HARLEY Davidson SHOVELHEAD Is WAY PRIMITIVE Of A MOTORCYCLE For Today's RIDERS
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 1 ต.ค. 2024
- The Harley Davidson Shovelhead is way primitive of a motorcycle for today's generation of riders is my thought; That is unless you're willing to get your hands dirty when the intervals come. Here's an update on the Tramp (the 1200 sportster chopper) and on my thoughts plus what I've done and plan to do on the shovelhead.
Patreon: / saddletramptv
Merch: saddetramp-mer...
Instagram: / saddletrmp
Facebook: / saddletramp-1017992545...
![ลองสั่งของจากแอพ temu ถูกจริงหรอ?? [โกงไหมครับ ep.88 ] | DOM](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/RTcZSQTiDZw/mqdefault.jpg)
You have been listening to too many naysayers, I rode shovel heads for years, they are good engines, you just have to keep up with matenance.
If I hadn’t found my Evo,, I would have more than likely gotten my shovel.
Brother, you are in for such an interesting and memorable experience with your shovelhead! I rode one for 30 years in one form or another, and never regretted a single minute, well, maybe a minute... and they DO all have different temperaments and definite personalities. You're going to have a lot of fun!
I just got my first one , a 72 .not started in 2 years. I put a starter cylinoid.battery.
plugs n gas...rode for 3 daze.
Now she wont fire.lol
I rode a 1340 low rider for years the ss e carb help it especially the air adjustment on it I put the biggest jet the carb had it would fall on it face when opened up so I put the next size jet down it came with a jap carb from factory a kumhold or something 😂
Cory you have to stop listening to these nay sayers about shovelheads.... My 84 wide glide has never fouled a plug never used oil never leaked oil.... Stop it 🛑......Bought mine brand new..... All bikes have their own personality.....
I love the wideglides! Big fan of shovelheads! Have an excellant day, fellas. Phx
I don't think you mentioned what year the shovel is, but it matters. The original design was 74 ci..In the late 70's displacement was increased to 80 ci. While the 80 had better performance, reliability did suffer. The design had been maxed out, and like most American companies h-d started hiring incompetent college kids as engineers. They spent millions fixing problems that didn't exist and creating new ones. I bought a used '71 when I was 17. I still have it (I'm 65 now). I used to do a lot of long trips and I remember a guy in the parking lot after a dirt track race somewhere who said "man, you ride that thing all over the country and don't even carry a wrench do you?" I didn't know him, but I thought that was cool. I often rode at 80 - 90 mph all day. The shovel just ate it up. Enjoyed the video, Tramp. Ride the shit out of your shovel and don't sweat it.
Original Shovelhead on a big V Twin was 1966. 1966 to and including 1969 were produced with Shovelheads on a Pan bottom end. They were all generator Shovels, sometimes referred to Slab side Shovels.
Loved my 71 flh, should of sold the wife, instead of the bike
Bikes look great as always. I believe you have to get your hands dirty to be a biker. Everyone else is an enthusiast. Haha
I could never afford anything that wasn't clapped-out or broken down. The one time I thought I was actually getting a good ride, was last summer when I bought an old Softail. One hour into the ride and it was suddenly rattling like someone threw $50 worth of quarters into the dryer and turned it on. Rear exhaust tappet was wasted, corresponding cam lobe was wiped, the oil pump had scoring, the pistons and jugs had a couple deep scratches. I learned how to rebuild that motor from TH-cam. Still fighting the Super E tuning because of these straight pipes....I must say that I'm glad for the experience nevertheless, but my wallet is about $3K lighter after repairing everything I could find wrong with the bike. One thingi noticed is that I'm much more confident in a machine that I've had to take completely apart. No more hidden surprises and it makes riding it more enjoyable without worrying about how far away from the house I can ride without issues
@@DougFLTRX put some lollipops in or run longer straights for more restrictions that S&S E will like it.
Yeah, wrenching is how you earn the riding! Always good stuff Tramp. If I can't be in my garage, I can be in yours.
I had 1978 1/2 fxe I just sold it to my oldest. I told him if you can ride this and maintain it you've earned your stripes. I do 98% of my own work so I agree with this statement
@@DougFLTRX I could either tune my Super E equipped 74" Shovel to run fairly well at mid rpm or high rpm but not both with open drag pipes until I modified my carburetor. I experimented with baffles and homemade restrictions in the pipes but that just cut out too much of my power and I wasn't gonna live with that. I installed a Thunderjet kit in the S&S Super E and once tuned it rode beautifully and screamed through the entire RPM range at WOT perfectly. I don't think the Thunderjet itself was the most significant part of the modification but the air bleed modification that goes along with it. The S&S carb is designed with the main system air bleed internally in the carburetor and part of the Thunderjet kit installation is to modify the carb for an external, easy to access and adjust main system air bleed. What happens with the drag pipes is that the pulses in the pipes activate the high speed system of the carb too early and the air/fuel mix goes over rich through that part of the rev range. By enlarging the air bleed it delays the transition point between the circuits. The Thunderjet kit contains the parts and instructions to install and the key part of the modification as far as I'm concerned is the externally adjustable air bleed modification. I did have to buy a couple taps and drill bits, though, I think. Forget about restricting your exhaust and focus on tuning your fuel mixture. Needing "backpressure" is a scam. On the other hand, now, before I put 40" long, 1-3/4" drag pipes on the bike I used a factory stock type 2-1 type pipe that I cleaned up the crude entrance of the rear pipe into the main pipe and ran it open with a slash cut. The S&S Super E ran perfectly with no modifications with that pipe on it. As much as I liked how it ran that way it didn't compare with how the motor wound out the rpm and the power it made with the drag pipes and modified carb. Zipper's sells an externally adjustable air bleed kit that is a fraction of the price and easier to install than the whole Thunderjet kit. I didn't try the air bleed tuning modification without the Thunderjet but I think would do well. If you have money to spend, install or have somebody install a Thunderjet kit and make sure to also have the external air bleed modification.
