I am Old School, as far back as a 66 Shovel in a 57 rigid frame and jockey shifter...  And a 69 Sporty, a 900, and a 73 Shovel in later years...  8 Harleys later and I currently have a new Ultra.   What about this for second bike "hanging out in the wind" for a ride now and then and to tinker on...  Old School FLH.  Fun to tinker on...  1340 cc, kicker and electric, and a lot of chrome... Hard chromed engine side case, chain guard, tranny end case, brake drum, front caliper, rocker covers, primary cover, full inner primary, shift linkage and mounts, brake mounts, just about everything practical old style hard chrome plated and acorn nuts.  A real old school tractor in style, and as a 1982 Shovel, this might be the nearly the last kick start Shovel?  I know it will be a tractor to ride, that will be the fun, and make me happy to park it up and go back to the new Ultra..  Still get parts for these?    

Hello Kiwi Dave,

This has a front disc, all chromed calipre, chromed rear drum...  I comes with an original speedo, with 39,k miles on it, and it says POLICE SPECIAL.  With the Kicker and electric, how does that fit with the picture.  The story is that it was fully restored about ten years ago, with engine work and all this chrome, and brought in from America about two years ago and not ridden much.  The Aussie speedo on has like 1600 kms or so on it.  Looking at it: I am guessing someone has done all this custom hard chrome to a Police bike...

How does that fit now?  Is it possible?  It fits the paint job, like original colours, but I do not know what original was in that year.....  Evo lower?

Don't really know what I am looking at here, but the personality of it grabs me..  I would like an old Panhead as old as me, but they are rare as rocking horse poo so.....  Thanks for the help.

Wow Kiwi Dave, You are a CHAMPION !    A "restoration" to original was not in the cards... Just a local rider with class.  For any distance I have the 2011.5 fire blue pearl and black flamed CVO Ultra and it is the ducks guts for distance, with more luxury than you want to hear about all the way to cruise control and remote locking forks and bags and heated grips and seats and ABS brakes...  But:  I am a tinkerer, and was thinking about a second bike, and I enjoyed my old shovels and thought it would be good to drive a kick start classic.  This one was attractive because someone did some hard yards, like inner primary, oil bag, front caliper, and downlegs are all done up in hard chrome too.  That and the wheels look old in style but the look new or completely rechromed and balanced.  With all that had been done, I figured the likelyhood was the engine lower had been done, but not necessarily I guess..  It was just one of those scooters that had a personality and soul..   I went to look at an older Shovel, a early 70's, but it was all corroded original rat bike condition and this one caught my eye. 

I really appreciate your help.  I will try and get some detailed pictures, swingarm, frame, lower end.  The engine numbers are something I have NEVER seen, they are backwards and reversed as if it had a fairing and you had to look at it with a mirror.  And I did see the POLICE SPECIAL speedo that comes with it in good nick and 39k something in miles.  I will get pictures, as I cannot remember if the swingarm was round or square for instance.    I thought it was near the end of the Shovel, and the biggest you could get with a kicker... That and maybe $5-6000 or more in hard chrome made it a bit fun..  Chrome gets you home... heh he.. 

I will try and get some detail pictures tomorrow.  Thanks again for the help.

The engine numbers are something I have NEVER seen, they are backwards and reversed

Looks like you have Delkron aftermarket cases, its the only time i have ever seen numbers like that.

look at the heads near the plugs for casting dates and on the frame castings,gearbox should be rotary lid, from what i`ve seen  it looks like a bit of a mix n match, nothing wrong with that, if you like it buy it but in todays market there are a lot of shovels for bargain base prices, good luck.

What are the first 2 digits on the frame no?

 Hi Cowboy, 

Mmmmmmmmm, as Dave said, badges are 63-65. Round swingarm with rear drum 70-72 Shovel, changed to square tube with Disc brake in 73. Reversed numbers?, aftermarket cases as Houli said. Check the tanks petrol outlet, does it have the latter left bottom of tank outlet or the front of the tank with the control rod at the top?. IIf you have the rod type, you have a set of original early tanks. Aftermarket never made those.Count the number of fins on rhe barrels. 10 fins it's a 74, 9 fins it's a 80 cube.Rear hinged fender with the early tailight points to 72 or older. Then again my friend you could have a bitsa based on an early look but done up very nicely. Either way I think it would certainly attract attention.

