How much HP can you get from a Shovelhead?

[Deye76]

Good history Mike. 

"My overall favorite Shovel motors to build for long life and good power were the 93" Sidewinders 3 5/8" x 4.5"."

Mine as well. I rode mine all over, it was better than the 74", 84" & 86" shovels I had.

[Hillside Motorcycle]

Can't sleep and was just feeling a little nostalgic so I was looking through the Shovel stuff here and found this thread.

I built, rode and raced Shovels for a lot of years. I had a street ridden 108" Shovel that ran 10.60 @ 126 MPH in the quarter in full street trim back about 1980. Not many dynos back then, so I can't tell you how much power it made. It was a 4 speed bike and street tires weren't too great. I had to take off in second gear and slide the clutch out to keep from frying the tire. It was also a kick started bike. I really had to do a swan dive on the kicker to get it to go.

My Shovel Head Top Fuel bike is still the fastest and quickest quarter mile Shovel ever I believe. It went 7.32 @ 184 MPH in 1991. I beat a lot of EVO fuel bikes with that Shovel!

Leo Hess and I have set a few Land Speed World Records with Shovels. The fastest Shovel we ran on the Salt was an old Bob George bike Leo acquired. It was a partial streamlined double engine Shovel fuel burner. It was a sit on bike with a fairing, not a full streamliner for those who don't know land speed terminology. I did the heads, cams, fuel system and tuned the bike. Leo rode the bike and it was a handful to control. It ran over 239 MPH on our first pass out of the trailer. It was our first pass ever on the salt.

As far as combustion chambers, I was doing bathtub chambers in Shovel Heads before the Evo's came out. It makes them a different animal.

My overall favorite Shovel motors to build for long life and good power were the 93" Sidewinders 3 5/8" x 4.5". I kind of miss my old Shovels and Pans. I don't miss kicking them though!

Mike Roland

Mike,
Remember Ray Hughes(RIP) and Mark Schluep with that 108" I made mention of?
Also remeber the Handcrafted American Racing Motorcycle paper that used to be published?
If I remember correctly, you advertised in that, as we did also.
Dave Mackie did the heads, and Rivera and Jim Lieneweber threw product at that 108" bike too.
National Record holders in the class they ran in.
We had a 105" that we had Trock cylinders on, that ran down in that 10.30-10.20 zone as well.
Ran that in the C/E Class ECRA.
Scott

[Mike Roland]

Thank you for stopping by Mike. 
Winter is coming here, any suggestions for the average Joe with a 3.625 x 4.5  93?

If I could go south and ride, that is what I would do! I rode the h#ll out of my old 93". I practically lived on that bike. Rode an 84" Pan for many years too. For a Pan it ran like stink!

Can't sleep and was just feeling a little nostalgic so I was looking through the Shovel stuff here and found this thread.

I built, rode and raced Shovels for a lot of years. I had a street ridden 108" Shovel that ran 10.60 @ 126 MPH in the quarter in full street trim back about 1980. Not many dynos back then, so I can't tell you how much power it made. It was a 4 speed bike and street tires weren't too great. I had to take off in second gear and slide the clutch out to keep from frying the tire. It was also a kick started bike. I really had to do a swan dive on the kicker to get it to go.

My Shovel Head Top Fuel bike is still the fastest and quickest quarter mile Shovel ever I believe. It went 7.32 @ 184 MPH in 1991. I beat a lot of EVO fuel bikes with that Shovel!

Leo Hess and I have set a few Land Speed World Records with Shovels. The fastest Shovel we ran on the Salt was an old Bob George bike Leo acquired. It was a partial streamlined double engine Shovel fuel burner. It was a sit on bike with a fairing, not a full streamliner for those who don't know land speed terminology. I did the heads, cams, fuel system and tuned the bike. Leo rode the bike and it was a handful to control. It ran over 239 MPH on our first pass out of the trailer. It was our first pass ever on the salt.

As far as combustion chambers, I was doing bathtub chambers in Shovel Heads before the Evo's came out. It makes them a different animal.

My overall favorite Shovel motors to build for long life and good power were the 93" Sidewinders 3 5/8" x 4.5". I kind of miss my old Shovels and Pans. I don't miss kicking them though!

Mike Roland

Mike,
Remember Ray Hughes(RIP) and Mark Schluep with that 108" I made mention of?
Also remeber the Handcrafted American Racing Motorcycle paper that used to be published?
If I remember correctly, you advertised in that, as we did also.
Dave Mackie did the heads, and Rivera and Jim Lieneweber threw product at that 108" bike too.
National Record holders in the class they ran in.
We had a 105" that we had Trock cylinders on, that ran down in that 10.30-10.20 zone as well.
Ran that in the C/E Class ECRA.
Scott

I remember a lot of good times and good people from back in those days! I have a stack of the old HARM mags still. I worked with Jim Leineweber on racing cams. They were in a lot of the record setting stuff I did. The L8-R was a grind I had Jim grind for my top fuel bike.

Deye, it's good to here from you. I look fondly back on my old Shovel and Pan days!

