind of inherent qualities of aesthetics of interesting engineering that makes it stand out. Love your channel, Mr Leno - you are man who knows how to spend his money.

So much machine appeal. My heart got movin just watching that. Thanks

you own one of those now and your still king of the bikers

For Jay's audio - try Gopro w/ Sena GP10 backpack and Sena 20S - will allow for ample ambient audio plus a much cleaner 'in helmet' setup. Also, it is purely wireless and can intercom with multiple riders for future projects where Jay and another rider want to record their intercom communication - badass show! Viva Harley!

Just saw it this in the Harley museum Milwaukee!! It is really a romantic experience!! Awesome Jay!

Knuckles are the most beautiful v twin ever made. That chrome and beautiful rockers🥰

Beautiful bike

Jay, check the left axle adjuster (my guess is it has slipped forward about 1/4"), looks like she is dog-tracking to the right a bit.

I must admit - best old and badass motorcycle ever, controls, look and engine sound is music for your ears, fascinating motorcycle!

Jay Leno looks like the a motorcycle man supposed to look like -a real bike man -love Jay leno he's a blessing to the world vintage transportation history .

That is what a M/C is supposed to look like. Its why the HD styles never strays away from that style.

And then they got big, rested on their laurels, fought to keep competition at bay and made a joke out of themselves. Harley Davidson execs needs to have a long think with this bike on top of them in a small room.

That’s why the Heritage Springer, Softail Deluxe and the Road King are my favorite HDs...They evoke the spirit of the knuckle....

Harley was a leader in technology and had great designs. Genius!

They only had one add because they were out of money. The add came from one of the davidsong s wife, who was a newspaper reporter, so it was free.

I've wanted a knuck forever! Could have bought one 12 years ago for $15000. Man I wish I would have!

I only ever posted one request for a video in a comment section and here it is! couple of later bits here and there, later frame but a supercool knuck non the less!! Thanks for showing us your 36 Jay!!

LOVE that this bike fired right up after all that time. Gotta admire those simple, bulletproof old engines, Like an old GMC "Jimmy 6"

I miss seeing this guy on tv.

harley and the davidsons brought me here

Jay Leno is the real deal. Jay talks the talk, walks the walk and best of all 'Rides the rides'.

Truly love these videos you make Jay. Always enjoy sittin back and hearing you describe each nuance. I'm 34 and grew up in Torrance till I was 10. Hopefully one day I'll make it back to California and maybe just maybe get to be able to shake your hand.

Jay, this bike is absolutely great.... great story.....great heritage...but that said..I had a bit of a laugh with your helmet..I mean, in combination with this bike...:):)

Super cool bike. Please take the windscreen off.

that's cute. all of 8 seconds of Jay and the knucklehead on the freeway...(holding up traffic..) my FXR's great grandpappa!

One of my favorite family photos is of my dad posing on his Knucklehead at Venice Beach in the early 40s

Great bike, but looks like the frame is bent or rear wheel is misaligned.

You guys complaining about Jays helmet should go work in a ladies dress shop where you can do the whole matching purse and shoes thing.

I wish i could attend a univercity class about the history of automobiles taught by Jay Leno...i guarantee i would never skip a class.

Sometimes I want to know what something is worth but I like that Jay doesn't just brag and toss out price numbers on his stuff. He's there to show you the vehicle and talk about it...not what he paid or what he could get for it. Appreciate it Jay.

Whaddup JLG?! Is it fair to say "They don't build em like they used to". I myself ride a Yamaha FZ-09 Knucklehead... but thats only bc of who's operating the vehicle, lol. Squeeze it Easy! -Drizz

Jay your helmet is crime against the classic motorcycle rights according to the geneva convention from 1936

Love this. Basing my project bike on this style. Pure gold. Jay's calm enthusiasm is so endearing. Seems such a lovely guy.

Jay, Sir, Leno, I feel like I could talk to you like an old friend. I'm 56 years old and you are one cool dude.

Curious as to what that mint-green metallic car is that is sitting aside the Chrysler while Jay's giving the overview.

I'm not keen on new HD's it's the old ones I wouldn't mind to have.

This bike allows you see and understand the heritage of current Harley’s.

That sure looks like a Buco touring windshield. I have very similar on my 1962 BMW R69S. That piece alone is worth a bunch. Motorcycles have all their own character!

Get rid of the wind shield and it's ready to go!

Jay, you need to invest in a more retro helmet, it just doesn't look right wiht a modern crash helmet and that classic bike, perhaps a retro chrome German helmet? :D

I really like when you speak about your vehicule, you seem very connected to it.

Love the sound and the look... cool. And the riding posture looks so comfortable. Beautiful.

That windscreen does not do the bike any justice.

Jay ,you have to get a Custom Helmet ;)

That's a nice old original Harley there, Jay. Those Knuckleheads are fine engines, as I'm sure you know. I love the fact that it hasn't been molested! SWEET brother!

In 1998, I had an accident while on a 1984 Sportster. Hit a raccoon and became a quad. People think I'm nuts when I say I'd love to ride again but I'd love to feel my face in the wind. I do enjoy watching your motorcycles videos. Keep 'em coming!