Over a lifetime of playing with those old AMF bikes I've learned they had their issues but nothing insurmountable with a little attention and some time, most the bikes I've dealt with over the years suffered from owneritus more than anything else.
I have an 82WG that I bought as a dealer demo w/400 miles on the clock in 84. Granted its early Willie G but a Shovel is a shovel. I have about 135k on her. Granted stuff wears out but nothing really ever broke other than headlamp bulbs... Yes she marks her territory but nothing a cookie sheet couldnt handle..
Bought a new XLCH in 78, never a problem with that bike, traded it on a new FXE in 81, it was a good bike but developed a head gasket leak that caused the engine to burn oil and smoke. A shop In Hayward California machined a corresponding step on the head and barrel, that along with a improved gasket sealed it up for many years to come. I later put a 440 cam in it and a S&S Super "B"... I paid $5,300.00 for the FXE brand new, HD had a $800 rebate at the time. I sold it 15 years later for $7,000.
Came back to the world November '69. Had a brand new '70 FLH waiting for me. Didn't make it 1K before busting the left front motor mount of the case. HD Sam Arena (San Jose CA) said it was due to rider abuse. Never have beat the crap out of bikes. Pop rode HDs and was very good mechanic. Helped me tear it down it figured out that the flywheels were out of balance/never balanced. Went back to Arenas and they informed me that since I had torn it down it was no longer under warranty (never mind the fact that they said it was my fault and refused to cover it intially).
Repaired the cases, balanced flywheels, sold it and swore I would never own another Shovel again. Bought my '65 Pan used from a strawberry farmer 30 miles south of me. Still have it.
Fast forward to late 90s. Found a 1-owner 84 out of Flint MI. Great bike. Couple of years later found a '75 FXE about 20 minutes east of me. Had been sitting in a garage for about 25 years. Original just in need of some love. Spent a couple of bucks but it turned out to be a great bike. Sold it to buy by '64 El Camino. Couple of years back got a great deal on a '78-1/2 FXE that had been in a pole barn in the central valley. Almost completely original. Still has the V-1 electronic ignition as well.
Read a lot of stories about the AMF years. Have a magazine article somewhere from one of the bike magazines at the time (something Cycle or Cycle something). They were doing a test ride on one of the new FXE models. Didn't get about 100 feet and the tranny locked up. Wanna say they found a 7/16 nut inside the tranny case. Got another bike, same type and they gave it a decent (for the time anyway) review.
AMF, for all the good and the bad, brought HD out of the stone age and moderized a lot of the processes.
I am always amazed how people still love to trash AMF-built bikes and swear they will never own another (kinda like I did a generation ago). But I always ask them back that if they are still so crappy, why is it that there are still so many on the road today.
Have had good luck with the two I no longer own (because money still talks) and the two I still own.
Owning one means you need some basic mechanical skills and you need to follow routine maintenance procedures. Owning one means you have a true survivor.
76 xlh. around 20k never a problem after dealer replaced leaking rocker box gasket shortly after purchase. I can remember changing the o rings in the rocker a lot, but that was simple.
Moved up to a 81 white police special, with the solo seat..Had a lot of trouble with collapsed lifters on that one. Not quite sure I think I put a littleover 20k on that bike also.
Came back to the world November '69. Had a brand new '70 FLH waiting for me. Didn't make it 1K before busting the left front motor mount of the case. HD Sam Arena (San Jose CA) said it was due to rider abuse. Never have beat the crap out of bikes. Pop rode HDs and was very good mechanic. Helped me tear it down it figured out that the flywheels were out of balance/never balanced. Went back to Arenas and they informed me that since I had torn it down it was no longer under warranty (never mind the fact that they said it was my fault and refused to cover it intially).
Repaired the cases, balanced flywheels, sold it and swore I would never own another Shovel again. Bought my '65 Pan used from a strawberry farmer 30 miles south of me. Still have it.
Fast forward to late 90s. Found a 1-owner 84 out of Flint MI. Great bike. Couple of years later found a '75 FXE about 20 minutes east of me. Had been sitting in a garage for about 25 years. Original just in need of some love. Spent a couple of bucks but it turned out to be a great bike. Sold it to buy by '64 El Camino. Couple of years back got a great deal on a '78-1/2 FXE that had been in a pole barn in the central valley. Almost completely original. Still has the V-1 electronic ignition as well.
Read a lot of stories about the AMF years. Have a magazine article somewhere from one of the bike magazines at the time (something Cycle or Cycle something). They were doing a test ride on one of the new FXE models. Didn't get about 100 feet and the tranny locked up. Wanna say they found a 7/16 nut inside the tranny case. Got another bike, same type and they gave it a decent (for the time anyway) review.
AMF, for all the good and the bad, brought HD out of the stone age and moderized a lot of the processes.
I am always amazed how people still love to trash AMF-built bikes and swear they will never own another (kinda like I did a generation ago). But I always ask them back that if they are still so crappy, why is it that there are still so many on the road today.
Have had good luck with the two I no longer own (because money still talks) and the two I still own.
Owning one means you need some basic mechanical skills and you need to follow routine maintenance procedures. Owning one means you have a true survivor.
you have to remember, jap bikes were turn key, issue free and cheap. They wiped out the brit bikes. AMF bikes were just ok in quality to total ****. The reliabilty got so bad police depts switched to bmw, kawasski, etc.. my uncle who was a motorcop started on panheads and the amfs, he was happy when he got his bmw.
04-06-2020 | 02:37 PM
