Shovehead The NEW FAD!

[v10ole]

Hi to all Those people that have never had a old shovel before only want one because they like the coolness of us old timers, passing their twinkie asses.

[Bzrk91]

my dad has an old 72' shovel that got passed onto me. im currently ripping it apart and fixin it up. do i count v10ole?? haha

[76shuvlinoff]

 guys, for the first time wrenching on shovels could get to be pretty lucrative.... 
  Imagine the price for a sidadaroad rescue!!!

  just sayin'.......
 
     Mark

[James]

Ive owned a 79 lowrider from brand new.Even my wife rides it .Wouldnt trade for anything.Runs great ,got drag pipes on it.Just had it repainted original black with red pin stripes.                          James

[72fl]

I've always said new bikes are new bikes anyone can get one, I've sold at least 8 of them but I still have my shovel.
I currently have an 05 Fatty with 1,600 miles and my Shovelhead. Fatty is just another new bike, Shovelhead is PRICELESS!!!!

Was at a show and these 3 rubs are lookin at my bike and one says to the other two Man that is one nice knuckle, I just laughed and they look at me like whats your problem, I tell them its a 72 SHOVELHEAD.

[HV]

Hell ...even I have one...lol   had a bunch of bikes ... ( new demo every year ...just sold the 08 X bones ) but the one I have for myself and will NOT sell is My Shovel

[Shvlhed]

Well, I guess some of us are really old if Shovelhead's are a new fad!

[Blackbike95]

I'm glad to find out that my old shovel is finally coming into vogue...........

Went to Daytona a few years back with two close buds....one with a modern day chopper (Evo Style), the other with a 79' shovel and me with my 80/80. Both of our shovels are immaculate and better than 90% original. My buddy with the new school chopper couldn't understand why the old bikes got all the attention everywhere we went. Sure, it's a pain in the ass sometimes, in fact I just pulled it down again to refresh the trans and clutch, but I wouldn't sell it for the world. We've been together too long. Guess all this talk about new interest in shovels made me wax nostalgic. Damn!

[ST40]

Speaking of finding a dealer to work on Shovels, I was told by a greenhorn service manager in Colorado Springs they very seldom work on bikes more than ten years old.  And this was when I was on the road and only had a flat tire!  After he told me my original front wheel on my 73 FLH wasn't even a Harley wheel and there wasn't a tube made for it anywhere, the s### hit the fan.  I informed him the wheel and most everything else on the bike was Harley OEM and was quite a bit older than he was.   A salesman intervened and assured me the kid was going to get a serious visit with management.  Yeah, right!  3 hours later with a tube from a real motorcycle shop I was gladly on my way.  By the way most everyone in the service dept. were very interested in my ride.  One little punk sure can ruin an already F'd up day!                                    Marty

[Flat Dog]

I guess I hadn't realized that being a true biker was part of a fashion show...that what I rode showed what was in my heart.

Guess cause I ride a twinkie now after decades of wrenching and putting, I'm not a real biker to some people. Ask me if I care what a person like that thinks of me...

[shoveled71]

Dont worry about it John, I ride an 06 StreetGlide when Im going long distance,and love it on the long road, its so much easier on these old bones, some of us oldtimers deserve a comfortable ride, my heart is in my 71 FLH though, Had it 28 years and will till the end, I ride the shovel everywhere unless Im going over a couple hundred miles, bought a 75 FLH last year for a song, kinda rough, but building a bobber out of it, should have it done by spring.  Spike

[76shuvlinoff]

  Guys,
I don't think anyone here is seriously slamming new bikes, just some of the attitudes.

[D3bikes]

Let's go back to the rich guys buying shovels.......wait until they try to find a dealer to work on it.  Good luck!

