Brought back from the dead
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4th Gear
Joined: Jun 2013
Posts: 8
Likes: 0
From: ohio
Brought back from the dead
Long story short. Dad volunteers to go to Vietnam makes it back and starts riding Harleys. Makes some pretty hardcore friends. One friend gets shot and dies, Dad inherits his bike and all his outlaw stuff. Dad rides bike for awhile with my uncle. I'm born and Dad slowly stops riding and 72 custom shovel head sits in garage for 28yrs. 2010 I decide to adopt bike (I race quads build off road rigs and pretty much anything with an engine). My folks and wife fully believe that the bike will never run again and write it off. That summer I pull it apart and get it rolling (not running) again. I don't know anything about timing a shovelhead so I take it to Pole Cat Cycles in town and ask RB to check timing and let me know what he thinks over all. We start it in his shop after numerous kicks and starting fluid. Runs like poop. I get custom battery, points, coil, plug, wires, all rear brake parts including master cyclinder and a S&S E series. After flushing the oil numerous times it seems to look more like oil now. Bike still does not shift though. I drain the tranny and it looks like mud. I bring the bike to temp and flush numerous times. Still won't shift. I remove clutch and spec all plates and clean up. While getting ready to remove the tranny I notice the main plate is stuck I break it free and suddenly I have gears! Bring tranny to temp while rolling through gears on bike jack and flush. Shifts and moves. Last weekend for the first time in almost 30 yrs she went for a ride down the road....not on a trailer. I thought my pops was almost gonna shed a tear. Still working out some kinks with the rear brakes but I really want to ask anyone if they know what front end this is? I want to put a whole new front brake set up on it. Anyone?
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4th Gear
Joined: Jun 2013
Posts: 8
Likes: 0
From: ohio
Thanks man, hopefully someone can help me figure out what calipers will fit on that front end. I tried machining down a set of 96 calipers but there is just way too much metal that needs to come off. The spokes are really close to the caliper and I know it isn't a stock front. Cause it's all raked out.
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Joined: Jun 2013
Posts: 74
Likes: 3
From: Louisville, KY
Can't help with the front end ID, but that's an awesome story! I don't recall ever seeing another bike with the front calipers situated on the bottom like that.
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Joined: Dec 2011
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From: Pollock Pines, Ca
Those look like the 33mm that came on the 1971-72 fx. They had a drum brake on them stock. Are the brake anchors hooked to the fender? BTW are those Hurst airheart disc brakes?
Last edited by vangasman; Jun 12, 2013 at 10:29 PM.