oh ya....

[AdminGuy]

Bring on the Shovel trouble!

[Jack_Hester]

You're a good man. Thanks.

Jack

[Chris Lastinger]

Great

Oh your quick. Now if my baby will just break. Thanx

[Paps]

Awesomeeeeeeeeeee !!!!!!! Paps

[KNUCK]

Ok lets get this started.

If you own a Shovelhead let us all know what you have.

I have a 1966 FLH Hi-Fi blue and white. Original from paint to chrome. Have 33,213 on the clock. I have a little trouble with the starter but will get into that later.

[Jack_Hester]

Mine is a 'totaled' 1976 FLH, that I bought new, and has been my primary road machine until the minivan took it out of commission. It has been in every state but RI, AK, and HI. I figure to have it back on the road in a couple years.

Jack

[Chuck#1848]

I have a 1972 Shovel it has been off the road a few years been thinking about getting it back on the road have to fix the kicker gears.
It has 15600 miles on it since I have owned it two total rebuilds and have had this bike going on 20 years.
The last 13 with a sidecar that I just reciently sold.

[B. Rodencal]

71' FLH for me, It is the newest bike I own and my everydayer. Finally snowed here so it's up for the winter.

[LouieMCman]

My shovel story.....bought a '79 slow rider in 1980, I didn't know better at the time but it was the worse vibrating motor I ever had. Kept it 20 years and finally sold it. I've got an Indian Chief, Panhead, Knucklehead, a Flathead, Horizonal twin, and that damn shovelhead is still the worse motor I've ever owned. I haven't missed it a bit. My wife rode it the last ten years I had it and I went back to my Panhead. She rode it on a couple AMCA national road runs and I worked on it more than any of my older bikes. Sorry, but Ya'll can have them all. Thanks for the space so I could write this!

Louie

[Jack_Hester]

Louie -

That's a shame. Wish that someone could have given it a good once-over. The fact that you bought it so new tells me that it probably was never apart. Broken top motor mount? Or, engine mounted in a bind, where shims should have been used? Or, just plain unbalanced. Up until my 76 was taken out of commission, it was one of the finest road machines I've ridden. And, it was factory stock except for cam and carb.

Jack

[Chris Lastinger]

Mines an abortion and new by comparison. Late 78 FXE with 122058 on it. 20500 since last top end. Never liked skinny wheels so it resembles an FL at present. Fat fat and fun as heck. Has enough clanks when shifting that I never worry about anyone riding next to me. But no vibration. The numbness is caused by road hum and skinny front wheels. I've also got an 80 FLT that I haven't messed with and kept as is just for the heck of it. To danged big to actually ride and enjoy.

[LouieMCman]

I'm sure the engine was never balanced very well at the factory. I tried putting some "jug jacks" on the top to reinforce the top motor mount to no avail. I guess at the time I didn't think it was much of an improvement over my '65 Pan. So I went back to the Pan and turned it over to my loving wife. I think the Shovels are often overlooked because many were not very good bikes right out of the factory, and when Evos came out who in their right mind wanted to ride a Shovel? They are now coming back of course because of their age, not because they were very good bikes. Of course that my opinion, and you know what they say about opinions.

Louie

[rousseau]

Here is an old pic of my 79 FXS. 80 ci Low Rider. I bought it used in late 1980 for $4000. This thing vibrated so bad that I couldn't read the speedo or tach past 60 mph. I could rev the motor to 3000 rpm and it would "walk" around on the kickstand.
I knew these bikes vibrated a lot but this was way out of hand. Finally I ask an old harley mechanic at Colbach HD in Morristown TN. about it. He agreed that this was a "little excesive". Told me to check the upper motor mount. Claimed they were always breaking on this model. Guess what? It was broken . I replaced it and this old Shovel was smooooooth.
FYI. This pic shows a correct 79 80ci fxs except for the exhaust and air cleaner.

[INLINE4NUT]

OK,
Ill get everyones blood pressure up a notch or two here!
First,the 1966-1969 shovels were the best PANs ever made!What the hey is he talking about....rite??? well think about it ....second as soon as AMF (the bowling ball people) took over things did go down hill and the cone motor SHOVELS went proggressively down hill until they bottomed out 1979 worst shovel motor the company ever made! 1979 -1984 just holding on until the buy out,then the EVO, remember this(hear no evo see no evo ride no evo) didnt take long for the people who said that to change their minds! now we have the twin cam, who had it first ?? Harley or Indian ? opps getting off subject here !
My point you cannt clump them (SHOVELS) all together because they are the same but differant!
My early shovels ran the BALLS after 1969 they only got me to the next step EVOs and I dont care what any of you profess...all the old bikes I own dont ride on a long extended trip as well as my twin cam !!! Have a great day!

[BEK]

I have a 1978 1/2 FLH, 1200cc with 45,000 miles. I am the second owner and it is all original including the paint. At mid year they went to electronic ignition and the big "hamcan" air cleaner. Also that is when the 80 cu in was introduced but they continued making the 74 through 1980 I believe. It is my regular rider and gets along in traffic great with the disc brakes and modern electrical system. All the bikes in 1978 were called 75th anniversary models but there was a special edition that was black with gold trim. Mine is the regular model and it is Charcoal Silver.