The Harley-Davidson Shovelhead is extra than simply an engine; it is a chapter in motorcycling historical past that completely encapsulates the grit and angle of the Seventies. For {custom} builders, it gives that candy spot: sufficiently old to be genuinely cool, but nonetheless reasonably priced and easy sufficient to customize without having a college diploma in electronics.
The title, after all, comes from the distinct profile of its rocker covers, which famously resemble an upside-down coal shovel. It is the engine that actually outlined the look and sound of a technology of Harleys, and one that is still a hands-on, mechanical favourite immediately.
Launched in 1966, the Shovelhead was a vital energy improve designed to switch the ageing Panhead. It retained the Panhead’s backside finish and iron cylinders however gained new aluminium-alloy heads with bigger valves and a shallower combustion chamber—a change that yielded a claimed 10 horsepower improve.
An enormous portion of the Shovelhead’s life was spent beneath the tumultuous possession of American Machine and Foundry (AMF), which took management in 1969. Whereas this period noticed technical leaps just like the alternative of the exterior generator with an inside alternator system in 1970 (creating the “Cone Shovel”), it additionally birthed an icon. In 1971, Willie G. Davidson designed the FX Tremendous Glide, a factory-built {custom} that married the big-twin Shovelhead body with the slim Sportster entrance finish, basically creating the manufacturing facility {custom}/cruiser market.
Nonetheless, the AMF interval is commonly thought-about the “Darkish Days” as a result of cost-cutting and a decline in high quality management. This, mixed with points from the 10-fin cylinder cooling and the low-octane gasoline of the Seventies oil disaster, severely exacerbated the engine’s inherent issues, together with overheating and oil consumption.
Redemption got here within the closing years. Displacement was elevated from 74ci to 80ci in 1978 for higher torque. Crucially, in 1981, 13 Harley-Davidson executives purchased the corporate again from AMF, instantly prioritizing high quality restoration with enhancements like a brand new oil pump. The Shovelhead even debuted within the high-performance FXR chassis (1982-1983) and acquired rubber mounts within the FLT Tour Glide body in 1980 to cut back its notorious vibration. The engine was lastly changed by the all-new aluminium-headed Evolution in 1984, however its legacy lives on because the final “old skool” Harley engine that an proprietor might reliably preserve with primary hand instruments.
The Shovelhead’s uncooked, mechanical character makes it irresistible to builders who worth easy, powerful aesthetics. Listed below are seven of our favourite {custom} Shovelheads which have handed by way of the Bike EXIF gates, every proving that this previous workhorse remains to be top-of-the-line platforms round.
Takuya Aikawa’s 1968 Harley-Davidson FL Hardtail
Takuya Aikawa of Sureshot in Chiba, Japan, is accustomed to bringing dwelling {hardware} from the Yokohama Scorching Rod Customized Present—and this gorgeous 1968 Harley-Davidson FL hardtail is not any exception. Aikawa-san’s work brilliantly fuses classic muscle with fashionable manufacturing methods, leading to a beguiling machine loaded with ingenious, high-class particulars. The shopper’s temporary was easy: a inflexible body, an electrical starter, and an ordinary foot shifter—however the model was left fully to Takuya’s award-winning creativeness.
The bike is way skinnier than a inventory FL. Takuya mated the entrance of the Shovelhead body to a narrowed inflexible rear triangle and transplanted entrance forks from a Japanese ‘Auto Race’ bike (a type of asphalt flat monitor). This was removed from plug-and-play, requiring the forks to be liberated from their yoke and lengthened to swimsuit the Harley’s journey top. The rebuilt 1,200 cc Shovelhead is performance-oriented, that includes an S&S Cycle L-carb and a bespoke Dynatek Dyna 2000i ignition map, completely embodying Takuya’s perception that “a carburetor is a useful half… however for Harley-Davidson, it’s also a powerful exterior ingredient that evokes efficiency.”