What size tranny sprocket you have on it? Stock is 23 but a 24 is definetly better for cruising. You can also use a 25, but dont let your chain get slack, you"ll eat the bottom of your starter mount out of the inner primary. Pacific Mike is an awesome guy to ask questions about older bikes, If he doesn't know, nobody does!😆
No clue. Haven't been that far into it yet. Yeah, Pacific Mike is a wealth of knowledge.
Bumping up the trans sprocket works great. Try one tooth at a time. Mine has a 24 and will crush @70. The bike will let you know what it wants. you just have to fine the sweet spot then gear it where you ride it the most. Don’t gear it too high With a stock motor. Changing the rear tire diameter also has an effect on gearing
That's great advise .
Good to know
Shovelheads were high tech when they were new. We used to go fast on them.
If things were different, they wouldn't be the same.
Shovels are a living breathing thing truly with a character the moco hasn’t had since. My 78 Lowrider used to chase Evos around easy enough and would happily cruise at 80mph, having said that you knew you had done a days riding👍
It was exactly like being married, everything in multiples of 100 bucks, required frequent maintenance and when it wasn’t going right you wondered why you bothered……… But when it was good….. nuthin like it👍👍
Yeah, it's certainly like a relationship with a female. Fix one thing, then another. My wife said that's part of the courtship. I told her then I'll name this bike after my exwife. Lol
Amen!
My 81 lowrider will cruise at 75-85 but its happiest at 55 60 the engine vibe is at its wost at 65 75 at 80 it starts to smoth out at 85 90 it was smother than a switchback
Hey dude, this Mighty Shovelhead (I'm still jealous) is from the era is which at least 2 golden rules were applied except from regular maintenance of course;
1. Chrome won't take ya home
2. Don't fix it when it aint broke
And some more: Your Shovelhead does not leak oil; the bike is simply dominant and likes to mark its territory!
Why does a Shovelhead marks it's place? Well to let you know there still is oil in the engine to begin with ;-) Oil on the floor is a good sign, so don't worry. You'll have to start worrying when your Shovelhead stops leaking oil... you're probably out of oil ;-)
And just for your information, the Shovelhead motorcycles are very popular in Japan. Since Japanese motorcyclists really want to ride their pride and joy, and they really do not want to break down all the time, they've been filleting and approving the Shovelheads and they seem to have found ways to improve the ride and reliability because they don't want to carry a service-truck loaded with tools and pare parts behind them when they go out with their Shovelheads. So for all that matters, I'd say try to find out what exactly they did to improve their Shovelheads, because men and women can actually Kick their own Shovelheads and go out for a ride !
I'd say go find the knowledge where it is available !
I had numerous Shovelheads from '76 HD 74" to my last one, '84 80". Even my '74 could do 110 MPH. They use oil like no tomorrow. HD use to float their heads with oil because the valves use to stick at around 6000 miles. HD finally fixed the problem by releasing the excessive oil from the heads and looked u a line from the heads to the casing. Later ones had the inline built into the heads and cylinders. My 1984 was the very best shovel, the last ones made and the First Evo's made by HD. The top ends are easy to work on, I never had a torque wrench and somehow did everything mostly right.
LOL, the last time I went 100 on my shovel I almost lost a kidney. Even my 97 evo gets angry with ya at 70.
@@curtissloan2486 Very funny, but so true. I remember when I bought my knucklehead, I was about 18 yrs old, I phoned the HD dealer and told him that my motor mounts were shot and I needed a new one. It was quiet at the ether end then he said, there are no motor mounts, they just vibrate a lot. LOL
@@curtissloan2486 Some were better than others. My '76 HD 74 wasn't too bad. The one thing that broke regularly was the muffler supports. I was always getting them welded or replaced. I remember going to a Chiropractor and he told me he never seen a spine so out of wack.
