1974 FXE Shovel Head

[70weight]

Nice unmolested shovel..worth the money in my book!

[klammer76]

Take a look at the right side forward peg and see how it is mounted to the frame.
They didn't have a mount welded on the frame to accept one back then.
Sometimes guys drilled a hole thru the frame.
NOT that it matters, just pointing out a memory before I lose it... 

My 75 FX had the frame mounts from the factory for the forward pegs.

Klammer

[billbuilds]

Take a look at the right side forward peg and see how it is mounted to the frame.
They didn't have a mount welded on the frame to accept one back then.
Sometimes guys drilled a hole thru the frame.
NOT that it matters, just pointing out a memory before I lose it... 

My 75 FX had the frame mounts from the factory for the forward pegs.

Klammer

      My stock 73 FX frame has the frame mounts from the factory for forward pegs, the right side floorboard tab, the zirc fitting for seat post plunger and (even though it came thru with a banana caliper) the juicebrake rear brake line bracket.
     IMO that 74 FXE is worth 7K especially from a good friend. Bill       

[rbonner]

No offense Bill, but I've come to a new realization in the last month...

I look back on the things that have happened to me and I find I did it all wrong.  I'm the kind of guy who is personable and when I start getting involved with people in other industries we tend to be come friends.  I do stuff for them and sometimes they do stuff for me.  But more often its just me doing stuff for friends.  Then the problem hits.

38 foot RV trailer, became buddies with the RV dealer.  We hung out, did lunch, swapped stories just did buddy stuff.  When this trailer came in for me it was a total POS.  I mean really bad.  Some of the troubles came along on its maiden voyage to Daytona and the sewer didn't work right...  I should have never taken delivery of it, but then my BUDDY would have been stuck...  I had him resell it and I took a $10K loss.  If he had never been my buddy, I coulda said, NO WAY JACK, this is crap.  But I didn't want to not be the nice guy... Patooie...  Instead he hasn't seen me in three years, no more lunches, not more buddy stuff..

Became buddies with a semi local bike builder...  Turns out he's a real ass...  Ripped up off major.  The story goes on and on...  Nice guy gets it up the tail one way or another.  I'm now really serious about $$$ and friendship has no inkling...  Your his friend, but NOBODY is your friend when it comes to money.  I found this out the hard way, never more.

Now I have an INNER CIRCLE, they always expect the good guy BOB fire sale deal...  Well screw them too, I need all new friends...  So I say when its time to buy the beer, if it turns out I'm buying two to every one of yours, you ain't my friend.  You might be a sidekick, but friendship doesn't mean I have to get my wallet out to keep you my friend.

I think you guys can tell i'm a pretty straight shooter, and like I said... this is a fairly new revolation for me so the paint isn't dry on it yet...  But this cowboy is done taking it in the tail...  It's like the employees or contractors padding their time cards a few hours a week...  THats all over too..

BOB

[jerite]

Bob-Learned the same lesson the hard way..the paint is dry for me though. I can count on one hand who my true friends are today and I still have 1 finger left for the ones who are not.
Jer

[HotRodShovel]

I am a very lucky guy. I have lots of acquaintances. Two friends. Big difference. I learned that the hard way too only it was a very long time ago in OD.

[billbuilds]

     Bob,
     No offense taken. No offense meant here but you seem a bit bitter. I know where you're coming from though. Acquaintences are a dime a dozen but a true friend is hard to find. Thanks for pointing this out to me as now I don't feel like the Lone Ranger.
     I can look right out my kitchen window and see the house of a guy that I thought was my friend who, in retrospect, I would not walk across the street to pi$$ on his face if it was on fire. Done a LOT of favors for that person, sold him bike parts for a song and flat out gave some to him. Then when I needed a favor... You already know that song.  Bill

[Anthony]

Red Dog .........If that bike belongs to who I think it does  , you should buy it.....Anthony

[76shuvlinoff]

  I've always cut family and friends a better deal be it selling or be it buying. I do not screw myself but my profit expectations are lowered or removed. That's just the way I'm wired. And sometimes no matter what something is worth to you it just isn't going to move at that price so some money is better than no money.
However, if I find someone has intentionally taken advantage of me they only get that one shot then in the long run they've screwed themselves. I've been told I can hold a grudge forever.  I've done this with everything from products and services to bail money and donations. I sleep just fine.

