Hello everyone. I am actually new and joined as a future owner of a HD and I have pros and cons to decide on that ultimately influences my final purchase. So a back drop I am 6'4 and large framed... I bought a Suzuki LS650 savage to learn how to ride and something I wasnt afraid to dump while learned (I did dump it from avoiding t-boning a old lady who pulled out in front of me on a wet road doing 35) So here is the theme...

Shovelhead or Evo? I am mechanically inclined but I live in an apartment which is a deciding factor as well... But as for you all, how do you feel about shovels and the evo's when it comes to frequency of maintenance, overall cost of maintenance (replacement parts and general rebuilding)? cost is a issue to me, however I am in excess of available man hours to work on a bike.

in short what would you suggest for a financially minded person who strongly prefers to do things themselves opposed to paying a shop to work on anything?

P.S. I intend to have my wife with me on trips around and slightly in excess of 300 miles so multi-day passenger comfort isnt too important and this limits me a bit with bike model and im leaning more towards something like a Evo Softtail in early to late mid 2000's or electraglide shovels from around '75 being they both are commonly found under 8-10k my maximum budget come time later on in the year when I move to make my purchase. Also the HD dealer near me practically wants you to sign for a credit report to even ask for a test ride hah.

Well thanks for your time reading this and have a great day!

 

I've had/have 'em all and if I was to make a suggestion to a first time HD purchase I'd recommend a solid EVO for the main reason that they'll require less TLC than a Shovel ( but the Shovel looks and sounds sooooo much sweeter )

 

Definitely Evo. Shovels look & sound good, but at best something will break,leak,or screw up every time you turn the key. Evos are far less maintenance & repair intensive.
personally, I'd go Twin Cam...some Evo parts may be hard or impossible to come by.

 

I have both and ride them both a lot. The Shovel has been gone through (as in there isn't a nut or bolt that I haven't turned sometime in the last 35 years), and I wouldn't be afraid to ride it anywhere. But I would agree with Larry and suggest an Evo for comfort and reliability. Either way, you will be doing your own work, since dealers won't generally work on anything that old anyway.

 

OP~ How many miles did you have on your thumper before you intentionally crashed your bike so as to avoid a crash? This will tell us if you're ready for either a shovel or EVO.

 

Norty I had about 600 on the bike in my ownership when it happened. I instinctively grabbed the front break with a baby bald rear tire and next to no tread on the front. I have changed the tires but I exclusively rode the thumper most of the year as my day to day transport and racked about 7000 miles on it.

Also yes I have changed the bicycle habits of that right break lever to using the rear as well Lol. I was smacked by the invisible hand of Dio when that dump happened.

 

@Dickey ... I feel ignorant hah... I assumed the Twin Cam models were a Evo as well. thank you for that insight. there are a few twin cam bikes in my price range at all times in my area

 

Evo. Shovels have heavy mojo, but are also much heavier on care and feeding.

Plus there are way, way more good condition Evos to pick from. Back in the shovel days, the MoCo's production was a fraction of what it was during the boom Evo years.

 

For a DIY guy it's hard to beat a carbed Evo...dead simple and reliable...especially '94 to '99. Plus I just prefer how they feel. Otherwise plenty of Twin Cams to grab...

 

heavy isnt a problem. im 6'4 , 350 lbs and capable of lifting over 600 lbs and walking with it. the savage I have I can just man-handle with one hand, though one thing I do enjoy about the savage is I can just pick it up and place it on blocks to work on it. however 650+ i would invest in a jack. The worry I have had with evo and newer all I hear when it comes to removing the crankshaft is 'Take it to a shop' those words are very dirty words to me. here the cheapest shop I know charges 70 an hour to do anything