Alright I know this question gets asked all the time and I hate to beat a dead horse but I want some honest opinions. I have been riding for about 15 years but have always owned metrics. This year the s%@* hit the fan for me financially and I had to sell my bike (2000 Yamaha RoadStar). I have always wanted to own an HD but never seemed to be able to come up with the coin to do it. I have gotten the finances straight and put away some cash for a bike now and have been shopping for the last few months. I came across a 76 FLH for a few grand. The engine, exhaust, forks, and some other pieces have some corrosion but nothing horrible. The paint looks halfway decent (no dents, dings, fading). The bike runs fairly well but could use some maintenance (brakes, tires, battery, probably change the fluids). I guess the question is if this is a mistake for my first HD? I am a professional auto mechanic so I am competent in the garage although I don't have a lot of heavy bike experience. I have done bike work but no heavy engine stuff. Am I mistaken that this bike doesn't look too terribly complicated? Seems as long as you've got a good manual, good tools, and know which end of a wrench to turn you can figure most of it out. Am I totally off base?

Any opinions here are appreciated.

If the consensus here is to go for it. Are there any issues common to the shovelheads I should be aware of? Is there anything in particular I should look for when I go to look at the bike again?

 

Shovels are fine,alot depends on previous owners.Yes expect to wrench on them and dont expect it to be the same bike you sold reliability wise.Most dealers no longer work on them or carry a big selection of replacemet parts.The aftermarket,private shops will be your new friends.These bikes can be very dependable if time is put into them.

 

I agree, Shovels are great motors if maintained properly. they were the last of the Harley motors that could be striped and rebuilt by an "average" mechanic withhardly any specialty tools required. If you can do your own work or know of a good independent shop then go for it. As stated "most" dealers won't touch the older bikes. That said, it is a much more rewarding experience owning abike that you have rebuilt and maintained.Let us know what yuou decide.

 

For what it's worth here is a link to the online classified I saw for it. He's asking $5k. I think I could probably get it for a little less. Problem is that is most of the cash I have so I wouldn't be able to do too much to it off the bat. I'm kind of hoping it's something I can buy and ride and work on/upgrade as time and cash permits. I like working on all kinds of stuff though so that isn't something that will scare me off.

http://detroit.craigslist.org/mcy/265070684.html

I've been reading a lot of the posts on this forum though to get an idea on things. I have a few more questions although I know some of the answers may be a little bit variable.

Is the single fire ignition fairly easy to do? What does it cost? Where can I get it? Who makes the best system?

Is putting a 5 speed in it worth the money? Any suggestions on brand names?

If I were to decide to tear it down between now and spring to put new gaskets in it (don't know yet whether it needs it or not) is there any machine work or engine upgrades that should be done at that time? What kind of machine work is involved?

Are there any other upgrades I should look at of the bat? I've seen all kinds of posts about:

Single fire ignition system
Upgrading the chain primary system
New gasket sets
New carburetor/ fuel system components
Upgrading clutch

I'm not real sure that this bike would need anything yet but I want to do my research before I buy. I'm also not real sure whether the people talking about these things are speaking for a dependability standpoint, performance, or what. Are these typical things that NEED to be done to make a shovelhead reliable for riding?

Once again I like working on stuff, but not all the time at the expense of actually riding. I put about 8k on my bike last year before I sold it so I definiitely like my time on the road too.

 

my first bike was a shovel for the same thing money was tight..the best thing about it was i learned how to work on it myself.if my bike was down i didnt ride so i had no choice but to learn how to fix it..best thing is if your ever out and somthing happens you can get it going..i have 2 shovels now and a 2004 dresser..would never sell my shovel..once you ride one you will see the difference...i would go for it...yea they leak but change all the gaskets and your good..the bike looks ok..the things you should look for are all matching numbers frame and motor..cracked cases were the two front motor mount bolts go.and anything thats broke.make sure its not knocking. or smoking..the best thing to do for the shovel is put an s&s super e carb on it....and put a single fire ing system....every thing else is minor stuff..i say do it up...if you ever need anything let me know.i have a garage full of shovel.parts..good luck.

 

As far as upgrades, S&S carb and electronic ignition are all you will need to think about.
Single fire ignition, why bother.
5 speed, see how you like the 4 speed first as they are a solid tranny and have few problems.
Everything else, fix as needed.

Shovels are one of the easier engines to work on.
The top end is the part you will have to do the most frequently.
There are many after market parts for repair if you need them (or any engine starting with the knucklehead).

 

Go to USA Twin.com and Jirehcycles.com and you will find all the parts that you will ever need for it. The most important item is a manual. Ride it and enjoy.

 

my .02cts


....my shovel is my 3rd bike (second Harley). I built it myself from a basket case and my background is as an electrician. I loved every minute of putting her together in my garage.So you being a mechanic with real tools are miles ahead of where I was. Nothing in my life has every compared to the rush I got when I took her out on her maiden voyage!! Anyways.... I ended up bolting on an S&S carb (had a great shovel mechanic add a "thunder jet"), added a single fire ignition system, Kevlar clutches, belt drive from Karataand a great set of pipes made by Runroader, all of which I got from mail order catalogs. But to be 100% honest with you, the most significant improvement I made was to find a mechanic who actually loved shovels and had him true and balance my cases innards. I would never open up the cases myself but if I understand correctly, you just can't go by what the manual says or what they teach in MC mechanic school. It's that experienced hand and knowledge of shovels that'll get you a great and reliable motor. I'd be real picky in who you let wrench the motor, it was a very expensive lesson I had to learn on my own.


Mikey

 

dynrat, looks pretty good for the price. Tanks, bags, maybe handlebars, forks might be extended (but he mentioned having tubes), exhaust are all definitely add-ons. Ask about maintenance. Any receipts for work done? he mentioned that it is in fair condition. "Fair" means a lot of things to a lot of people. Get his opinion. He has another HD in the background so he may have some knowledge of HDs.

Older bikes are cool as long as you can wrench, and, that is not the issue with you. A good manual, the right tools, some JD, and a couple of weekends and you will probable have something that is both dependable and fun to ride

 

Show him 4k CASH and see what he does. If I were closer it would already be in my shop!