[rbonner]

HAHAHA Seem a little bitter eh?  Yeah I'd say so.  I could go into this bike builder thing, the case file is several inches deep.  Was going to do the bike myself, but wife said go ahead and let X do it you have the Ultra on the table.  Well we needed it done ASAP as the wife was retiring off the road as a traveling feature and we planned to sell raffle tickets at her shows. This was OCt 03

First it was we are moving to the shop behind this one deal, bike is buried in storage delay.  Next thing we know, during this limited time to sell raffle tickets 9 months expired.  The bike was supposed to be built to a specification, but he didn't follow it on 12 key points including putting a Wrecked Bike engine in it when a Black and Chrome Crate engine was specified and paid for...  Oh this guy is a wiz-band and once the frame he used couldn't be built for him anylonger he lost total interest in the bike while yellow shirts bikes were flying out the door.

We got the bike 3 months after we stopped touring, Mar 05 and the cost over run was another 10K bill...  So we have no title and the lawyers to sort it out are big bucks...

Then the contractor on my house padding his bill by approx 3 hours a week.  I ask for his hours and I would hand him a time sheet of the hours I had him on the job...  I did that about three times in a year he didn't get any better.  He's now gone.

I'm a lawman, I used to shoot crooks,  the law now says my license to kill is expired so even the law isn't helping.  Yeah I'm bitter.  Eventually what comes around goes around and the score will even out.  I figger some guy who isn't worried about Karma will take care of business.  In the meantime I no longer trust anybody.  I even brown penned the $20 bill my mom gave me for my birthday.  BOB

[bigbearkiller]

Well did the sale take place????The expertise says "Sells all day long for $5500 on ebay" Is it a $1500 gamble?IF you need to sell.11k,oem,74/74...absolutey not.Right now the world economy is down and money is tight,,,$7k isn't alot of money for a bike if you have it.   

[billbuilds]

HAHAHA Seem a little bitter eh?  Yeah I'd say so.  I could go into this bike builder thing, the case file is several inches deep.  Was going to do the bike myself, but wife said go ahead and let X do it you have the Ultra on the table.  Well we needed it done ASAP as the wife was retiring off the road as a traveling feature and we planned to sell raffle tickets at her shows. This was OCt 03

First it was we are moving to the shop behind this one deal, bike is buried in storage delay.  Next thing we know, during this limited time to sell raffle tickets 9 months expired.  The bike was supposed to be built to a specification, but he didn't follow it on 12 key points including putting a Wrecked Bike engine in it when a Black and Chrome Crate engine was specified and paid for...  Oh this guy is a wiz-band and once the frame he used couldn't be built for him anylonger he lost total interest in the bike while yellow shirts bikes were flying out the door.

We got the bike 3 months after we stopped touring, Mar 05 and the cost over run was another 10K bill...  So we have no title and the lawyers to sort it out are big bucks...

Then the contractor on my house padding his bill by approx 3 hours a week.  I ask for his hours and I would hand him a time sheet of the hours I had him on the job...  I did that about three times in a year he didn't get any better.  He's now gone.

I'm a lawman, I used to shoot crooks,  the law now says my license to kill is expired so even the law isn't helping.  Yeah I'm bitter.  Eventually what comes around goes around and the score will even out.  I figger some guy who isn't worried about Karma will take care of business.  In the meantime I no longer trust anybody.  I even brown penned the $20 bill my mom gave me for my birthday.  BOB

     Man, I really regret the "especially from a good friend" opinion that I added to the questioned value of the subject of this thread, a very cherry and original 1974 FXE.  Really seemed to open up a can of worms. And I ain't much into fishing any more.   

[Reddog74usa]

 Anthony I sent ya an email 

[Reddog74usa]

Ron, That 76 FX is SWEEEEEET 

[rbonner]

    Man, I really regret the "especially from a good friend" opinion that I added to the questioned value of the subject of this thread, a very cherry and original 1974 FXE.  Really seemed to open up a can of worms. And I ain't much into fishing any more.  

Bill, I tell these tails for their entertainment value and possibly a heads up JIC.   I have tomahawk cruise missiles for retribution.  

BOB

[Speeding Big Twin]

Reddog, nice bike that Shovelhead. Two of my mates bought 1974 Super Glides new and because one of them turned his into a custom rigid he gave me some of the original parts and they’re still on my Panhead. And I returned the favour, helping him out with parts and info where possible.

The second one was eventually sold to another friend of mine who was also a mate of the original owner. He's doing it up to standard condition and it was looking good last time I saw it.     Eric   

[Speeding Big Twin]

From reply #20: 'Looks nice, but I must be gettin’ senile! I thought ’75 was the first year for the “E”. What year did they start puttin’ the button on them?’

My 1971â€"1984 H-D FX parts catalog has a chart inside the rear cover and it records an FXE-1200 for 1973. And several parts listed in said catalog indicate confirmation of that.     Eric

[Speeding Big Twin]

From reply #27: ‘My stock 73 FX frame has the frame mounts from the factory for forward pegs, the right side floorboard tab, the zirc fitting for seat post plunger and (even though it came thru with a banana caliper) the juicebrake rear brake line bracket.’ Bill

Bill, you mentioned your 1973 frame has the juice rear brake line bracket. Do you mean the extension at the lower left-hand rear casting section? Or do you mean the small bracket (tab) at the front which was used to accommodate the brake line tee?

