Shovelhead front end update
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03-28-2008, 11:49 PM
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Shovelhead front end update
Shovelhead front end update
Well as few words before, instead of buying a new low rider last year I decided to up-date my current low rider of 27 years 1981, some buy bikes like some buy cars every few years, I am not that kind of rider, lots of money went into the bike over those years, in my mind no-way was I starting over. I started a thread here called "S&S engines" on 12/16/2006
"I was wondering anybody here have or know someone with a complete shovel from S&S ? "
Never heard anything so I’ll turn the thread into a lessons learned sort of thing, like a step by step on what to expect doing that kind of job, the little extra items etc. plus the money needed, this is what I was looking for, so this thread is a continuation of that thread, but I gave it a new title, I will just stick to the front end update, doing this in parts of triple tree, tubes, sliders or glides, headlight, brakes and control switches, not necessarily in that order.
It all started out last year, it was always in the back of my head when I went with a S&S Shovelhead 93 ci, 82 rated hp low compression engine, backed up with a Baker 4 into 6 speed OD tranny, yea it’s not any rocket, but maybe a slow early jet : - ) but I did gain a little over 30 extra hp I didn’t have, I thought about it before hand and while everything went together last year, but it really come home when the 1000 mile break-in was done, how in the hell, am I going to stop this thing ! I changed that awful, bad, totally useless rear brake approx 10 years ago with a PM 4 piston, yeah very nice, goes through pads in 5 or 6,000 miles, hay you buy a racing brake and what do you expect to get 10,000 ? I think it is making up for the lousy twin stock brake set up in the front.
So I had to two options, buy two new 4 piston calibers at up to $400 a piece or turn it into a new modern 4 piston single caliber and rotor, which means two new lower sliders or glides, now here comes my dilemma do I pay to have my original sliders turn out, cleaned up and ready for chrome ? or buy new chrome or take off sliders ? shovel owners out there know at least of the’80 to ’84 slides (earlier also) that had that rectangle or ridge plate (for the yellow reflector) sticking out, that’s what I mean by turned down or machined out on a lathe then buffed out all the areas hd missed we all know the shlt job done back in the early years, I believe to have that done, the lowers without chrome was approx around $75 to a $100 each, pay this out on 27 year old stock slides? Yes I could do the buffing but I don’t own a lathe, lets look around for newer ones.
And newer ones I found on e-Bay from a hd dealer, a set of take offs, a guy comes into a dealer wants chrome lowers from hd, dealer takes off his lacquer coated aluminum, puts on the chrome ones, now at this time the dealer can be smart and sell these cheap, to just get them out of the shop or sell them high and will sit there maybe for years, who will buy stock alum glides ? the dealer was smart a pair for $19.95, most likely just over alum re-cycle rate : - )
[left][color=#0000cc]So here I sit with perfect looking stock alum lacquer 41mm slides off either 00-05 FXDWG, 00-06 FXST, FXSTB Showa retail for $360.00 a pair,
#2
03-29-2008, 05:47 AM
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RE: Shovelhead front end update
Heh, heh, heh - what's this "save money" of which you speak? 
I just scored a set of 41 mm custom triple trees off eBay for $100. Brandy-new, too. As far as the sliders "almost" looking good enough w/o chrome, why not paint them the same color as your tanks/fenders?
Almost forgot - You could score some Nissin or Tokico calipers off a YamaHonKawSuz. Fab Kevin http://www.fabkevin.com/ makes great looking adapters that would mount them on your original or new sliders. He has a kit with a Tokico 4 piston caliper, mounting bracket, and hardware for less than $220 shipping included.
I just scored a set of 41 mm custom triple trees off eBay for $100. Brandy-new, too. As far as the sliders "almost" looking good enough w/o chrome, why not paint them the same color as your tanks/fenders?
Almost forgot - You could score some Nissin or Tokico calipers off a YamaHonKawSuz. Fab Kevin http://www.fabkevin.com/ makes great looking adapters that would mount them on your original or new sliders. He has a kit with a Tokico 4 piston caliper, mounting bracket, and hardware for less than $220 shipping included.
#3
03-29-2008, 08:58 AM
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RE: Shovelhead front end update
ORIGINAL: pococj
Heh, heh, heh - what's this "save money" of which you speak?
I just scored a set of 41 mm custom triple trees off eBay for $100. Brandy-new, too. As far as the sliders "almost" looking good enough w/o chrome, why not paint them the same color as your tanks/fenders?
Almost forgot - You could score some Nissin or Tokico calipers off a YamaHonKawSuz. Fab Kevin http://www.fabkevin.com/ makes great looking adapters that would mount them on your original or new sliders. He has a kit with a Tokico 4 piston caliper, mounting bracket, and hardware for less than $220 shipping included.
