Tim
Whats the difference
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Cruiser
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Whats the difference
Can anyone tell me how to tell wether I have a, XL or a XLH, I just bought a 1977 sportster shovelhead, and from the vin# all it is telling me, it is either a XL or a XLH whats the difference? thanks for the help..
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From: Texas! Ya mean there's someplace else?
RE: Whats the difference
First off, it ain't a Shovelhead. A Shovel is a Big Twin, while the old Sportsters are now known as Ironheads. And the 2 sources I have on VIN #s all say the same thing, as well as the service manual I have: 3A = XL or XLH. The service manual has a pic of a '77 XLCH, and a pic of a '77 XL. Not much help there, eh! However, another source I have sez this:
XLH - 1000cc, (12,742)
XLCH - 1000cc, (4,074)
XLT - 1000cc, (1,099) (Touring)
XLCR - 1000cc, (1,923) (Cafe Racer)
By this source, it appears it's an XLH, and there ain't an XL. So what's the pic in the service manual that sez XL mean? Who knows!
XLH - 1000cc, (12,742)
XLCH - 1000cc, (4,074)
XLT - 1000cc, (1,099) (Touring)
XLCR - 1000cc, (1,923) (Cafe Racer)
By this source, it appears it's an XLH, and there ain't an XL. So what's the pic in the service manual that sez XL mean? Who knows!
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RE: Whats the difference
Pococj, Thanks for clearing that up for me, I also noticed in the manual that there is no 77 XLH, Now my next question is this,, How come everyone I talked to about my sporty and even the Haynes manual refers to this engine as a shovelhead? I just want to get my termanology stright, I don't want to call it something it is not. I understand the concept of the Ironhead, ..ie.. Knucklehead, Panhead, And they were precedied by the Evolution in 1985, now were all thoese Big twins? I really appreciate your help.. Thanks
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From: Texas! Ya mean there's someplace else?
RE: Whats the difference
ORIGINAL: Shovelhead77
Pococj, Thanks for clearing that up for me, I also noticed in the manual that there is no 77 XLH, Now my next question is this,, How come everyone I talked to about my sporty and even the Haynes manual refers to this engine as a shovelhead? I just want to get my termanology stright, I don't want to call it something it is not. I understand the concept of the Ironhead, ..ie.. Knucklehead, Panhead, And they were precedied by the Evolution in 1985, now were all thoese Big twins? I really appreciate your help.. Thanks
Pococj, Thanks for clearing that up for me, I also noticed in the manual that there is no 77 XLH, Now my next question is this,, How come everyone I talked to about my sporty and even the Haynes manual refers to this engine as a shovelhead? I just want to get my termanology stright, I don't want to call it something it is not. I understand the concept of the Ironhead, ..ie.. Knucklehead, Panhead, And they were precedied by the Evolution in 1985, now were all thoese Big twins? I really appreciate your help.. Thanks
The Haynes manual is sometimes a good manual to have, but I've found more "uh-ohs" in them than Clymer or Chilton. Best bet is to get a factory service manual, but even those have "oops".
Ironhead refers only to Sportsters. Knucks, Pans, Shovels, Evos, and Twin Cams are all Big Twin motors. Except the dern fools call the late Sportsters Evos, too. So ... Ironhead Sportster, Evo Sportster. And ... Knucklehead, Panhead, Shovelhead, Evo, Twinkie (Twin Cam, sometimes aka Blockhead). We won't go into the Flatheads aka Sidevalves, both big & small, or the inlet-over-exhaust models of way back when!
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Cruiser
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RE: Whats the difference
SOunds to me like you know your Harleys, Thanks for all the help, I now have the Harley Davidson service manual For 1970 to 1978, much more detailed info. again thanks for clearing this up, I really appreciate it.. Take care....
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RE: Whats the difference
Yea Skip knows his HD's I think he should change his id from pocoCJ, to pocoincycle p d a
ORIGINAL: Shovelhead77
SOunds to me like you know your Harleys, Thanks for all the help, I now have the Harley Davidson service manual For 1970 to 1978, much more detailed info. again thanks for clearing this up, I really appreciate it.. Take care....
SOunds to me like you know your Harleys, Thanks for all the help, I now have the Harley Davidson service manual For 1970 to 1978, much more detailed info. again thanks for clearing this up, I really appreciate it.. Take care....
Road Master
Joined: Sep 2005
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From: Upstate NY / San Clemente CA
RE: Whats the difference
Geez, your gonna have to sell your bike or change your name shovel!
Shovel..this link may help? http://home.ctlnet.com/~mcarroll/harleyalphabet.htm
Shovel..this link may help? http://home.ctlnet.com/~mcarroll/harleyalphabet.htm
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From: SW WA.
RE: Whats the difference
[quote]ORIGINAL: pococj Evo, Twinkie (Twin Cam, sometimes aka Blockhead)[quote]
All pretty good except it was the EVO BT that was sometimes called the Blockhead not the Twincam.
The TC is sometimes called the Fathead but twinkie has stuck better just as EVO stuck better than Blockhead
All pretty good except it was the EVO BT that was sometimes called the Blockhead not the Twincam.
The TC is sometimes called the Fathead but twinkie has stuck better just as EVO stuck better than Blockhead
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RE: Whats the difference
ORIGINAL: grizzly
Geez, your gonna have to sell your bike or change your name shovel!
Shovel..this link may help? http://home.ctlnet.com/~mcarroll/harleyalphabet.htm
Geez, your gonna have to sell your bike or change your name shovel!
Shovel..this link may help? http://home.ctlnet.com/~mcarroll/harleyalphabet.htm