shovelhead question
6th Gear
Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 11
Likes: 0
From: Colorado
Find someone that has experience with a shovel and take him with to look at any you are considering. I rode all the amf stuff and have never felt all the bs was justified. If you want to learn about motorcycles and how to work on them a shovel is a great place to start. Something that I have found useful: only do it right, know how to use a heli-coil and introduce yourself to someone that can weld aluminum. I live in Colorado as well and know there are a good assortment of shovels to be had. I currently have two of my own. Good luck.
Cruiser
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 126
Likes: 0
71 shovel
Had a 1971 Electra Glide for over 9 years. Rode over most of the United States and was never stranded. I performed all maintenance myself and wish I still had that bike. I think alot of the shovel issues have been mentioned that people need to be somewhat mechanically inclined and actually perform the maintenance schedule. Kept it stock except for replacing the Bendix carb and put electronic ignition in the cone....I wouldnt hesitate to have one as my everyday rider but I do know a bit about how to keep them running...am looking to add a second bike again and it will be a shovel when I get one....nuff said..
Elite HDF Member
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 4,053
Likes: 5
From: Southern IL
Inform your buddies , if it wasn't for AMF Harley may not be here today , in short AMF saved harleys ***. that said , anybody who says a shovel cant be reliable is full of **** , seems they are much more reliable than a lot of these new fangled twinkie engines . before I started riding my evo my ol shovel had over 200,000 on her and I still ride long distance with several shovels that rock on down the highway......and no , they don't tear them down every winter
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Jan 2011
Posts: 157,524
Likes: 57,077
From: Michigan 15 Minutes East Of Hell
There are a lot of brothers on this site that would give their first born to have a Shovel and I'm guessing that there are a few who wouldn't have anything to do with a Shovel .... you hear a lot of crap about the AMF years but most of the people who are passing that crap on have NEVER had one and are just jackin' their jaw passing on crap that someone else has repeated. While it's true that they ( Shovels ) have their peculiarities if you take the time learn your scooter and are a bit mechanically inclined it will provide you with much pleasure for many years. They aren't the fastest horse in the stable but if you were looking for a really fast scooter you'd be looking for one from the people who brought us Pearl Harbor. I've been ridin' for well over 40 years and have plopped my *** on more than a few Harleys and although I currently am riding a 2009 FLHTCU I still have my 79 FXEF ( yes it's an AMF ) and it still runs great. I did a lot of motor work to it right after I got it in 1982 and it still gets with the program ( and get a lot of looks and compliments ... riders love the old school rides ) One thing you can be sure of is that if you grab a Shovel and go through it you can consider yourself a real rider and wrencher. Good luck with your decision and if you find yourself on the side of the road with your scooter you can be sure that if I see you I'm gonna stop and lend a hand 'cuz that's what brothers do!
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 8,852
Likes: 2,494
From: Decatur, Alabama
Funny thing about Shovels and oil leaks. Most people don't understand that they were designed to leak. The crankcase vent is exhausted to the atmosphere, unlike the EVOs and I'm sure later models that divert the crankcase venting back into the motor. Guess what? Those oily fumes eventually drip oil.
There is also an automatic chain oiler that drips oil on the secondary chain if the owner hasn't turned it off and uses grease or chain lubricant. If it is turned open too much, excess oil drips out.
There is also an automatic chain oiler that drips oil on the secondary chain if the owner hasn't turned it off and uses grease or chain lubricant. If it is turned open too much, excess oil drips out.
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 21,736
Likes: 17,577
From: Driftless Area
Mine's got 200,000+ miles on it, but I don't ride it everyday. Over the years, it has been thoroughly gone through. The quality of replacement parts (like gaskets, electrical, etc) is better these days, even in the aftermarket. Each time I had to go inside, I made it better than it was originally. At this point, it requires no more extra maintenance than anything else. Wouldn't be afraid to ride that bike anywhere.
Club Member
Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 66,126
Likes: 51,453
From: Niles Canyon Ca.
Your buddy doesn't know his *** from a hole in the ground , anybody still bitching about AMF days is a possen **** who hasn't owned a shovel in the last 20 yrs . ALL the problems have a solution and 99.9% of the bikes out there have been fixed . Shovel was the last mans bike harley made get one if you've got a set .
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