Primitive ? That's too funny. My first bike was a 47 knuckle followed by a 48 pan then a 57 pan. All rigid frames. Riding shovels with a swingarm felt like riding on air compared to them. IMO nothing looks better than an old knuckle or pan and if my back could still take it I'd still ride them. When Harley brought out the Evo and squared the cylinders they lost a lot of their looks. In my opinion
When I have ignition troubles I usually replace that stuff with a Dyna S dual fire and a set of advance weights, those early ecms where not very reliable I knew a lot of people that took them out and ran points. If you run anything with advance weights, make sure you take them out about once a year and clean them up and lube them. It's all good for the soul.
Noted!
I ran Dyna S ignition in my last two bikes....the one I ride now has a screaming eagle ignition. if it calves, I will go to a Dyna 2000
Yes, points. Definitely. Also, take the trouble to find a good quality condenser.
@@TheWolfsnack One of my buds is running a 2000i in a 106 Shovel, we had to replace the ignition once as it melted and also replaced the coil once. The coil is a single fire coil for dual plugged heads, other than that he hasn't had any touble since, with the 2000i he also runs a VOES as the bike seems to run a bit better with it.
@@lawnboyfromhell Thanks for this post. I have an 80" EVO, may I ask if the VOES are known to go bad? It's a maintenance schedule task I have avoided and would be interested in others experience. Best from NZ
That shovel should do 110 no problem. They’re faster then my two stock evo’s. Been playing with Harley’s for 53 years. You definitely have a keeper.
i am 43 and finally have enough money to get my first bobber. I don't want a knuckle or a pan but would you suggest a post 78 shovelhead or an EVO? thank you for your help.
Yep, all day.
@@ThePerpetualStudent shovel is only way to go
@@deplorableredneck4.02 forgive my ignorance but could you explain why? Just trying to learn.
@@ThePerpetualStudent actually I am glad you asked..shovels are really easy to work on..parts are easy to find..old people enjoy the shovel look..
Gud times :)
First time I rode a Harley by myself was my dads 81 at the blowout in Gulfport. Wide glide front end, fat bob tanks and fenders. It was brand new Harley tech at the time. I was probably 15 and thought I was the coolest thing around. He actually broke his ankle kick starting it, but told everyone he tripped coming out the house. 😂 great memories.
Lol! I can relate. My first Harley was kick only. Shortly after owning it, I was walking into the Harley shop on crutches to buy parts.
@@SaddleTrampTV so glad I come from a motorcycle family. If you don’t ride, you’re missing out.
I took the 49 tooth rear sprocket off my shovel and I’m now running a 45 tooth. Lots more top end speed and those old shovels have so much torque I still don’t want for power on the bottom either
Back in 1980 my mom played a dirty trick on me, she said if I passed my current grade in school she would buy me a Harley, we went so far as to drive to the dealership in Monroe ,La and I picked out an orange and black sportster, i fell in love with it. I was a rail thin kid..
Then she said I had to be able to pick it up, which I couldn't, i didnt get the bike.
Later my first Harley was a orange and black sportster, I sent her a pic before I rode it home and told her I finally got it lol
I rode Kawai's most of my riding history simply because I couldnt afford a Harley, but thanks to shows like SOA, all the RUB's went out and bought Harleys and let them sit in the garage, when they started selling new old bikes it drove the price down where I could finally own one, Ive had three since then, but even though Ive had different bikes each time the sporty was the most fun, agile, and fastest, I miss it...but I can only afford one at a time haha
I grew up on shovelheads, once you sort them out they are very dependable machines. I never packed tools and I rode it to work everyday, I totally agree, my 93 EVO is high tech compared to my past superglides, but those shovels definitely have more character and a better sound, basically the evo is a refined shovel in my opinion. That wide glide front end was definitely a big improvement in the looks department. I would lose the chrome oil tank and find a stock black painted one. I always thought my old shovels could easily pull a fifth gear and wondered why Harley only had a four speed gear box? Same on my 93 EVO always wondered why Harley only didn’t put a sixth gear on it? Lol
Why didn't Harley put a 5th gear on their shovels? Because Harley's got to be Harley! Why have five when four has done the job for decades? I actually got to ride a shovel that had a 5- speed retrofit gearbox. It was like an answer to a prayer! Harley should have went to the 5-speed when they introduced the shovel. Oh well.....
The fxr shovel came out with a 5 speed.
me too I had my 81 Sturgis for 20 years and in the last few years ran a 40mm Weber and 2 into 1 exhaust . very different sound but great performance
I have a 5 on my Low rider. It's like the overdrive you wished was there years ago!
Old bikes are in a class of their own. I still restore 60's era bikes, those are the ones I grew up wishing I had. I restored a BSA 650 Lightning. Fast, with drum brakes. It takes until next Tuesday to stop. After every ride you do a tooth filling count. Good video's.....Thanks!
BSA Lighting was my dream bike when I was a kid. The BSA dealer used to let us kids sit on them and was a super nice man. When I bought my first bike I went to him and got a 250 BSA thumper.