I like it when those rich guys buy them old bikes, gives me a reason to get some of their cash, and Lord knows they can afford it.  Not only that I also like the fact that i'm bringing back some life into an old scoot.  And more sooner than later that rich guy will probably end up selling that (stay on top of things all the time bike) to someone who will more that likely have a deep appreciation for it.
D3

[D3bikes]

Speaking of finding a dealer to work on Shovels, I was told by a greenhorn service manager in Colorado Springs they very seldom work on bikes more than ten years old.  And this was when I was on the road and only had a flat tire!  After he told me my original front wheel on my 73 FLH wasn't even a Harley wheel and there wasn't a tube made for it anywhere, the s### hit the fan.  I informed him the wheel and most everything else on the bike was Harley OEM and was quite a bit older than he was.   A salesman intervened and assured me the kid was going to get a serious visit with management.  Yeah, right!  3 hours later with a tube from a real motorcycle shop I was gladly on my way.  By the way most everyone in the service dept. were very interested in my ride.  One little punk sure can ruin an already F'd up day!                                    Marty

I hear ya Marty.  The stealership down the road won't work on Evo's anymore
D3

[d-dog]

I think it's great that others are realizing what a joy old bikes are.  For me, everytime I ride my shovel, I'm 18 again!  The sound alone brings back memories.  I may be pushing 60, but when I ride that bike, I'm 18 looking out!  I'm just happy that I can care for it a lot better than when I was younger.  We did a lot of mickey-mouse repairs back then because we just didn't have the cash to do it right.
Dog

[ST40]

I agree with you, 76.    Almost all my bro's ride new bikes, many of them so called twinkys.  Not a problem with me until someone gets an attitude towards something different from their choice of ride.        Marty

[Old Crow]

In 1982, when I was 30 years old I walked into a Harley dealership for the first time.  I'd been riding jap bikes since '68 or 9, and Triumph choppers since '78.
I was there to check out a new Sporty, but the first bike I saw on the floor was a brand new '82 FLT Tour-Glide.  It was love at first sight.
Took me another 20 years(spent mostly on Hondas with a Sporty or two thrown in)to finally get that bike, but 5 years ago I brought her home.
Not about to sell the old girl now...or ever.

[attachment removed after 60 days by system]

[shovelmonster76]

I'm not an old timer yet but love my Shovel and wouldn't even think about getting rid of it. I'm actually about to start another build. I just got my hands on a 1960 Pan-  Shovel, but probably gonna get some Pan heads on it before it's over. Always loved the old bikes, there is nothing else for me.

[shovelkid73]

I'm only 19 and my grad. present was a '73 Fx.  Dad bought it back in '98 and rode for about a year and put it away. When I got it, it seemed like all my friends wanted one once I had mine. But I also learned how to wrench on it before i even rode it the first time. And thanks to my dad I can wrench when I need to. 

[Dresser]

I rode a kicker Shovel for 17 yrs. Then I bought an Evo and now I've got a Twinkie. Guess what I don't walk with a limp anymore, my maintenance time is down, riding time is up. I loved my Shovel but I don't miss it. If it's the new rage good luck to them.

You guys that still love them enough to ride them, work on them and listen to your OL's gripe about the ride. You have my respect.

[v10ole]

To me they have always been cool ! Even way back when. Ole

[Dogbone45ACP]

My 96 in. Shovel is in my family room keeping worm. The new stuff is in the cold garage. It has 100,000 plus miles on many rebuilds.

[China twin 88]

In 1977 after leaving the Army, I have saved my coins and bought a FLH..flat  land hog..from Fletcher Harley Davidson in Clearwater... where my father.. a former Birmingham policeman, and the main reason I had taken on HDs, had retired and me having no [place to go .. joined him on the beach...

In 2007, I found a 83, last year of the shovel heads.. i think....and jumped on it.. as it was just sitting in a garage ...in Beijing....polluted with a jap front end and forward controls that were so lose .. it scared me the first summer to ride it...now.. this summer it will be completed ...I hope.. but now I have a hankering for a new bike...so How do the new HDs compair to the shovels... heard some of u talk about breakdowns.. but I rode the heck out of mine.. and a couple of time per year.. would head out .. like to the "Derelict Rib Roast" in Buffalo....without so much as a problem along the way...

[Jusbo48]

I got to much blood, seat, beer an whisky on my ole scoot to ever get rid of it, hell, might even get buried with it

[243ron]

Seems like anyone with a credit card can be a biker these days. When I bought my 76 FX brand new, it was with money I had earned through my blood, sweat, and tears. Back then, as it is today, owning a Shovel was a commitment. So enjoy your new rides, but let me fill you in on something: not many "look at me girls" could kick her over with 10:1 compression anyhow......