Mike Roland

[76shuvlinoff]

If your bike's in running shape and you really need something to tinker with this winter, come on down.  With the new panel truck I now have 13 motorized pieces of equipment(bikes, cars, yard equip, motor home)to maintain.  This is just at the house, doesn't count the shop vehicles.
The trip down would probably be cheaper than anything Mike recommends...trust me on this.
My shovel project for the winter involves pulling the fairing and lowers off the FLT and installing an FLHS single headlight on the gauge nacelle.  Gain speed by loosing weight.
I'll buy beer.

You know how is OC, the bike is running fine but we're always looking for that one mi$$ing ingredient.  Be careful though, I seldom turn down a free beer.    Thanks!   In reality I will probably put a sheet over the shovel and diddle with the Ultra a bit, depends on funding. I hear these TCs ain't that tough, just expensive.

If I could go south and ride, that is what I would do! .....

Excellent reply Mike 


Mark

[Old Crow]

I must not be doing enough riding.  For the second year in a row it looks like I'm going into winter with nothing to do to 3 Harleys except a couple of tire changes and some deep cleaning.
The new-to-me '54 Chevy panel...that's a different story.

[SE Road King]

I did well with 3.625" bore X 4.5" wheels, Easy to build, many available configurations, will stay together and hold oil if you don't spend a lot of time above 4,500 RPM. If you want that, you'll need aftermarket cases and some balance work. And Money, at regular intervals.
Easy to get into the serious seventies for HP and you'll love the Torque a 93" rolls out. Not a show stopper but powerful enough to set the gearing up to make 70MPH cruising possible without shaking your arms off of your torso or so that you cannot hold a beer for several hours after a 4-500 mile day. If you do not set up a 93" for all it will give, you can expect to ride it for several years.

[HogMike]

Can't sleep and was just feeling a little nostalgic so I was looking through the Shovel stuff here and found this thread.

I built, rode and raced Shovels for a lot of years. I had a street ridden 108" Shovel that ran 10.60 @ 126 MPH in the quarter in full street trim back about 1980. Not many dynos back then, so I can't tell you how much power it made. It was a 4 speed bike and street tires weren't too great. I had to take off in second gear and slide the clutch out to keep from frying the tire. It was also a kick started bike. I really had to do a swan dive on the kicker to get it to go.

My Shovel Head Top Fuel bike is still the fastest and quickest quarter mile Shovel ever I believe. It went 7.32 @ 184 MPH in 1991. I beat a lot of EVO fuel bikes with that Shovel!

Leo Hess and I have set a few Land Speed World Records with Shovels. The fastest Shovel we ran on the Salt was an old Bob George bike Leo acquired. It was a partial streamlined double engine Shovel fuel burner. It was a sit on bike with a fairing, not a full streamliner for those who don't know land speed terminology. I did the heads, cams, fuel system and tuned the bike. Leo rode the bike and it was a handful to control. It ran over 239 MPH on our first pass out of the trailer. It was our first pass ever on the salt.

As far as combustion chambers, I was doing bathtub chambers in Shovel Heads before the Evo's came out. It makes them a different animal.

My overall favorite Shovel motors to build for long life and good power were the 93" Sidewinders 3 5/8" x 4.5". I kind of miss my old Shovels and Pans. I don't miss kicking them though!

Mike Roland

Always liked that combo
Still have my pan with the Sidewinder 93 in it, John Woods heads (done long before he died)!
Big valves and ports, semi-domed pistons, moderate compression (pump gas), pulled the big cam out, and put in a 440. I still start it and ride it about once a year, just to hear it! Still can't kick start it! LOL
93 is a real good size for pans/shovels. Reliable, street motor. JMHO

[John/1]

S&S Heads
.580 Red Shift (no longer available)
Crane HI-4
S&S E T/jetted
Thunderheader
Wiseco pistons
Cylinders decked .060"
85/85

That was in a Sturgis, yeeeeaaaaars ago.
Scott

Hi Scott
Does an evo cam work in a shovel.I know that you loose some lift and TDC.

[shovelbill]

S&S Heads
.580 Red Shift (no longer available)
Crane HI-4
S&S E T/jetted
Thunderheader
Wiseco pistons
Cylinders decked .060"
85/85

That was in a Sturgis, yeeeeaaaaars ago.
Scott

early 90's?

[Hillside Motorcycle]

S&S Heads
.580 Red Shift (no longer available)
Crane HI-4
S&S E T/jetted
Thunderheader
Wiseco pistons
Cylinders decked .060"
85/85

That was in a Sturgis, yeeeeaaaaars ago.
Scott

Hi Scott
Does an evo cam work in a shovel.I know that you loose some lift and TDC.

John,
Folks do use Evo cams in those.
We've just struck with Shovel cams, in the Shovels.
Scott

[Hillside Motorcycle]

S&S Heads
.580 Red Shift (no longer available)
Crane HI-4
S&S E T/jetted
Thunderheader
Wiseco pistons
Cylinders decked .060"
85/85

That was in a Sturgis, yeeeeaaaaars ago.
Scott

early 90's?