It is definitely normal for an ecm to take a shit at any given moment
A well sorted Shovelhead can hold down 100+ all day, but even the rest should be happy to cruise around 80, it may take a little work to get there. Good maintenance and electronic ignition really help. P.S. I don't advise cleaning plugs with a wire wheel or brushes as the porcelain insulators are not the hard glazed material the used to be and the wire brush can leave metal deposits in the insulator leading to spark tracking issues (they are also porous so hold contaminants). When they are done they are done, fit new. I buy Champion RN12YC copper cored plugs by the 20x box so always have a new set on hand, they work out relatively inexpensive compared to the potential issues running old plugs.
I had a 1978 1/2 Shovel. (halfway through the year they changed to electronic pick up from points), rode the freeways of Ca. at 75 to 80 without leaking oil. Wish I still had it.
For me, initially, it is about being on a machine out on the road...an experience. I have only been on a shovelhead once, and maybe for about a 20 minute ride. It was crazy. The bike shook so much that, at highway speed, my hands actually became translucent. Amazing. I wanted one. Unfortunately, or maybe fortunately, it did not work out at that time. But, and maybe I am wrong, it seems that there has to be a connection between me, the bike, the environment and the road. Then all is right with the world.
Translucent... Thats funny.
Good call on the mids! 😎
HEY NOW!.....my '79 FLH King of the Highway full dresser is a 70mph+ freeway jammer all day! 🤣
Shovelhead gap with electronic ignition
go 0.040" on Champion RN12YC.
Plug wrench & fresh plugs with a Super E carb is a good idea. 🙃
Don't be afraid to long haul on your Shovel.
Shovelheads work on "flow" not pressure.
Ya...the turn signals take a little getting used to.
I LUV THE MUSIC!!!!
Thanks for that info, man!
I have electronic on my 72 fl spark gap 0.40 have 15 thousand miles on her and i say hard miles no leaks no breakdowns. When i rebuilt it i used the best gaskets sealers and locktight harleys in the early 70s when they sit for a while will spit a nice puttle of oil on your floor then go away. Trans is a rebuilt 4spd that takes a beating hi rpms powershifting and does eighty all day long. Front sprocket 24 rear 28 forgot to mention andrew gears engine has 40 over sas pistons Andrews cam solid lifters sas e carb 2 inch drag pipes mild headwork new guides and valves first 3 gears it goes like hell and loud is not the word hit 4th gear and it still pulls pretty hard. Ha ha at night ripping thru the gear i shoot flames out the pipes not bad for a 74 incher. Ps drive fast or be last
Sorry 48 tooth rear sprocket
My Ironhead is from the 55mph era, but I found going from a 51 tooth rear sprocket to a 45 worked far better. It still accelerates fine, but there's quite a gap between 3rd and 4th (top) . I tend to only use 4th for motorways (British freeways) now. It's my only bike, so it has to do it all :-) PS Love the shovel - Marianne Faithful on her Electra Glide was my Sons of Anarchy.
Sorry, but I can't stand to listen to this BS about shovels weren't meant to run 70 mph... don't listen to anyone who tells you that! They just don't know what the hell they're talking about! Guys, shovels came out in the "mid 60's "! Years before 55 mph speed limit ! Speed limits were 70 & up, and people were flying around at 80/85 all over the place just like now ! Now here's the truth... put a bigger sprocket on the trans or motor. Just a tooth or three more. The bike don't know what sprocket it has on it. Sshhh, we just won't tell it. Now this is important. .. DON'T LUG IT !!! Keep the motor turning happily. You can feel it when it's unhappy... believe it or not, these old shovels DO NOT like to be going - lopety.....lopety....dut...dut....lopety - you're KILLING THE LOWER END !!! Turn up the fuckin idle and STOP short shiftin it up ! Listen, there were thousands of full dressed, loaded down 74" baggers that regularly ran coast to coast without problems. Chevk your rear chain, squirt some oil on it, top up your oil tank and quit pissin on yourself about it uses oil ! Yeah, they vibrate, ya pu_ _ y !! They were designed when people who rode them loved them so much, they didn't care ! I never cared, and niether did my friemds! We just couldn't wait to get on them again ! Whats the matter with you guys?!! Grow some love for the machines for what they are, or just leave em alone ! But Stop expecting the world out of machinery designed in the '60s !! They're as great now as they were then! If you can't learn to adjust and lube points, adjust and lube your rear chain, and use red locktight and keep your shit tightened up...then I hate to tell you this but, ( not really) you DO NOT deserve a shovel, or a pan, knuckle, or a flatty! You want to act like you're a "biker", but you want it to serve you ! Harleys, the old school Harleys don't serve anyone! It's up to you if you really want the righteous old machines of years gone by. And if you do, prove it !! Pay your dues, bust your knuckles and bleed a little tightening those bolts. Get you share of back aches ! Crawl around on your knees and change those parts out when needed. THEN ! And only THEN, will you know what it is to love your machine! You'll form a love affair with her when her grease is under your nails ! And your hands are sore. Every minute you work on her, you'll sware you're going to sell her as soon as you get her runnimg again... but when that bitch fires...and you take her down the street to check out your work, you fall in love all over again !!! And , " IT FEELS LIKE THE FIRST TIME... FEELS LIKE THE VERY FIRST TIME" !! ( and you thought the guy was singing about a woman, didn't you?!) I bet he wrote that song right after he spent 10 hours bustin his butt workin on his shovel, and was just sittin down lookin at it , and drinkin a beer. Thinkin how much he loved it, and would never again threatin to sell her ! ( till the next time) Old Shovels are to be treasured, loved wihout reason, or good sense. Just because you want her so badly. If you can't get behind that, you really are probably not who you try to dress up to look like. One more thing...you guys brought this on yourselves... I've listened to all the BS I could stand about the older motorcycles. We know who and what they are. The only question left, is ... "who and what are you?"
