I found one in the local paper, asking $8,700 what do you think? I have seen this on the paper for a few weeks, want to get a second HD.

 

My opinion is that if you were looking specifically for a 1974 FLH then it might be a bargain. If you were just looking to get another motorcycle you could get one probably 20 years newer for less money.

 

Nice looking ride but I believe 8700.00 is high.The place to check would be at:

http://shovelhead.us/forum/index.php

you may get a biased opinion there however.

 

Thanks guys, just want to get an idea. Yes, I do like the old looking Harleys, they are beautiful.

 

I dont think that is a bad price at all for a FLH. It looks to be in good shape. I think that is a fair price....make the guy an offer.......and then welcome to the world of SHOVELS!
I wouldnt trade mine for any new bike out there.

 

Yeah, you can find some older Harley's for less money, but the FLH 1200 models seem to be going for a pretty good sum, especially if they are in very good condition.

It's not unusual to see them listed in the $8,000 to $10,000 range.

But like anything else, it really depends on the specific bike, it's overall condition, mileage, if the engine is stock or if it's been modified and/or rebuilt, etc...

I believe in stock condition they were rated at 60 horsepower at 5,200 RPM, 70 pounds of torque at 4,000 RPM (with 8:0-1 compression and a 38mm Keihin), 4-speed tranny with chain drive, 5.10-16 tires, etc... Some of the guys that own the older Shovel's upgrade to a newer electronic ignition, which is a pretty simple procedure.

Nice bikes, and they are getting harder to find.

 

128auto, ask the guy for the specs. The engine should be rebuilt by now, ask for the details.
Heads
Pistions
Cam
Carb
so on.

Look for rust in the tanks?
How many miles on the rebuild?
You may have to put money into it, so you need to know before you buy.

 

wbogley, you have a great looking shovel, I will contact the guy today and find out the spec.
OFG, you are right, they are very hard to find, I saw this one on the paper for a few months and will negotiate the price. By looking at the picture, it looks sweet but who knows when you look at it in person, I will arrange viewing later.
Last question, I heard the new V-twin crank jounals and con rod are pressed in, is the shovel built the same way? I just want to see if I can do repair in the future in case something go wrong. Sure it is an invertment. I heard the most common problems are oil leak and burn oil.

 

THANKS! Mine has been rebuilt and does not leak/burn any oil at all. However, it has a automatic chain oiler that puts 2 drops of engine oil per min on the drive chain. The chain flings the oil all over the bottom of the frame, the oil tends to pile up on the bottom of the frame and drips off after sitting for a day. The most common problem with the shovelsis ingnition system (OFG mentioned) and the stock carbs I heard were not that good. Almost all of the shovels I see have a modern carb/intake.