Heh, heh, heh - what's this "save money" of which you speak?
I just scored a set of 41 mm custom triple trees off eBay for $100. Brandy-new, too. As far as the sliders "almost" looking good enough w/o chrome, why not paint them the same color as your tanks/fenders?
Almost forgot - You could score some Nissin or Tokico calipers off a YamaHonKawSuz. Fab Kevin http://www.fabkevin.com/ makes great looking adapters that would mount them on your original or new sliders. He has a kit with a Tokico 4 piston caliper, mounting bracket, and hardware for less than $220 shipping included.
“Heh, heh, heh - what's this "save money" of which you speak? “
I knew that would come home to people who knew : - )))))
“I just scored a set of 41 mm custom triple trees off eBay for $100. Brandy-new, too. As far as the sliders "almost" looking good enough w/o chrome, why not paint them the same color as your tanks/fenders? “
Nice buy !!! made here ? that is the most important thing in this day of lead painted toys, and exploding car tires, I really would just rather ride down the road, thinking about nothing but the road and not, will this tree brake in half ? : - ))) (not to say the one you got will) nothing on or in my bike is made in china, taiwan is the closest and since hd has a long history with that country in making m/c parts and it’s not “commie land” well that is my point, paint that was an option no doubt, but always wanted a nice clean chrome front end, if I did get it painted by the guy who originally did my tanks, I don’t know if I could afford it today, I got it done approx 12 years ago, before Jesse James and OCC, he is really out of sight now, I know this first hand approx 3 years ago I damaged my front fender something heavy fell on it, anyway I took him a new fender, all he had to do was painted it black, black and add the gold leaf flames and clear it, just like the old one (which I brought as a guide) it cost as much to paint that fender as the whole job did 9 to 10 years before, and not counting how gold is up to 1,000 today ! chrome would be much cheaper, trust me : - )
“Almost forgot - You could score some Nissin or Tokico calipers off a YamaHonKawSuz. Fab Kevin http://www.fabkevin.com/ makes great looking adapters that would mount them on your original or new sliders. He has a kit with a Tokico 4 piston caliper, mounting bracket, and hardware for less than $220 shipping included.”
[font="times new roman"][color=#0000cc][size=3]Again nice price, are they good performers ? I was going to cut down the price by going to GMA units I personally have no problem at all running one brand in the rear and a different one in the front, but the more I heard about GMAs (some on this forum) the price difference between them and PM wasn’t so much aft
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03-29-2008, 10:13 AM
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#5
03-29-2008, 12:06 PM
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RE: Shovelhead front end update
ORIGINAL: panz4ever
cj, I know squat about new bikes and a little about older ones but....41mm is the same size used on 49 and 65. Can't you use early OEM trees and avoid Tawain Ted?
cj, I know squat about new bikes and a little about older ones but....41mm is the same size used on 49 and 65. Can't you use early OEM trees and avoid Tawain Ted?
“cj, I know squat about new bikes and a little about older ones but....41mm is the same size used on 49 and 65. Can't you use early OEM trees and avoid Tawain Ted? “
We know about the same on new ones “download maps” to change A/C and pipes ? WTH is that about ? oh, yeah, EPA, anyway, I have no idea if it’s the same size ?
Make no mistake panz I am no real fan of imported parts I like most would rather have USA made or at least Canada made, but that is not going to happen, today it’s more likely to get china made, that with the news of the crap coming out that commie country, this is what it has come down too, so I’ll settle on taiwan made, when hd has been importing that stuff for decades, but there like anywhere else, there is good stuff and crap made and I don’t buy taiwan teds v-twin crap for the same reason I don’t buy commie crap, in china ! and remember we are talking about the glides not the triple tree, mine was made in california, the hard chrome forks by Franks, I am not **** about having everything made in the USA, but there is a line.
take care,
cj
#6
03-29-2008, 06:30 PM
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Triple Tree and forks
Triple Tree and forks
Before I go on I got to tell you this front end work is be done at a dealer, of course not a hd dealer, they don’t know about shovelheads any longer : - ) no an independent dealer I been using for parts and some service since I owned a triumph way back, since I am not going to save any real big money on parts, list price is list price and a dealer can fix or smooth over mistakes, damage parts better than a guy ordering over the net or phone, they can come in handy, it’s only the labor, taking off the front end, re-doing the head bearings, re-building the lowers, these guys do this almost everyday and have the specialty tools, not to leave out, they actually work in the heat !!! meaning no heated garage for me this winter.