BTW, Saddle Tramp, my ranting wasn't directed at you. You're the Real McCoy. Payin your dues, being real, and bustin your knuckles. Gotta love that in a guy.
But some people. ...
It won't hurt it in the slightest to gear it taller, as long as you don"t "lug it" ! Shovels do not have a lot of oil pressure so when you let them turn too slow, they starve for oil. And turn one too slow on rpm's, and then you throttle into it, it will slide the bearings on the crank pin...and then you're screwed ! Just a few miles further, ypu will hear the rods knocking. Ironheads are even more susceptible to this if lugged down in rpms. Keep them turning, they like that.
Stay with it, Brother. You brighten an old mans days.
All solid advise my man. Proud owner of 76 Superglide, well she stated out that way. Now I'm running a Jammer hardball frame solid rear wheel fm late model Fat Boy , Wideglide front end and Apehangsrs Disk breaks front and rear crome oil tank old school forward controls solo seat and P pad FX rear fender kick start S&S (E) carb .Mill top end blue printed motor otherwise stock with 4 spd trans.. Ol girl is fast loud low and nasty. My advise to anyone getting a Shovel or Pan or Knuckle is to be mechanical inclined have a good shop manual and for the road spare plugs points and condenser . As I'm a young man (68) or so ,I plan on riding my Blue Mule for at least another 20 years!
rather have a shovel than anything!!!
Had an old Harley mechanic tell me every time he took a bike for a test ride he ALWAYS went up the hill in case he had to push it home. I really miss that old fellow. He rode dispatch rider for George Patton in WW2.
Sure comrade. We believe you.
That man must have been some kind of trooper.
Sounds like the voice of experience. Harley, Harley, made of tin. Ride it out and push it in.
I have an unrestored 69 FLH and it’s happy at 55-60 mph. The guy that rebuilt my motor was against the idea of changing the sprocket for interstate speeds. Stating that these old bikes aren’t designed for that kind of speed. Just a couple of things I’ve learned about a shovel is they take a lot of maintenance, drive them like is the 1960’s & 70’s and they give less trouble. Oh and everyone is your friend at the bar. I’m still running points with no problems. 🥃😎
That's kinda what I was thinking.
Love shovels don't understand were the oil is coming from but that sounds fixable. Raised in a HD shops in the 70's my 72 would run 90 all day long. But there was a 5 speed Little John transmission out at that time with a overdrive. I wanted one but oh well. We raced this January at the Daytona Dirt Track took 3 bikes won the 250 classic with are Ossa won the Sportsman 250 with are Rokon. And got a 3rd in the Sportsman 600 with SN 2 Rokon 340 Dave Aldana won that race.
Fun stuff " Rokon Racing Tream Grearless" Mississippi Boy's.
I've had 2 shovels since '80. Happy with both. Love the iron head sound vs newer ones.
The last good motor Harley made
Can't wait for more Shovelhead content. I just bought a '78 FXE and it looks like you and I are going down the same path. As always I following along with all your builds. Keep on makin' videos and I'll keep on watching.
Will do!
Man, I left the house today without tools in a rush, and i got a bad feeling. I just finished the restoration so I didnt expect a problem , but sure enough one crimp connector off the main breaker, and I was out of business...
Sucks when that happens
I would keep the forward control setup, just change the hardware, but that's just me. New subscriber, love your videos and testimony. Godspeed.
Thanks, David!
Most people love the forward controls. And hate the mid controls.
The set you have are pretty expensive.
Yeah the shovel heads are different I think it's because the flywheels in the motor actually are heavier than the Evo. We're an evolution motor will spool up quicker
I always went to a 49 tooth rear sprocket
That's interesting.
Never had a problem with plugs on my 74 shovel. You have other problems like rings or guides. Ran mine at 75/85 mph for hours at a time and never fouled plugs. Love my shovel and would never own a newer evo .
It’s still fun mine tinkles oil on me at first I didn’t know what that was air cooled sweating man
Hey mate if you use your multi meter on OHMS whit the bell on touch one to each end of the wire and you bet the bell noise that mean your wire is not broken a sparky call it belling the cable if you ends of the wires are too far apart just use a scrap peace of wire twist it on at one end and bell through that to make it reach anyway good luck what ever you do.
