Topic: My former HD Shovelhead

[Dream750]

Found a couple of my old snap shots yesterday. 

While the Honda 750 is my absolute favorite bike, I also like many of the pre-evo Harleys and decided to build one. This winter project started out as a partial basket case that I bought in 1991 off some Navy guy while stationed in Great Lakes, IL. The title, engine and frame VIN numbers showed a 1970 FL Electra glide and I decided to go with the stock FX Super glide styling lines. Plenty of unwanted AMF parts for cheap back then and that’s how it became a FL/FX bitsa bike.

The 74” engine was rebuilt and balanced with 80" shaved flywheels, overbore pistons, Leineweber cam and a S&S super carb. Heads were ported & flowed by Dave Mackie in SoCal. The 4-speed transmission received the Andrews close ratio gear treatment for slick shifting. Other parts were a lightweight Tsubaki primary chain, Barnett clutch, Dyna-S ignition and stock FX exhaust. Lake Shore HD in Waukegan, IL provided the machine work, engine and transmission parts.       

Forking by Frank made the longer Kayaba tubes and the stock style banana seat was made by Bob LePera. The stock parts interchangeability of the Harley design helped make this an easy and quick turnaround project. The bike turned out to be a strong runner nipping on the heels of evo owners and I ended up enjoying it for several years. Then it was sold and turned into a 70’s period chopper by the new owner and his son.

Pix were taken in 1993:

[Stev-o]

Looks sharp, nice work

[754]

 Wow...like a whos who of speed goodies back then.. Was Warner Riley still around at LakeShore them days..

[Dream750]

Warner Riley of Bonneville speed fame. He rode this highly modified Harley-Davidson 1500cc ironhead Sportster race bike to set 16 speed records between 1967 and 1976, including a speed of 212 mph. He later built engines that set even higher speeds.
 
The guys at Lake Shore told me that Warner retired from Harley racing and wrenching sometime in the early 1980’s and became an insurance salesman, he was reported to drop by Lake Shore every now and then to visit. There was quite a bit of Warner memorabilia at the Lake Shore dealership when I was doing business there during the 1991 to 1993 time frame, but I never got the chance to meet him.
 

[Dream750]

Looks sharp, nice work

Thanks Stev-o! 

[ekpent]

Looks sharp, nice work

Thanks Stev-o! 

Yes +2, looks like very nice quality work and parts. Ever wish it was still kicking around in your stash ?

[dusterdude]

Nice ride

[Dream750]

Duster, I see you’re a Panhead guy. No doubt about it, the 1948-65 Pans were always the best looking engines to come off the HD drawing boards.   

Ever wish it was still kicking around in your stash ?

No, not really. While it was a memorable and fun bike for the times, I don’t think I would be able to enjoy it now for a couple of reasons. HD no longer supplies parts for the shovelheads which forces one to go with aftermarket parts, as some are pure junk and the genuine new/used part sources have practically dried up. What’s even worse, is the savvy old timers having the passion, experience, services offered, etc. have been slowly slipping away with the passage of time. Besides, I’m not so sure I would still want a kick start Harley with a modified engine these days.  

 

[dusterdude]

Yea,i like pans,have had my 49 for these past 30 odd years or so

[72 yellow]

Here's a picture of my old shovelhead.  It's a 77 Superglide.  Only had it for a year.

[Stev-o]

Only had it for a year.

How come?

[Dream750]

72 yellow, do you remember the 1977 Superglide confederate edition?

http://americanwind.blogspot.com/2011/10/rebel-soul.html

(click on the magazine pages to read the article)

[72 yellow]

Only had it for a year.

How come?

AMF poor build quality.  Got tired of fixing it or having it recalled.

[72 yellow]

72 yellow, do you remember the 1977 Superglide confederate edition?

http://americanwind.blogspot.com/2011/10/rebel-soul.html

(click on the magazine pages to read the article)

I remember the controversy....

[Stev-o]

Only had it for a year.

How come?

AMF poor build quality.  Got tired of fixing it or having it recalled.

Yeah, they should have stuck with bowling balls!

[72 yellow]

Only had it for a year.

How come?

AMF poor build quality.  Got tired of fixing it or having it recalled.

Yeah, they should have stuck with bowling balls!

It really ticked me off, because I really liked the bike.  More comfortable than my 73 Sportster.  The day I picked the bike up I pulled out into traffic only to find I had no brakes.  No one had bothered to check either master cylinder.  Both were dry.  Carb had been tampered with from the factory.  Recalled due the rear caliper bracket failing and dropping it on the rotor.  Seal failed on rear wheel bearing due to damage, coating rotor with grease.  Dealership was less than helpful.  All this in the first summer.  The only good thing was I sold it for what I paid for it.  Next bike was a 78 CB750F.

[Stev-o]

WOW

[scottly]

OK, looks like I'll never get this right. Please enlighten me. I can understand why a Panhead is called a Pan: the valve cover looks like it could be used to bake biscuits in, but I can't make the Shovel connection. I've seen HD valve covers that resembled shovels, but they weren't called shovels???

[754]

Shovel sorta resembles. Cross section of a shovel...my fave is cowpie tranny

[SF]

Can't beat cast iron

[Stev-o]

OK, looks like I'll never get this right. Please enlighten me. I can understand why a Panhead is called a Pan: the valve cover looks like it could be used to bake biscuits in, but I can't make the Shovel connection.

You are not alone.  I just never cared.

[Dream750]

OK, looks like I'll never get this right. Please enlighten me. I can understand why a Panhead is called a Pan: the valve cover looks like it could be used to bake biscuits in, but I can't make the Shovel connection. I've seen HD valve covers that resembled shovels, but they weren't called shovels???

You are not alone.  I just never cared.

Guys, the shovelhead nickname comes from the appearance of upside down coal shovel heads, which is actually referring to the rocker box shape that attaches to the top of the cylinder head. I’ve heard that there is an official HD factory name and/or number designation for the engine, but I never looked into it.

[scottly]

So is there not an HD tin valve cover with a wedge shape, which resembled a shovel? Was it called a Knuckle head???

[Dream750]

Scott, which engine were you thinking of:

http://www.harley-riders-guide.com/harley-davidson-engines.html

[scottly]

I don't see the cover I'm thinking of on any of those motors. Perhaps I was mistaken...