I know some things remained for a year or more even though they weren’t required and if yours still has the extension at the lower left rear casting I’d be interested in knowing because I’ve been researching Shovelhead frame ID. Thanks.     Eric

[billbuilds]

     Keith,
     The juice brakeline bracket that I spoke of as being on my 73 FX frame is the one on the lower left frame casting secton, the bracket where the flex line from the rear slave cylinder meets the hard line coming from the T. The first two characters of the VIN number are 2C which denotes it as kick only FX according to Arman & Heinrichs "What Fits What".
     Allan Girdler has written atleast two HD buyers guides. In his Illustrated HD since 1965 version he states that 1974 was the first year for electric start. When I got my 73 about 7 years ago it had removable plates covering both the solenoid and starter drive openings. There was a starter button on the handlebar but it wasn't wired. The rear tank mounts are in place but the front one has been sawed off. Not sure if this was an early factory move or if it was done by a PO. Let me know if you'd like more info or pics. Later, Bill 
       
     

[rbonner]

Here's something I just found on eBay, the guy claims it to be an 71-72 FX inner primary.  Note no pivot holes and also has a Starter Boss that needs plugged.

BOB


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[Speeding Big Twin]

Thanks, Bill. And I have a few questions re the lower castings:

1. The frame below is a 1969 model and you’ll notice it has the two small blocks just above where the swingarm pivot bolt passes through. As you probably know, those two blocks accommodated bolts for the 1958â€"1964 oil tank support bracket. Have your castings got those blocks?
2. If the casting numbers on your lower rear sections are legible can you please advise what they are. Is the left-hand one 47653-58? And is the right-hand one 47651-58? I know there were changes which later led to both casting numbers ending in â€"73 but I’m wondering if your left-hand casting and possibly even your right-hand casting still bear the -58 numbers.



Regarding your model designation, my 1971-84 H-D FX catalog states 2C represents an FX-1200 so we’re in agreement there. I have a couple of books containing info from Allan Girdler but not the ones you mentioned. The problem is that all books, including official Harley-Davidson publications, contain errors.

Here’s the chart I mentioned which records an FXE for 1973:



And from page 199 of the catalog, the description for #66191-73 indicates to me the (electric start) battery carrier was available for use on all 1973-1979 models except the FX. Therefore, if it was available for use on a 1973 model that wasn’t an FX, wouldn’t that mean there was a 1973 FXE?



Some other descriptions also indicate the same thing to me. And in the FX catalog there are no less than ten part numbers ending in -73 which relate in one way or another to components required to equip the bike with electric start.

The removable plates you mentioned covering both the solenoid and starter drive openings may be switch hole cover #60644-65 and starter hole cover #60514-65 respectively.     Eric

[One4Tone]

..in life it not what you do ..that you remember the most...it what you didn't do...test ride  that scooter..if it all checks out  (brakes were problematic on those model years, oil pump check valve sometimes sticks makin a mess ..causing the OL to drop them dozen eggs)..offer your buddy 6550.00 and a case of budweiser...ok.. offer him 2 cases..

[hightop]

 I guess the -73 on many electric start FX parts does make it seem  likely that '73 was the first year for the FXE. I do remember that the 71-72's were the only year that used the shifter reversed on an FL bracket and resulted in a 1 up 3 down pattern, and the '73 primary's were drilled and bushed to take the shift arm thru the primary, as shown in the primary rbonner posted.

[billbuilds]

     Eric,
    The left hand frame casting has 47654 65 while the right side frame casting has number 47681-58 on it. The right side has the block for oil tank mounting bracket though the left side does not. Here's a coupla pics. Also, the steering head lock boss has A3 stamped in while the top motor mount has B3 stamped in it.
    I can't tell you the reason for all the -73 suffixes on the electric leg components even though 1974 was, as far as I can tell, the first year of that factory equipped feature. Were the electric start items offered as "accessories" late in the 1973 model year? I don't know but you have me curious.  Bill    
   

    Bob,
    No hole in that 71-72 inner primary for a solenoid is there? If so I had one just like it but a PO had tried to weld up the starter drive hole and up ended up fudging it up. That's one of those items I gave away to a "friend" in need. Bill

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[billbuilds]

     Ooops.. here's the left side of my 73 FX frame.


     Hightop, I respectfully disagree with you on the mid shift setup for 73 FX's. Mine came thru stock with 1 up three down shifting (forward control w/reversed lever). No midshift hole in the inner primary. Hole in chain inspection cover holds bullet mount for footpeg. Bill

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