Ok, looks like I need a triple tree frank, ok, wide glide ? no, never did like the look of it, don’t take it so freakin personal frank I know you have one, it’s me ok ? I just look and think big flex !, well john what the hell are you looking for ? you have 41mm tubes, yeah I know, I could get a new ’06 up hd low rider front end : - ) they look good in 41mm and there not the sporty front ends, you don’t have that kind of money : - ) don’t you know that !!
Ok, frank I was thinking about a mid-glide, ok lets see who makes them as he flips out the Drag Specialties hugh catalog, I said, Custom Cycle Engineering out of california has been making them since forever, I use to dream about their front ends back in the early ‘80’s, yeah nice set up here it is,… frank just go with them direct, because I don’t see a model that will fit mine in DS cat, also tell them what year frame I have, so they can add the piece of metal under the tree that will line up with my frame and just like stock I can use a pad lock for the front end, no bull ?, no bull nice feature, I will bet they still have it.
Frank, no bs, this is very important, I want this front end to look as when stock, I mean the angle the height, length of forks, remember this is a low rider frame the rake is not like a standard FX glide, it's pushed out,please don’t order me forks for a FX, I need longer ones, I also want black chrome finish on the fork tubes just like the factory, not show chrome as on after market front ends, or like that big dog over there…. as you know fork seals will last way longer with black chrome finish.
One last thing load them Frank forks up with Progressive front springs and guts, a little more money way better ride ! Franks Forks ended up cutting and making me up a custom set, none in stock. I wonder how many low riders out there may have fx shorter tubes in them ?
[font="times new roman"][color=#0000cc][size=3]Damn almost forgot, when talking with C.C.E. tell them I want a truss, for that mid glide, john you mean a brace, no frank I mean a truss, they are called braces ! frank it’s your business, you been in it for almost 30 years, so I am not going to **** all over your leg and say it’s a truss again, until you go on to their web site or in their cat
#7
03-29-2008, 06:35 PM
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RE: Shovelhead front end update
ORIGINAL: cj_slowdown
“pococj”
“Heh, heh, heh - what's this "save money" of which you speak? “
I knew that would come home to people who knew : - )))))
(Snip)
“Almost forgot - You could score some Nissin or Tokico calipers off a YamaHonKawSuz. Fab Kevin http://www.fabkevin.com/ makes great looking adapters that would mount them on your original or new sliders. He has a kit with a Tokico 4 piston caliper, mounting bracket, and hardware for less than $220 shipping included.”
Again nice price, are they good performers ? I was going to cut down the price by going to GMA units I personally have no problem at all running one brand in the rear and a different one in the front, but the more I heard about GMAs (some on this forum) the price difference between them and PM wasn’t so much after all, as for finish I went with PM flat alum finish on the rear to match my Sturgis solid wheel in the back, worked out, so going with this chrome front end, I had to go with chrome caliber but at least I wasn’t going to be buying TWO units !!!! see the money I am saving !!!!! : - ))))))
Thanks for the link I will keep it on file never know when you need a good one !
ride safe,
cj
“pococj”
“Heh, heh, heh - what's this "save money" of which you speak? “
I knew that would come home to people who knew : - )))))
(Snip)
“Almost forgot - You could score some Nissin or Tokico calipers off a YamaHonKawSuz. Fab Kevin http://www.fabkevin.com/ makes great looking adapters that would mount them on your original or new sliders. He has a kit with a Tokico 4 piston caliper, mounting bracket, and hardware for less than $220 shipping included.”
Again nice price, are they good performers ? I was going to cut down the price by going to GMA units I personally have no problem at all running one brand in the rear and a different one in the front, but the more I heard about GMAs (some on this forum) the price difference between them and PM wasn’t so much after all, as for finish I went with PM flat alum finish on the rear to match my Sturgis solid wheel in the back, worked out, so going with this chrome front end, I had to go with chrome caliber but at least I wasn’t going to be buying TWO units !!!! see the money I am saving !!!!! : - ))))))
Thanks for the link I will keep it on file never know when you need a good one !
ride safe,
cj
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#8
03-29-2008, 06:53 PM
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RE: Shovelhead front end update
“pococj”
“The Nissin & Tociko calipers are what the Japanese bikes use. Think of the local kid-on-a-crotchy doin' a stoppie - they are first rate calipers. Of course, getting a set of chromed ones would add significantly to the cost. But then, chrome is just something that has to be cleaned, polished, and otherwise have valuable riding time wasted on, so I tries to avoid it!
”pococj you on chrome ?? : - ))) I know your stand on chrome : - )) you would never have to wait for me to go for a ride, I won’t be polishing my chrome !
take care !
cj
ps: honestly pococj, tell me straight, no bs, I can take it, do you think,I have an accent ????
#10
03-29-2008, 11:11 PM