Sure is a lot of guys saying they use Champion resistor spark plugs in their shovels. I used non-resistor AC plugs because I could get 23,000 miles on them and still not need to replace them. Ressistor plugs of any type tend to break down internally and misfire at cruising speed. It is getting hard to find non-resistor plugs though. I had a set of Harley resistor plugs that didn't even make to 5000 miles before problems. Had to replace them by the side of the road. Champion made those plugs for Harley. Never again! We would not install Champion plugs even in cars in the shops I worked in because of all the come backs and complaints.
Thanks for the info. I will try non-resistor plugs
@Dirk G. I found that non-ressistor plugs worked in my Chevy Luv pickup longer too. I have had that truck for 42 years too along with the same 79 Harley Superglide. I log everything in small spiral note books, one for each vehicle, so I don't have to remember the results of my repairs. Thanks for your kind reply. Lots of people think they know the best way so they won't listen to me even with my 52 years as a mechanic.
Biggest issue I had with my 80 FLT Shovelhead is that it took out a few staters in the 23 years I drove it. Love the shov.
I ran points in my older scooter. Also I would keep a set of plugs and point with me.
The older scooters do have a personality all their own. When you learn it it alike a beautiful friendship. Just remember even friends fight though, enjoy!
I put a 24 front and a 48 rear sprocket on my shovel and its a lot like riding my evo softail as far as the gearing goes. Now it likes 75 or 80 mph all day. Biggest problem i have is keeping the intake from leaking. looks grate with the wide glide on it. enjoy it they are a lot of fun
there is a great fix for the intake leak, i am not advertising for who sells them but with that said check out lowbrow for a Tite seal kit they work.
Let me get this straight. An engine that was last built by the factory closing on forty years ago, is now a bit primitive by today's standards? Who'd have thought it....
Seriously though, my dream chop would always be a shovel...
In the 80s I test drove a Harley Shovelhead dresser with no Fairing and no bags but with a belt drive primary and secondary I was expecting vibration that would shake your feelings out and it was smooth as silk I wish I could have bought that bike but I was saving money for a house and I already had two motorcycles if I ever wear out the primary chain on my forty-year-old Triumph I would seriously consider converting it to belt drive my Evo Sportster has 330,000 miles on it and I have gone through three belts in 25 years
Some say that bout my 96 Fatboy Evo, but she still shines new, remains reliable, and is out rolling with the rest of em. Looks and sounds better to boot.
Hey just wasted to let you know . A guy called Pacific Mike has a channel on older bikes. He owns a panhead, knucklehead, shovelhead
And In the process of building a big flathead. He's a old timer and worked on bikes his whole life. He knows his stuff. Check him out .
We love Pacific Mike! Great channel and a wealth of info. Thanks!
I watch him from time to time.
I put 108,000 miles on my 883 sportster that I bought new in 1993. I switched the electronic ignition to points high performance system. Works great! Also switched stock Japanese carb to an S&S super E,switched belt drive to chain and sprockets,and made own long drag pipes,utilizing stock crossover pipe header system. 3 trips to Sturgis from NC on this bike,several to Myrtle and Daytona . Still runs great.
Shovels will always be Shovels! They have their own damn nasty personality and you ain't gonna fix it! So you just ride along with it and appreciate it.....Real bikes for real Men! Shovels-R-4-Ever"!! (Or at least till parts run out!) 😎
I NOTICED DOWN SOUTH YOU GUYS LOVE these PIZZA CUTTER FRONT 21 WHEELS. UP HERE IN the NORTH , it's ALL 500X16 TIRES on the FRONT.
Most riders love to look at old bikes but won't get their clothes dirty riding them . I've had 4 shovels and I ride an 1988 heritage Softail . My machine is too old for most riders. I run 18" ape hangers 6 inch ext forward controls. No windshield , no radio. A cigarette lighter and a gun fighter! I'm 57 and getting giggy with it! Lol. No giggy left in me but I have fun. You need to hit Roscoes chilli challenge in Lakeland next November . 1st week. A great time tramp. God speed. bam bam
Another great video man, love your work. Congrats on shovel too, youll have much fun with it, old bikes have the soul. 😎 Currently saving for shovel too, here in Czech republic the only way to get it is from US, but then the hard part comes, you must register it and thats impossible here so you must go through Poland or Germany and man they will take a lot of from your pocket...so for a stud like me, long road ahead. But i still have my 95 Intruder that i rebuilt to chopper as it could be, peanut tank, fishtail, king and queen seat..it comes together by the time, but i realise a still make harley from it, but ill keep it with shovel. When you said the thing about being non electrician I remember the time when i was learning to wrench, youll learn it brother and I must say enjoy the wiring on harley, the japanese are pain in the a** to do harness on 😂
Jims makes an Evo oiling system for shovel heads. It's pricey but I did it very remarkable up grade. That little oil line to the heads is gone. Engine sounds a lot better less tear downs.
70 thru 84 were the least reliable HDs , those years were AMC . they kept the name alive till HD bought back in and invented the EVO ...... anyone with a set of tools and know how to use them can keep a shovel running ..... have fun with it !