Cheers,

Cris.

There is something not right with the back guard?  looks wrong some how.

G'day guys, 

you are right Houli, when looked at closely it appears the guard is off centre, it's too far to the rear. Whether this was done in order to suit a taller person (by installing the seat  slightly back) or to make different year parts fit I'm not sure.

Cheers,

Cris

Alright Guys,

Thank you for all your input...  I am still doing my investigations, but it definitely is a "Bitsa" early 80 c.i. done up to look Old School with a lot of vintage equipment.  It is hard for me to put a value on it, but it has a lot of the gear I just like.  Like the front end is done up in all chrome all the way through the lower legs to the full calipre in quality looking chrome.  The wheels look brand new, and it has new or near new Metzler tyres.  Inner primary is chrome, starter, oil bag, tranny end cover and kicker, cam housing engine side, battery box, oil pump, shocks, rocker boxes, all in chrome and it appeals to me.  A rider with the early vintage style to it...  I may still bite, as OK it may only be a $9000 shovel, but it has about $6-7-8,000 in goodies that I would like to have.  All the way down to the chain, it looks high grade, on chrome sprocket, chrome drum, controls and clutch and brake handles, the works...  Everything to the oversized chain FLH chain guard has been done in chrome...  Maybe I am just a sucker for the chrome and early look...  I would like an old Panhead or early Shovel, all original restored, but we are talking BIG money then..  This is just a bitsa rider with the old look I guess..

Bitsa pictures,  So, I am just an old fool parting with his money?

Right-o KiwiDave, and the Don,

I have bought it and it is home...  A couple of late nights reworking things, and it now starts with three kicks, at least last night... heh he... It is a 1HD import, registered in Old already.

On research, yes is a bitsa, done up to look early 70's shovel with a later 1982 80 ci  Shovel engine.  Sometimes you are just struck by the character and it has happened to me...  This bike just talked to me, and with all the goodies it had that are very hard to do like chrome calipres and chrome full front end, rocker covers, engine and tranny sides, inner primary, and the rest that I like, I decided it was OK value.  I want to start playing with classics a bit, maybe even try to import..  This one is a good start for a Rider, as it has most of the things I have always liked and cheaper than I could build.  Thanks for your help Guys...

I will start with rework of wheel bearings and axles and anything in the Primary, and the rear wheel can move back 2" with a new chain...  S&S super is running rich and stinky at an idle, will have to lean that out a little...  Then I will start improving things for reliability as a local rider.  My junkpile has a two up seat and sissy bar that will fits, suspension for the solo is a must, play starts today... heh he.. 

I would really like to have the 66 Rigid like Kickinon has built, what a fine job of it..  But don't know about rego in Qld, I have heard of horror stories like as much as $6000 for conversion and Engineering Cert, but there must be short cuts.

Best regards, Cowboy..

How much is it worth?

I'd snap it up @ $9k, I'm dying to get my hands on an older bike but we're building a house and my funds are being directed elsewhere.  Cant wait to get the house finished so I can actually have a crack at pulling something apart and putting it back together.  No experience, but plenty of enthusiasm!! 

I think i saw this bike advertised for 15 or 16 grand, but maybe i`m wrong as usual. 

Houli,

No you are not wrong Houli... I am sure I overpaid for it at 15K.  When I said:... "it may only be a $9000 Shovel" I meant that was probably what a Shovel of a vintage like this was worth.  12k on a Credit Card and some cash balance with some extras like a nice fat two up seat, and a chrome quick release sissy bar on the docking station and other bits.   I fell for it, as it has some things that I really like, but would not want to do the work to have happen:  I got suckered cuz I like the chrome primary, and whole inner primary in chrome would probably be worth $500 to $750 to me... And the whole chrome front end? I doubt I could get that done for $1000, upper and lower legs, axle trim kit and all?... And the new wheels and new tyres I figure worth maybe $1000 to me..  And the complete front disc brake caliper chromed and machined, that has to be some money, I've never even done that..   Complete FLH chain guard in chrome, linkage, rocker boxes, oil bag, transmission cover, kicker, battery box, cam/points side engine in chrome, chrome electric starterer, chrome grips and levers, rear brake in chrome, and the rest in chrome as well, worth thousands to me as I like chrome... And the S&S Super Carb, look- I probably just got sucked in by liking it.  Kick AND electric start AND already registered in Qld?  I looked at it and said to myself OK, I hear a Shovel like this is worth maybe $9-$10, but this has a package of chrome I like worth more than the $6000 difference to me... 

