Making a Shovelhead Bagger
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Cruiser
Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 184
Likes: 2
From: North Bend Ohio
Making a Shovelhead Bagger
I'm wanting to make a bagger out of my 81 4-speed. Does anybody make brackets that will work for newer Harley hard bags on Shovelhead rear fender and struts? Will the new newer bags work on older FL supports?
Road Warrior
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 1,489
Likes: 23
From: East of Tulsa
I have leather Road King bags on my 80 using modified Shovel brackets. I put the same bags on my Project Dyna using the earlier (both loops of the bracket stay behind the bag) Shovel bag brackets. The older brackets required a tube to be hose clamped to the bottom runner because the newer style bags stick out farther from the sides of the bike. To use Dresser hard bags the Shovel mounting studs would need to be cut off and attachments points made for the new style fasteners. I used the stock mounting studs and drilled holes in the heavy plastic used as the inside part of the bag.
Club Member
Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 66,114
Likes: 51,403
From: Niles Canyon Ca.
I have leather Road King bags on my 80 using modified Shovel brackets. I put the same bags on my Project Dyna using the earlier (both loops of the bracket stay behind the bag) Shovel bag brackets. The older brackets required a tube to be hose clamped to the bottom runner because the newer style bags stick out farther from the sides of the bike. To use Dresser hard bags the Shovel mounting studs would need to be cut off and attachments points made for the new style fasteners. I used the stock mounting studs and drilled holes in the heavy plastic used as the inside part of the bag.
Road Captain
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 742
Likes: 23
Looking at those pics, the only "issue" I see installing newer style hard saddlebags is that they will sit way too high with the oem shovel brackets being the newer bigger.
Smaller shovel bags already seat too high IMO.
That's good info anyway
Smaller shovel bags already seat too high IMO.
That's good info anyway
Club Member
Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 66,114
Likes: 51,403
From: Niles Canyon Ca.
Last edited by TwiZted Biker; Nov 4, 2012 at 10:27 AM.
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Jan 2011
Posts: 157,463
Likes: 57,019
From: Michigan 15 Minutes East Of Hell
"U234" ... You've done a great looking mod with the saddlebag mounts ... and as "TwiZted" said, not everyone is looking to lay the scooter down on the ground so it looks cool on bike night but you can't get it in or out of the driveways and you have to get off the damn thing and walk it to go around a corner .... Functionality is important Brother ... Nice Work !
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Road Captain
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 742
Likes: 23
Shovel saddlebags sit pretty high and they leave a big gap between them and the exhaust.
They are shorter than newer ones, so they look fine on shovels.
If you use moders hard sadllebags with the shovel mounts, being them taller, they would really look high!
overallvery low baggers (or bikes) that drag everywhere and can't turn make no sense to me
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Thread Starter
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Cruiser
Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 184
Likes: 2
From: North Bend Ohio
I have leather Road King bags on my 80 using modified Shovel brackets. I put the same bags on my Project Dyna using the earlier (both loops of the bracket stay behind the bag) Shovel bag brackets. The older brackets required a tube to be hose clamped to the bottom runner because the newer style bags stick out farther from the sides of the bike. To use Dresser hard bags the Shovel mounting studs would need to be cut off and attachments points made for the new style fasteners. I used the stock mounting studs and drilled holes in the heavy plastic used as the inside part of the bag.
Thanks for the pics. That is some good input. My bagger project has begun. I'll post some pics as I go along. Currently I'm using a mid- 90's fat boy front end, modern bags and shovel era FL rear fender. Trying to figure out wheels. Front one is easy, appears shovel wheels are hard to come by.
Club Member
Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 66,114
Likes: 51,403
From: Niles Canyon Ca.
Thanks for the pics. That is some good input. My bagger project has begun. I'll post some pics as I go along. Currently I'm using a mid- 90's fat boy front end, modern bags and shovel era FL rear fender. Trying to figure out wheels. Front one is easy, appears shovel wheels are hard to come by.