No AMF was bought back by Vaughn Beals and a few others in 1981. In 82 they tightened up the Shovel tolerances. If maintained they don’t leak and are pretty reliable. I have an 1984 FLHX runs great very dependable. I ride it way more than my twin cam or Panhead.
I don’t mind do some wrenching doing rebuild 1973 Honda 450 scrambler older Harleys I like still better then fuel injectors
Right on. I have a 72 FLH that is now a 88" stroker built by GMS racing and I own a 81 Wideglide. I absolutely love my Shovels. The 85 FXRC is the best riding and handling Harley I've owned but there is just something about Shovelheads that I'm drawn to. Good to see ya on a Shovel now..🤣 later dude and good luck
Just picked up an 82 flh, definitely more hands on than the newer stuff....but man does it have soul
Yes they do.
i went with a 48 tooth rear sprocket ad a 24 front. with a standard ratchet lid 4 spd it will cruise 70 all day long. i really didnt notice any loss in power but my mill is a 80in with a mild cam. my bike is light tho,. its built to look like a 76 fxe superglide.i did put a 88 to 99 narrow glide on it wich allowed me to mount MUCH better brakes.
Had a 77 FXE Shovelhead. Bought it new. Worst bike I ever owned. Poor build quality. Only kept it it a year. Have a 2000 XL1200 now.
Those forward controls you had were what I like to call "Early Billet Barge"
More like Ugly Billet Barge.
Well one thing I do know is the two biggest enemies of Harley shovels is vibration and heat thats what kills every shovel and most Harley Davidsons I used to have a iron head. What I noticed about mine what electrical issuse would happen. And one time I was in the process of starting my bike and it only ran on one cylinder one day. At first I though that the rear spark plug went out. I replaced both plugs. Kicked it over and same thing. So I pulled out the rear spark plug and kicked it over using the front cylinder to clear out the rear so it literally was running on the front cylinder with the rear cylinder without the sparkplug. It turned out that the rear cylinder was flooded it shot out alot of gas. I ran it for 5 seconds. Turned the bike off put the rear plug back in then kicked it over and it was running on both cylinders again. The old bikes are great just keep in mind they are extremely temperamental.
Stick with electronic ignition tramp the reason is points are ok but there's not much maintenance with the electronic ignition and the points will need adjustment once in awhile. My 74 has been teaching me all about itself . Shovelheads only demand the typical old school wrenching and your qualified bruh . So make it yours and believe me it will soon be your favorite bike.
If you happen to hear of a Springer front end that will fit a 68 sportster also I've been looking for a set of forward controls I'm pretty good at making things fit even if they weren't meant to fit adapters work wonder's lol like I said I'm a disabled vet with cancer and pretty much no money to work with but hope we can make some sort of deal let me know what you think be safe healthy and happy God Bless
Shovelheads are for people who are bikers that like to work on their bikes not for guys who take their bikes to the dealer to get them fixed also forward controls are part of the chopper look and always have been
I have two shovels and im tired of "shoveling" $$$$ into them, im tired of working on them and thinking seriously of selling them
How much for the 8 or 10 risers hanging on the wall...what would you take for the shovel head
Спасибо тебе за твой труд!!!
Это очень круто! Очень важно для нас всех!!! Харлей, это весь мир!!!
Это люди!!!
Это друзья!!! 🖖👽☝
Coils only gonna have power on one side when the keys on. The other one is triggered by the box. Usually the coil goes bad first because the housing gets old and cracked and let's moisture get in and shorts it out
Shovels can be pretty reliable once you go thru them a bit and make sure things are in proper order. As far as gearing, I run 24/51 on my 1976 super glide (74ci). It'll do 65-70 all day. A popular gearing for them is 24/49 which I had tried, but due to mine being a 74ci and me being around 240lbs, it didn't have enough engine for that gear ratio on the highway. My dad runs that gearing (24/49) on his 86ci panhead and it is perfect for that bike. The extra cubic inches really help it out
Shovels are kinda like women. You have to figure out how they like to be treated and once you do, they're great..
Put a 24 tooth transmission sprocket on it. You can run the Interstate peacefully.
Love old bikes just Cruze I never go over 65 after market parts as long as it fits or you are on a tight budget
Can you help me get a bike I'm 51&disabled
Well at least you can fix anything on a Shovelhead on the road, instead of taking it to a shop and spending thousands of dollars for these mechanics
Ohm measures resistance. Put it to DC and test.
Signals? Dont you have arms? Lol
Been riding my 73 shovel since 1980... Oh the memories!! Broke down twice in all those years, once was a coil oh, the other was a condenser...
The 1980-84 shovelheads haves five speed transmissions you can run them 80 miles an hour all day! I’ve owned My 83 FLT over 20 years ! It has been a practical bike and mostly trouble free at least as much as any other bike. It just has more personality than a modern bike!
Although my everyday rider is a evo. I do have a 1981 Flh which is a shovel. I’ve put a lot of miles on that old bike and found that a oil cooler and a 47 tooth sprocket keep her happy. If your chain is wore out as much as you say then your sprockets are probably wore out to. I’d change them out and run a 23 tooth front and 47 tooth rear.