 OK, Guys, you laugh at me, an old Fool was just parted with his money, but I could afford it and I was suckered in by the style that I like...  If given a choice in a running old Shovel, or this one all chromed and tricked for $15, I would do it again...  Yes, it is probably just a $9000 Shovel, but I would spend more than the difference to get it to this state.

Oh, and Houli, you are right again... Twice...  Now that you mentioned it, (I am so dumb I did not even notice it)....  The chain is too short, wheel needs to move back about 2 inches, adjustment is all the way in, it will look better with a good 4 maybe 6 extra links in the chain. (too bad the chain looks new as well)...

Just an old Fool this Cowboy is, got suckered again, and you know what?  I am so dumb I still like the bike..heh he.. I am Blessed by the Lord and could afford it, and the bike appealed to me,  I guess that is what is important. 

Thanks all of you for your help, very kind of you... 

Slow down Cowboy, i don`t think you paid too much..............i paid $10k for my 70FLH 20 yrs ago, over the years i`ve probably put over $20k into it, rebuilt everything, if i sold it today i`d probably get $12-$14k if i were lucky,  you find a bike you like, pay the man and move on, you could have bought a $10k shovel and lost another $10k in it in no time fixing it up.

Enjoy your old shovel, in no time you`ll have the new bike up for sale and be thinking why did i ever want a new bike

You are not wrong about the cost of chrome, i got 2 brackets for an old FLH rack chromed $88, 2 pieces of 3/8" round bar about 12" long bent into a u shape.

I have invested more then that on my 70 Flh and it is sitting in the shed in pieces again. Would I do it again??? Shit Yeah

also mine has absolutely bugger all chrome on it as yet so I will be investing a hell of a lot more when the time is right. A bike is worth whatever a person is prepared to pay for it and as long as that person is happy it doesn't matter what anybody else thinks.

The best place to buy cheap shovels at the moment is U.S. ebay. Mate of mine has just bought three in the past year. All of them dead stock original unmolested with all the gear, around 10,000 miles each for $10-12,000 landed. The last one he got a few weeks ago cost him $10,00 landed and it's original paint and tidy.

Hello again Brothers,

I thank all of you for the help.  I am doing front and rear axles and bearings, dropped primary cover and am going to replace primary chain as it is near the end of its adjustment.  One bright spot is a five finger clutch pack and pressure plate that all looks new...  Houli, now that you pointed out the rear wheel being forward, I have realized the chain is too short, so am ordering a new chain a few links longer as the adjustment is backed all the way out and needs to come back about 2" ..  Adjust valves, oil and filter change, primary is an oil drip and scavenge system, all looks good.  Some new bits on the way, and She will be a dependable tractor around local...

She starts on the third kick.  What shocker though, when you are used to driving the new twin cams, I did not remember how much of a thumping tractor these old shovels were....    Flat out trying to keep up with an old Holden... Heh he...  Love the sound, but what a vibrating shaky old tractor in feel now.  Never remembered them being that rough, hey...  And a 200 km trip home and she leaks oil like a sieve, maybe 20 drops around a one hand size pool.. But then ridden locally now an then and She quits leaking!!!  Spring and ball relief in oil pump probably gunked up and clean now..

Oh well, when I get bored with my new Ultra, a day on this old THUMPER once a month and I will be thrilled drivin the Ultra again...  

I have decided if I find an all original 60's-70's FLH or Dresser, I will scavenge all the cool chrome and goodies off this, until then,

She is a keeper!!