I built this bike from a well worn Electra Glide that Bob had
bought some years earlier. I changed the bike considerably
from its original form, that is, it's not a "correct" restoration,
but it's now superior to any bike of its era, and has features
not even new bikes have. Photo by Bob, fake sky by me.
Bob shot this by dawn's early light. The paint is Cadillac Crimson Pearl,
again by Al. '72 Electra Glides were the only year to have both disc and
drum brakes; before that it was all drum, after that, all disc. Tank emblems
are '63-'65, the dash came off a '95 Heritage, and was donated by Eric.
Shot at the same location as the previous pic, but from the opposite
angle. Anyone who lives in Florida and doesn't have a Harley is crazy.
Like my bike, I kept everything as clean as possible. Note the exhaust;
Harley never used one like this; it bends around the tranny to clear the
kicker, which never appeared on any FLH after 1969. Before that, the
front pipe had to bend around the generator. These mufflers made their
debut in '66, by '72 they had quit using the fishtails. The three visible
heatshields are mix 'n match; the rear "S" pipe shield is actually for
a Softail, all had to be modified. Battery cover is correct.
Rather than use the awkward-looking fender mounted turn signal bar,
I installed the rear turn signals in the saddlebags. They are also running
lights and illuminate the interior of the saddlebags. The bags themselves
are easily removed without tools. The taillight is correct; it was used
from '55 through '72. I left off the saddlebag rails and rear crash bars
to make the rear look less bulky. Using fiberglass, I made a mold of
the top of the rear fender and fashioned a quick-detach passenger seat
that fits neatly in the saddlebag. Bob took this picture on the road.
This is the bottom of the front head, next to its cylinder. Note the
carbon buildup on the piston. This shot shows the "hemi" shaped
combustion chamber, adequate for its day, but inefficient by today's
standards. These cylinders were .010" over. They can be bored
five more times, unlike Evo jugs which reach their limit at .030".
The frame showed surface rust throughout but was otherwise sound.
This is the swingarm pivot as viewed from the tranny bay. '72s didn't
have passenger peg tabs on the frame uprights as did later versions.
It was common practice to mount passenger pegs on bottom shock
mounts, which gave passengers' legs quite a workout.
This little surprise awaited me when I opened the front caliper,
the result of water in the system (always change front and rear
brake fluid at least once a year). Some dedicated honing put
it back in shape and chrome plating made it sparkle.
The original plan was to just clean the bike up a bit
and address any problems it might have, but the deeper
I got the more I found (none of this was Bob's doing,
he got a good deal on the bike). You are looking at the
top of the tranny as viewed from the right, with the oil
tank, battery and cylinders removed.
Here's the bottom end freshly bead blasted with balanced flywheels,
rebuilt oil pump and all new bearings and bushings. Connecting rod
bearing wear is determined by measuring the side-to-side movement
at the top of the rod; these had plenty. The Shovelhead's crankcase
is almost identical to the Evo's. Harley's long-standing tradition of
putting the latest top end on a proven bottom end was finally broken
by the Twin Cam 88. The bottle of red liquid is my blood; I put a
little in every motor I build. Just kidding, it's assembly lube.
I repainted the frame and began the final assembly. I drilled
several holes in it (before paint) to run wiring, keeping clutter
to a minimum. These rear shocks were later changed to
Progressive (what a difference!). Harley used this frame from
'65 through '84, replacing it with the current rubber-mounted
frame designed by Erik Buell (though both frames were used
during '79-'84). These fork legs look like the originals ('49-'76),
but internally they're identical to the current models. The fork
slider covers (called "cow bells" or "beer cans") are
interchangeable on all FL models from 1949 through 2007.
The motor now actually looks better than new. Atlantic Plating chromed the
rocker boxes (they only do Harley parts, and are the best in South Florida). I
even polished the manifold. In the primary chain case you'll notice the liquid
balancers on the compensator and clutch, and the Hayden M6 chain tensioner.
The small pipe in the case between the tensioner and compensator is the chain
oiler. A pickup at the rear sucks up excess oil via the scavenger pump and
sends it back to the oil tank. Clutch plates are Barnett. The 82 link chain is
identical to the one found on the first ('36) Knucklehead, and is still factory
equipment on 2007 models, complete with same part number (40007-36).
I wanted to replace the two-piece hinged rear fender (which always
rusts at the hinge) with a later one-piece version, yet still use the '72
style taillight, so I used a plain, smooth one from Custom Chrome,
and cut my own holes. The saddle bags are from Moose's Used H-D
Parts, and needed minor fiberglass repair and new hardware. Here
you see the custom bag-mounted turn signals, which are very visible
on the road. I molded the bag brackets smooth and painted them black.
Almost finished, ready for sheetmetal. Wires for brake light, ignition, oil
sender and neutral switch run up the seat post. Exhaust heat shields are
yet to be added. Rear fender struts have been rechromed (also by Atlantic).
Battery cover is later changed to correct version. Inside the headlight nacelle
are dual tuned horns. When honked, they automatically flash the high beam
(an idea I've used on several bikes, including my own). The turn signals use
the current H-D electronic module. Three colored LEDs hidden on left side
of nacelle indicate battery and alternator status. The alarm module and sensors
are well hidden. There's a 12 volt plug under seat for easy battery charging.
Done! Now if I could only get it through the door... Just kidding (I do have
to remove the bags, though). The front fender tip is '59-'66, side trim
'57-'73. Notice that the front brake line coming from the master cylinder
is designed to mimic the clutch cable on the other side. Single throttle cable
goes to S&S carb (one cable is all that's required on any carb, as long as
maintenance isn't ignored to the point where the cable rusts up). Grips are
H-D's late nostalgic version. Headlight is halogen. And yes, those are
motorcycle models in the glass cases, a small fraction of my collection.
This photo was taken by Bob's beautiful wife, Mitzie, moments after Bob first
straddled his "new" Harley. I don't know who was more excited, me or him. It
has since gone many thousands of trouble free, drip free miles. Although Bob
also has a fuel injected Ultra, he'd be the first to tell you that this is his baby.
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