Harley peddling knives

Shovels are dependable.Change the oil and it will run forever.Mine was the last year and had electronic ignition so points we not a factor.First startup of the year,put a bucket onder the sump, because it used to puke up some oil out of the sump.
I had it at work one day and a Kawasaki rider looked at a little oil weeping out the rocker box screw and said.."see, Harley always leak oil".I just had to ignore him and try to understand he didn't know what he was talking about. A shovel motor is toleranced to
.005/.004 where an evo or twin cam is .0005. making them easier to rebuild by the everyday enthusiast.
 
thanks guys
to each his own opinion for sure.
with technology there should come better things, and then you have the crew that just wants that older stuff as I mentioned before.. for me it's not about dependability it's not a cookie cuter bike..they don't make them anymore, it's the nostalgia, my Dan and grand dad ran Harleys back before 1954. I should wished I had some of those ones too. :)

a friend of mine was over this morning, has a pan head 196?
his said he was in a parking lot one time and a kid saw some drips under his bike, the kid said those thing are always braking down look at that,,

Marty just told him they are suppose to leak oil.
because when it leaks he can tell if it needs an oil change and if it stops leaking he knows it needs oil :D

tell me more :)
 
Looks like a nice bike anyways.I would grab it.Won't take alot to get it up to snuff.
 
Dan Gray said:
... Marty just told him they are suppose to leak oil.
because when it leaks he can tell if it needs an oil change and if it stops leaking he knows it needs oil :D
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Old British bikes leak too (actually, all those older vehicles used to leak, but people tend to forget),
We used to call it 'external oil cooling'.

I had a BMW K-RS in the late '80s that leaked a little. The factory mechanic, in his white lab coat (no joke!) stood there explaining to me that it wasn't leaking oil it was 'weeping'. :rolleyes::p
 
Any motor with a number of years on it is going to develop oil leaks. You decide what is tolerable to you and then fix it.
In my collection I also have a 1969 Honda CB 750 Chopped. This is the only Non-HD I have ever owned. (12) I wouldn't have it except that it was my Dad's bike, and it's all I have of him. Talk of a maintenance night mare. I'll take an old HD any day.
 
This is my "company motorcycle"

companybike.jpg


I have put saddlebags and a lightbar on after this picture was taken.

A motorcycle will definitly help sales or at least help keep you sane while you're waiting.
 
bikermikearchery said:
You decide what is tolerable to you and then fix it.
Click to expand...

That's the key right there.

Of the Harleys that have been in my garage, the (professionally) built ones (Sputhe, XRV in North Hollywood, Bartels) were less likely to leave oil on the ground in the morning than the stock ones, but those were some big dollar bikes built by some of the best in the world.
I don't mind a little oil and that wouldn't stop me from buying a particular Harley.
One thing guys are doing now is running Evo cases with Pan, knuckle, or shovel jugs and heads. This eliminates the generator thing in front, (which a lot of guys just hate), you get the look of the earlier motors and you get the stronger, later guts. You can build them for power then too.
Still, I think any Harley is worth owning (with the likely exception of the AMF years--that'd have to be on a case-by-case basis.:))
 
thanks Guys.. I like the input
well
today I'm the proud owner of a new old 78 1/2 FXEF super glide :D
he took my price of 4K :thumbup: I just couldn't pass it up for that.....

I think This will be worth more build back to yesteryear,
and for me it's going to be a therapy thing ,
if I don't pull my hair out along the way :D
some day when I get rich and famous I'll swing from a new Harley but for now, I'll do some playing with the new toy....

Raccoon I like the Company bike.. a tax rake-off was it ?
 
JCaswell said:
That's the key right there.

Of the Harleys that have been in my garage, the (professionally) built ones (Sputhe, XRV in North Hollywood, Bartels) were less likely to leave oil on the ground in the morning than the stock ones, but those were some big dollar bikes built by some of the best in the world.
I don't mind a little oil and that wouldn't stop me from buying a particular Harley.
One thing guys are doing now is running Evo cases with Pan, knuckle, or shovel jugs and heads. This eliminates the generator thing in front, (which a lot of guys just hate), you get the look of the earlier motors and you get the stronger, later guts. You can build them for power then too.
Still, I think any Harley is worth owning (with the likely exception of the AMF years--that'd have to be on a case-by-case basis.:))
Click to expand...

People shy away from the AMF years just because of a bum rap. During the days of the buyout it pissed off enthusiasts to give them a bad rap.It was the same motor regardless, and most shovel fanatics these days like them just the same.They saved Harley-Davidson from going oversees.
 
Dan Gray said:
thanks Guys.. I like the input
well
today I'm the proud owner of a new old 78 1/2 FXEF super glide :D
he took my price of 4K :thumbup: I just couldn't pass it up for that.....

I think This will be worth more build back to yesteryear,
and for me it's going to be a therapy thing ,
if I don't pull my hair out along the way :D
some day when I get rich and famous I'll swing from a new Harley but for now, I'll do some playing with the new toy....

Raccoon I like the Company bike.. a tax rake-off was it ?
Click to expand...

Please keep us updated with the progress.You can get a great deal of help from these guys...http://shovelhead.us/forum/

Tech pages with bike photos and motor specs here...http://www.shovelhead.us/
 
Dan,

Good score on the cycle, good luck with it. I got mine back in 83 and paid the guy $3200 and a Fender Strat, so at the time, you can figure I paid $3500.

Navihawk,

Thanks for posting those links. :thumbup:
 
Its funny, if you look in the gallery, alot of the shovels in there are inherintly the same, but every single one looks different.
 
navihawk said:
Its funny, if you look in the gallery, alot of the shovels in there are inherintly the same, but every single one looks different.
Click to expand...


From the first ElectraGlide (1965 PanHead) till the first Evo with 5 speed tranny, rubber mounted engine on a swing arm frame, or the softail, their was only 1 factory frame that a Shovel Head is mounted on. The difference between FL models and Fx models are only front end and tin work. That could be the reason for inherent sameness.
 
T Blade said:
From the first ElectraGlide (1965 PanHead) till the first Evo with 5 speed tranny, rubber mounted engine on a swing arm frame, or the softail, their was only 1 factory frame that a Shovel Head is mounted on. The difference between FL models and Fx models are only front end and tin work. That could be the reason for inherent sameness.
Click to expand...

Same floorboards and other stuff too like the directional monts and trim.Everyone puts their personalities into them.
There's a guy at work that has a newer twin cam police bike and the sheetmetal looks the same as my 84.You have to look at the motor to tell some of them from the oldies.:thumbup:
 
T Blade said:
Dan,

Good score on the cycle, good luck with it. I got mine back in 83 and paid the guy $3200 and a Fender Strat, so at the time, you can figure I paid $3500.

Navihawk,

Thanks for posting those links. :thumbup:
Click to expand...

Thanks Larry
I had to mess a little with the clutch today the guy that had it put in new disks and didn't know just what he was doing I guess
I need to up date the rear sprocket and chain, the guy had this for 20 years he said, I think he just let things go on it. I made some racket in town today with it :thumbup::D
 
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