Somewhere back in that time frame, Bill.
Scott

[hotbo]

i had a 98 inch dresser  with 4 3/4 stroke with 3 5/8 stroke sifton grind(cant remmber the#)

dual plug heads 5 speed revtech and it ran  really strong for shovel(vibrated alot,lol!)

i now have a 80 model WG with 5 speed revtech 9.5-1 with dual plug heads(SS manlye valves)
Wood 6 Cam and t-header Ole B carb very surprising torque and pulls out the back door for what it has.

i am going to have Hillside warm her over soon and hope she runs better and last longer 

[TorQuePimp]

Sorenson choppers has made well over 140 with his billet heads and a little over 125 with the std heads

[shovelbill]

Sorenson choppers has made well over 140 with his billet heads and a little over 125 with the std heads

in 2007 Mike Sorensen made 108 HP out of 93 inches with his chamber and ports with the old STD castings and an M grind........when he tweeked it a bit and went with an evo cam he got 114 HP out of the same motor on pump gas. those were the heads his billet ones were borne from and cnc'd out of billet aluminum.

the 143 HP was out of a 128" shovel........it's a long list and I forgot a lot..... we're waiting patiently for the dyno vid of the 5" arm 142" he stuffed into a stock 4 speed frame.

the 106" he just finished for Darren made 122/108 on it's first pull no tune.

Mikey is a good friend of mine....he did my '78 OEM castings that are on my 80" right now.

[76shuvlinoff]

Bill. I wish I ran in your circle. 

Mark

[TorQuePimp]

  Give mike a call or friend him on facebook...damn nice guy and easy to talk to

[Hillside Motorcycle]

Sorenson choppers has made well over 140 with his billet heads and a little over 125 with the std heads

in 2007 Mike Sorensen made 108 HP out of 93 inches with his chamber and ports with the old STD castings and an M grind........when he tweeked it a bit and went with an evo cam he got 114 HP out of the same motor on pump gas. those were the heads his billet ones were borne from and cnc'd out of billet aluminum.

the 143 HP was out of a 128" shovel........it's a long list and I forgot a lot..... we're waiting patiently for the dyno vid of the 5" arm 142" he stuffed into a stock 4 speed frame.

the 106" he just finished for Darren made 122/108 on it's first pull no tune.

Mikey is a good friend of mine....he did my '78 OEM castings that are on my 80" right now.

We set up the lead service tech at Utica H-D, with a 114" quite some time ago.
One of the components was a S-86 Andrews cam(.660") that we have previously used in a smaller engine.
With a D carb, and 30", 2" drag pipes, it showed just about 130/130 here.
Scott

[shovelbill]

Sorenson choppers has made well over 140 with his billet heads and a little over 125 with the std heads

in 2007 Mike Sorensen made 108 HP out of 93 inches with his chamber and ports with the old STD castings and an M grind........when he tweeked it a bit and went with an evo cam he got 114 HP out of the same motor on pump gas. those were the heads his billet ones were borne from and cnc'd out of billet aluminum.

the 143 HP was out of a 128" shovel........it's a long list and I forgot a lot..... we're waiting patiently for the dyno vid of the 5" arm 142" he stuffed into a stock 4 speed frame.

the 106" he just finished for Darren made 122/108 on it's first pull no tune.

Mikey is a good friend of mine....he did my '78 OEM castings that are on my 80" right now.

We set up the lead service tech at Utica H-D, with a 114" quite some time ago.
One of the components was a S-86 Andrews cam(.660") that we have previously used in a smaller engine.
With a D carb, and 30", 2" drag pipes, it showed just about 130/130 here.
Scott

Scott, you may be doing my friend Shack's motor if his friend Walt can't do it........last month I was in Utica and wanted to swing by your shop to say hi, but we ran out of time that weekend.....next trip.

[shovelbill]

Bill. I wish I ran in your circle. 

Mark

i'm very fortunate for the folks I've had the privilege to meet over the years.....or just had the opportunity to talk to at length...
the funny thing is I never actually MET Mike in person, but I love him

[Hillside Motorcycle]

Sorenson choppers has made well over 140 with his billet heads and a little over 125 with the std heads

in 2007 Mike Sorensen made 108 HP out of 93 inches with his chamber and ports with the old STD castings and an M grind........when he tweeked it a bit and went with an evo cam he got 114 HP out of the same motor on pump gas. those were the heads his billet ones were borne from and cnc'd out of billet aluminum.

the 143 HP was out of a 128" shovel........it's a long list and I forgot a lot..... we're waiting patiently for the dyno vid of the 5" arm 142" he stuffed into a stock 4 speed frame.

the 106" he just finished for Darren made 122/108 on it's first pull no tune.

Mikey is a good friend of mine....he did my '78 OEM castings that are on my 80" right now.

We set up the lead service tech at Utica H-D, with a 114" quite some time ago.
One of the components was a S-86 Andrews cam(.660") that we have previously used in a smaller engine.
With a D carb, and 30", 2" drag pipes, it showed just about 130/130 here.
Scott

Scott, you may be doing my friend Shack's motor if his friend Walt can't do it........last month I was in Utica and wanted to swing by your shop to say hi, but we ran out of time that weekend.....next trip.

Happy to help him.
Scott