Maybe essentially the most astonishing element is Sureshot’s relentless give attention to mass centralisation. Takuya achieved this by eradicating the kick-start, relocating the heavy transmission up and ahead nearer to the engine, and changing the clutch to a hydraulic system that discreetly mounts the grasp cylinder on the facet of the crankcase. He even fabricated a set of matching mufflers tucked tightly beneath the bike. The hand-finished billet aluminum elements are additionally pure genius: Takuya eliminated the standard machine-cut marks and polished them to resemble classic solid surfaces, guaranteeing each element, from the Montesa-inspired spoked wheels to the horse disguise bobber seat, matches the basic aesthetic whereas working with fashionable precision. [MORE]
Kraus Motor Co.’s “Achuma” Shovelhead Streetfighter
“Achuma,” the hallucinogen-named Harley that’s half old-school Shovel and half up to date motocrosser. Satya Kraus, the builder behind Kraus Motor Co., admits he would not look too laborious at what everybody else is doing, and this Shovelhead-powered streetfighter—full with a built-in skidplate for city hooliganism—is the thrilling outcome. Born out of Satya’s want for a “racier feel and appear” after tiring of inflexible body limitations, Achuma is a machine constructed on the core philosophy of light-weight.
Kraus’s ingenuity shines within the suspension. The forks are his up to date tackle a standard springer, now that includes a Foes Racing air shock initially designed for heavy-duty downhill bicycle racing—greater than as much as the duty right here and yielding 3 inches of journey. The dual-shock swingarm, braced and operating a pair of Foes dampers, supplies a beneficiant 5.8 inches of rear journey. This give attention to efficiency and diminished weight is why the bike eschews paint fully; as a substitute, the body is plasma-arc sprayed with a skinny coat of actual bronze, complementing the extremely polished 93-inch S&S Shovelhead motor.
The high-compression 90 hp S&S motor was meticulously taken aside, with the fins formed, casting strains smoothed, and circumstances polished by the Kraus workforce. Satya’s aversion to color means the bike is a full-metal symphony, giving it a visceral high quality. As Kraus says, “Once you truly get shut up, get your palms on it, contact it and really feel the distinction between paint and a real-metal end, that’s what actually will get you…if you see the proper imperfection of it.” [MORE]
Jamesville’s Harley Shovelhead Café Racer
James Roper-Caldbeck is considered one of former Bike EXIF Editor Chris Hunter’s favourite Harley builders. Whereas identified for his clear, stripped-back bobbers, James took a uncommon stylistic detour when a shopper requested a café racer. Taking inspiration from the XLCR 1000, James based mostly the construct not on a Sportster, however on an FX Tremendous-Glide—particularly one that includes a sturdy 80ci S&S Cycle motor and a five-speed transmission.
Regardless of admitting he had no thought what he was doing within the café racer area, James produced one of many best-looking Shovelheads we have ever seen, demonstrating his trademark knack for excellent stance and steadiness. The modifications are delicate however efficient: the tail part, full with a Triumph taillight, was fabricated from scratch and set excessive to imitate superbikes. Surprisingly, the gasoline tank is the unique FX unit with minor modifications, and the sporty fairing is an inexpensive eBay discover that matches completely.
For the reason that S&S ‘V80’ engine already pumped out round 40% extra horsepower than a median Shovelhead, James targeted on essential security upgrades. The unique brakes have been changed with twin discs up entrance and Efficiency Machine calipers on each ends. The exhaust is a key aesthetic characteristic, drawing inspiration from Italian sportbikes with pipes that wind by way of the bike and exit excessive close to the tail. All the machine is completed in a delicate, but sporty, black paint scheme that offers off a definite 80s superbike vibe, proving James can conquer any model he units his thoughts to. [MORE]
Shiny Hammer’s 1972 FLH Bobber
Following up his streamlined electrical projectile ‘Hope,’ Samuel Aguiar swung the opposite means with this elegant ’72 FLH Shovelhead, combining basic Milwaukee metallic with the unorthodox imaginative and prescient of a low and slim chopper with trials-type wheels. The inventory FLH body was modified to be two inches decrease and 1.5 inches narrower, making a slim, straight profile.
One of the progressive options is the totally built-in rear suspension. Samuel wished solely the engine to ‘pop’ out, so he employed oleo-pneumatic shocks (know-how typically discovered on plane touchdown gear) made by specialist Forunales and housed them seamlessly inside a one-off body geometry. To take care of clear strains, he fabricated two mirror-image triangular gasoline tanks to fill the area between the engine and chassis, supplementing the entire capability by including a fourth tank beneath the seat, all linked to operate as one.
