Panhead
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The panhead was Harley-Davidson motorcycle engine, so nick-named because of the distinct shape of the rocker covers. The engine is a two cylinder, two valve per cylinder, pushrod V-twin. The engine replaced the Knucklehead engine in 1948 and was manufactured until 1965 when it was replaced by the Shovelhead engine.
As the design of Harley-Davidson engines has evolved through the years, the distinctive shape of the valve covers has allowed Harley enthusiasts to classify an engine simply by looking at the shape of the cover and panhead has covers resembling an upside down pan.
The Captain America chopper used by Peter Fonda in Easy Rider had a panhead engine, as well as the bike ridden by Dennis Hopper in the film.
Currently, a number of third-party engine manufacturers produce custom panhead-style engines, in a variety of bores, many much larger than the original design displacements. Each manufacturer includes significant subtle upgrades to the original design to drastically improve the performance and reliability while still providing the original styling and overall engine structure.