I'll consider that.
My 72 shovel would run a 100.mph.
Road it to Monterey Mexico on one set of plugs. Did leak oil. But a lot of that could be fixed.
Knowing how to get it started was the biggest learning curve. "Kick start "
Just a tip, a wire can leave conductive material on the insulator that leads to misfire. The BEST way to clean spark plugs is with a propane torch, heat them up till they're glowing red and the insulators decarbon and go back to white, it works a treat... Like in the video below
th-cam.com/video/1QHI5-Kzs0M/w-d-xo.html
I’ll have to remember that
I have a '78 FLH (Early, so 1200cc/74ci, mid year they went to 80 ci and electronic ign) Sprocket wise, it has a 23 at tranny and a 51 on the rear. 55 mph is somewhere around 2500 to 2700 RPM (have a newer Harley electronic tach on it, non-ECU tach). BDL belt drive on primary. Remember, Shovel's are dry clutches. Books say red line is something like 6200 but 5500 is more realistic. As for the varying Idle thing, cause is mainly the centrifugal advance weighs. Any dirt, or dried out oil/grease and they don't return consistently. I put on an Ultima IGN and it idles fine. Oil lines to the head......they leak.... yea. the rubber o-ring things are a few bucks a set, but......oil line feeds the rear and then crosses over to the front. Fine when new. Any wear on the rear rocker means more oil will seep out to the rear and less goes to the front. Change them to the "Old-Stf Cycle Shovelhead Rocker Box Split Oil Lines". Low Brow sells SS ones on eBay for around $95. They come "natural finish (dull) but rubbing & polishing compound and elbow grease can make them nice. You can get brass for $85, but remember, brass work hardens faster, and corrodes. Who needs a speedo, get a tach....LOL
EDIT.... also have a '86 XLH 1100 standard (sleeper version of a Liberty edition with the bath-tub heads, just no bling)
Edit 2 : adjust chain while sitting on bike. Swing arm travel can tighten the chain.
I've thought about a tac.
Get triple a that way you have a free tow home if it breaks down.
Stay hot start. On the plugs will clean them
I have a 79 FXSR-80, she's a beast and what a glorious, troubled, beast she is! If I had the facilities I would tear it down to the frame and finish/repair all of the things Harley left undone. Just got my heads and rocker boxes done but now it's zero degree's out in the scooter shed. Super E rebuild kit came in, new tires, front end seal kit, brake caliper rebuild kits, the list goes on. Even with it's troubles I LOVE this blasted machine. Enjoy!
There's something about getting to know these things.
The ol shovel looks great! But ya gotta keep a FEW tools on it JUST in case. I
sure do love mine.. She's not primitive, she's a 50 y.o. antique! Keep up the great work on yours,and those two wheels planted on the ground, sir! Peace.
I.rode.shovelhead.for.40.years I.know.harley.made.big.inpovment.the.newer.bike.are.real.nice.i.think.i.going.to.put.a.baker.6.speed.in.my.old.shovel.a.little.new.school.for.my.old.school.shovel..?
@@jlance6898,I have a Sputhe 5 spd in mine
They are special (in a special kind of way). Riding a 74 for the past 30 years.
Startspayclean hot start cleans plugs
On my last shovel I fitted an aftermarket single fire ignition, it smooths the vibes out and they don't sound the same but it would sit at 70mph all day long.
You got a new sub too, got my interest with this bike.
Ride the hell out of that shovel they don't break
Broken wire by either terminal to coil
Did you find a switch prob
My 80 Lady emptied my bank account and left me torn sold that pos.12k was invested redone down to the wiring. They hold heat for shit and destruct from the inside out.Buy a Evo.
Have 3 of them.
Good Stuff..... if you not living on the edge, you're taking up too much space.
Have family over that way! Can you please share an email address? Would love to meet up sometime when we’re over that way. Thanks!
Right on!
Primitive is Positive not a Negative
That shovel looks awesome 👌 Good find. God 🙌
Shovel looks awesome. Love the new front end. Happy New Years! Hope the holidays were good for y’all
Hot wire the coil off the battery
Looks great Cory. I love watching your older vids and make my way through. Absolutely inspiring and AWESOME content. We have the spring FLOOD RUN this wknd, 34 for the high....I run a pretty naked IRON SPORTSTER, lots of mods, FP3, but no fairings or next to nothing windshield, i got some coffin hand guards, but I'm wide open to the wind my friend, gonna be a cold one, not the kind you like lol, but it's for the GILETTES CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL, so mycrew of 6 Harley's WILL BE GOING. PRAYING no moisture or bad weather. See u on the next one Cory. God bless you
24 drive and 51 rear is the magic set up. 18” wheels...yup.
Correction 16” wheels
I run a 49 tooth rear (stock should be 51).... be careful with the speedo.... some are 2:1 and others are 1:1... front wheel and trans case speedo drives are not compatible with all the speedo in the dash. the speedo should be stamped or marked what its ratio is somewhere on the speedo case... be careful... ENJOY!