I didnt think 72 had a hamcan, more like an oval on my 72FX
Sorry, it is an oval, like a horse track,.....I just call it a ham can, which certainly could be wrong. The original photos show it, but he put a tinted blue plastic center into it......I will use the horizontal black and silver lined insert like original, and it was in the box in the garage.
Nice score and welcome to the shovel forum. That HD blue is one of the nicest blues I've seen on a motorcycle That rack does come in handy sometimes.
I agree, the blue is stunning, and on this bike, there is only one chip, about size of a quarter on backside of rear fender. I assume this is enamel paint. I may try to touch up that large paint chip given its so large, assuming I can get the paint.
As for the rack, I could go to California from Western PA with what I can put in the rear bags,.....and in my eyes, it ruins the beautiful style lines of the rear fender. The bikes style profile flows from the big front end, dips down to the thin waste below the police solo seat, with a nice curve up and over the bags and fender.......its kind of the profile of a C3 Corvette.....big, at front, tiny waist, then up again, slightly less, at the back. Sorta of like the right size feminine body....!!!
Last edited by Shovels & Vettes; 07-11-2024 at 03:48 AM.
Very nice score, great looking bike. Some thoughts:
The bike came from HD with the luggage rack, it should stay on for "stock" appearance.
You can make the stock internal throttle work with the S&S. W&W in Germany sells an adapter to get the oval air cleaner on the S&S. No one will know and street manners are better, my bike has an S&S.
Not sure about 1972, but the reflectors on my 1970 have a hole in the saddle bag lid for a locating pin. Those lids may not be original, regardless you need to find the reflectors for the stock look.
I hear you with the bumpers, but again they came that way. Not sure when they changed, but I think 1972 would have the older style bumpers which are better looking, pic below.
Older style foot boards are easy enough to find.
I had bad rusting spokes when I got my bike, relaced the stock wheels with stainless steel spokes from Buchanan, look great now.
My headlight visor is an older Panhead accessory, stainless steel. Easy enough to find and look better then the ones you have.
Call the HD Museum in Milwaukee with your VIN#, they will give you a bunch of information about your bike from her date of birth to dealership she was delivered to when new.
The batwing fairing was an option by 1972, for sure it came from dealership already installed.
Ricks Restoration sells new decals for the Points Cover etc as needed.
Pic of my 1970 for reference. We bought this bike as a two up vintage cruiser but the wife and I do not fit on Buddy seat, so we went frame mounted.
Nice bike and I agree with your plan. I have a ‘72 FLH that actually found me. I wasn’t looking for another bike but a buddy suggested that I look at it and the price was right. Unfortunately, a repaint but the only non stock items I found were the ignition switch and the fuel petcock. I agree that they look better without the windshield but I left it on this bike because it’s my go to when we get a break in the weather during the winter. Have fun with her.
Sorry, it is an oval, like a horse track,.....I just call it a ham can, which certainly could be wrong. The original photos show it, but he put a tinted blue plastic center into it......I will use the horizontal black and silver lined insert like original, and it was in the box in the garage.
Only because before there Was the So-Called Ham Can of the Late '70's to '80's,...Old Farts called the Original Air cleaner a Ham Can.. Then came Younger Guns, and of course, The Internet.. Grey Beards will still refer to the Late '70's can as the MailBox, or that Giant POS... Witness what is Today considered a Turtle Tank..
But...Carry on. As it ain't gonna end up any more "Stock", than it is Now, anyway.
That’s neat that you wanted and found one. This is a 72 FLH, has 45,000 on it, was my father’s ever since 72 just gave it to me last year and kept it original and always bought Harley parts and tires and such but started a rattle some kind of knock so right now I’ve taken it out keeping the motor, bought an Ultima Shovelhead motor 96 in.³ and want to use it until I go through the original motor. I was debating on that.
Very nice score, great looking bike. Some thoughts:
The bike came from HD with the luggage rack, it should stay on for "stock" appearance.
