Reddit User Builds Awesome Shovelhead During Quarantine
We can’t get enough of this cool custom Shovelhead.
Shovelheads are just inherently cool. It’s been a while since we talked about Shovelheads, and we’re sorry. It won’t happen again.
We found this one on Reddit’s Seattle-specific subreddit, and it caught our eye right away. It’s a beautiful 1984 Shovelhead that the author, u/Boo_Blicker (get it?), has been hard at work on building during quarantine.
We’re impressed. The bike has that just-right classic custom look, and it’s probably a blast to ride, too. The builder, u/Boo_Blicker, explained how it all happened in a reply to his own post. As it turns out, it’s a classic case of while-you’re-in-there-itis. It’s a story that should be familiar to any longtime motorcyclist.
While You’re In There…
Apparently, the project just started out as routine repair. It was soon discovered, however, that the exhaust bolt threads were stripped and had to be rewelded, so out came the engine.
After the exhaust bolt threads were repaired, the heads were ported and polished and the valve seals and guides were replaced. While the engine was out, he decided to hardtail the frame and make his own custom front end.
He also rebuilt the transmission and bought new wheels and tires. Now it’s all back together, and in his words, “I wanted it to look mean and classic and I think I accomplished that.” We heartily agree – this thing is awesome!
Looking at this bike, there’s a lot to like. The shape of the tank is just right, and creates a gentle curve that follows the hardtail frame. Meanwhile, the exhaust sweeps up to perfectly match the angle of the lower frame member where it meets the rear wheel hub.
This bike is extra-special to Shovelhead fanatics. Being a 1984, it represents the last of the breed before the Evolution engine replaced it the following year in most models. We think that this bike is a fitting tribute to the end of an era – an era that, despite being a fresh build, this bike looks like it could have rolled right out of. There’s no flux capacitor needed for this time machine.
Photo: Reddit