After machining new hubs, Samuel laced the bike with light-weight Excel hoops from a Husqvarna 125 enduro bike, wrapping them in Pirelli MT43 trials-pattern rubber to offer a little bit of chunky, visible grit. After test-riding the bike with an everyday fork, Samuel devoted 300 hours to creating the ultimate, impossibly elegant, one-off girder fork. He narrowly built-in the arms contained in the fork and optimised the geometry for vertical wheel journey, leading to a slim, glossy entrance finish. The {custom} construct is additional accented by an S&S Tremendous E carb, break up rocker bins, and a sinuous, swirling polished stainless-steel exhaust system that visualises “how the smoke would circulate if driving the bike with none exhaust pipes.” [MORE]
CW Zon’s Mooneyes-Profitable Harley Shovelhead
Yuichi Yoshizawa of Customized Works Zon (CW Zon) is a builder whose work is immediately recognisable: clear, useful, and deeply inventive. This Harley-Davidson Shovelhead earned the distinguished ‘Better of Present’ award on the Mooneyes Yokohama Scorching Rod Customized Present, demonstrating that Yoshizawa-san maintains the best doable requirements whatever the model. The body is a serious technical feat, made fully of 7N01 aluminium, an aerospace-grade alloy identified for its excessive tensile power and light-weight weight.
The truth is, many of the bike, save for the engine and tires, was handmade in Zon’s store. This contains the gorgeous seat and tail part, which cleverly doubles because the oil tank, and Zon’s signature-style girder fork. The fuel tank is break up by the body and is adorned with intricate hand engraving by Silver Smith Fin, that includes thunderclouds, a winged tiger head, and Zon’s signature shining solar. Regardless of the daring, metallic, timeless aesthetic, fashionable touches are cleverly hidden, reminiscent of a mountain bike shock tucked into the girder and a tiny digital Motogadget speedo flush-mounted within the fork’s pivot plate.
The 1973 Shovelhead engine was remodeled right into a fire-breathing 93ci scorching rod that includes a Weber dual-throat side-draft carburettor, twin Morris Magnetos, and a Baker six-speed transmission. The aggressive look is capped off by 21-inch spoked wheels with aluminum covers, contrasting in opposition to remarkably skinny 3-inch-wide Firestone tires. [MORE]
Stoos Customs’ Avenue Tracker
South Africa’s Stoos Customs, run by Alex Stoos, constructed this fiercely aggressive Harley Shovelhead as a part of a personal intercontinental build-off in opposition to El Lobo Cycles within the UK. The one guidelines have been that each bikes needed to be Shovelheads and run BST carbon fiber wheels. The objective for Stoos was to create one thing aggressive, but eminently rideable, beginning with a drained 1981 Shovelhead and tearing it down till solely the engine circumstances and elements of the body remained.
The body was massaged into road tracker proportions and propped up on high-end Öhlins suspension, with beefy, in-house machined fork yokes and swingarm. The bike rides on 19F/18R BST wheels wrapped in Michelin Commander III Touring tires. Stopping energy comes from Arlen Ness callipers on custom-made brackets. Crucially, the engine was rebuilt with elements from Pace and Science Inc., basically turning the within of the Shovelhead into an Evolution motor—full with inside oiling and roller-style rockers—whereas retaining the long-lasting Shovelhead look on the skin.
Throughout the construct, Texan {custom} builder Colt Wrangler (identified for his distinctive metalwork) joined the workforce, hammering out the bike’s waspish aluminium bodywork. The metalwork is aggressive and natural, that includes a slim taper within the center and completed in alternating matte and gloss black. The gasoline tank is complemented by an oil tank tucked neatly beneath the transmission. The cockpit options stainless-steel tracker bars with Arlen Ness grips, and the stainless-steel exhaust system is unapologetic in its promise to ship a raucous sound. This Shovelhead road tracker brilliantly defies classic Harley conventions, remodeling the previous workhorse right into a fierce, fashionable competitor. [MORE]
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