You can make the stock internal throttle work with the S&S. W&W in Germany sells an adapter to get the oval air cleaner on the S&S. No one will know and street manners are better, my bike has an S&S.
Not sure about 1972, but the reflectors on my 1970 have a hole in the saddle bag lid for a locating pin. Those lids may not be original, regardless you need to find the reflectors for the stock look.
I hear you with the bumpers, but again they came that way. Not sure when they changed, but I think 1972 would have the older style bumpers which are better looking, pic below.
Older style foot boards are easy enough to find.
I had bad rusting spokes when I got my bike, relaced the stock wheels with stainless steel spokes from Buchanan, look great now.
My headlight visor is an older Panhead accessory, stainless steel. Easy enough to find and look better then the ones you have.
Call the HD Museum in Milwaukee with your VIN#, they will give you a bunch of information about your bike from her date of birth to dealership she was delivered to when new.
The batwing fairing was an option by 1972, for sure it came from dealership already installed.
Ricks Restoration sells new decals for the Points Cover etc as needed.
Pic of my 1970 for reference. We bought this bike as a two up vintage cruiser but the wife and I do not fit on Buddy seat, so we went frame mounted.
Well......I guess I am not going to strictly abide by stock appearance then.....and just like the NCRS guys in the Corvette world, some people get all uptight about it.....but my bike, my way. I am not trying to win awards or contests.....so I rephrase my intent.....I like to make the bike "close" to stock, and to my idea of perfect.
1. The "luggage rack" is coming off, no matter stock or not. It reminds me of my bicycle as a kid....what next, baseball cards in the spokes and a ringer bell on the handlebars!! No....off it comes, stock or not. Its only real purpose is to mount the tour pack,....and its off as well. Ruins the lines of the bike IMO, and has no purpose for me.
2. Thanks for the reference to the company in Germany on using a internal mechanism on an S&S. I can make a backplate to adapte it to the ham can cleaner...I did it on my 73. BUT.....I am going to rebuild the Bendix and see how it runs. If it doesn't meet my needs, maybe I will use the S&S.
3. The reflectors are actually on the lids....but he has the lids swapped left to right, so that is easy to just put them back where they belong,...reflector out.
4. The bumpers??? I don't know. Modern Electraglides had them....but the Road King didn't, and the Road King looks great without them. I most likely will remove them,....stock or not.
5. The floorboards are easy....I think I can even just remove the cushion style and glue on rubber pads to the existing floorboards. The cushion mounted setup is definitely coming off.
6. The wheels will need some work....yet to be determined.
7. No headlight visors for me. Road King doesn't have them either.
8. Thanks for the info on the HD museum and history...I will definitely do that.
9. The Batwing fairing is coming off, stock or not. I ride motorcycles in the wind....no windshield, no fairing. Thats the way I like it, always have, and the bike looks great that way. All my Harleys were that way. Sportster(s) Fatboy, 73 FLH, and the Road King...estimating over 250,000 miles of riding that way. This will be the same.
10. Definitely getting the correct FLH decal for the timing cover. That was on the list already.
Last edited by Shovels & Vettes; 07-11-2024 at 06:50 PM.
That’s neat that you wanted and found one. This is a 72 FLH, has 45,000 on it, was my father’s ever since 72 just gave it to me last year and kept it original and always bought Harley parts and tires and such but started a rattle some kind of knock so right now I’ve taken it out keeping the motor, bought an Ultima Shovelhead motor 96 in.³ and want to use it until I go through the original motor. I was debating on that.
Couple things I notice about your bike versus mine. The front turn signal mounts are the early attach design,....whereas mine are later. So...maybe within the 1972 model year they transitioned from one style to the other.??
You have the solid, no cushion, floorboards...which I believe is correct for 72.
Your front bumper does not have a reflector on it like mine.
The reflector on rear bags includes the decal / sticker behind it, which I thought was only on earlier models.....maybe again a transition within the 1972 model year.
Last edited by Shovels & Vettes; 07-11-2024 at 06:44 PM.
07-11-2024, 12:02 AM
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