Is it true that shovelheads are unreliable?In terms of wrenching- what does one need to know to own one really? I mean they look innocent enough.
>>28920679Who said theyre unreliable?They eventually develop leaks from the pushrod tubes (like most HD engines) but its an easy fix in an afternoon. Later engines have collapsible tubes to make changing seals even easier.Theyll easily last 100k miles with proper oil changes- which is above the standard for their time.
>>28920679Every engine can be unreliable if has parts from chinesium
>>28920718>who said they’re unreliable?Google. Everyone online echos the same things.>gotta know how to wrench>need to carry around tools>constant wrenching>only as reliable as the one who wrenches ((You))I’d love to have one. I found a 68 online, and it’s very tempting.
>>28920746A lot of shovelhead reviews are from riders who have / had one in the 70s-80s, modern day information has vetted a lot of the issues that used to be fuddlore.The shovel is good. Most leaks were simply from of the era gasket material but you throw in modern shit, aftermarket toobz, etc and they'll last longer than we will.You guys have it good thanks to widespread access to information. Back then, only the real engine builders for MCs would know how to remedy the various issues and gatekeep the fixes so only MCs could consistently ride them.
>>28920770No kidding? Thanks for that knowledge friend! That’s very interesting. I guess that makes a lot of sense. I can’t fathom it being as bad as people online talk. I guess I’ll see if I can’t work out something for that bike.>they'll last longer than we willI did hear the crank cases on those things were built like tanks. lolWhat’s the craziest fuddlore you’ve heard about bikes in general, anon?
>>28920679It's true. It's also a harley, so every possible issue has been thoroughly documented and fixed by the aftermarket. If you can wrench, you can make one work. But if I were getting a big twin, fuckkkk that. Early twin cam Softail for me.>>28920770>A lot of shovelhead reviews are from riders who have / had one in the 70s-80sI doubt many of them are online. Shovels are used by chopper dudes because they're the last big twin with a kickstart. The engine is absolutely worse than anything that came after.
>>28920770Sounds like air cooled Porsches. Known for being unreliable until the modern aftermarket fixed them.
>>28920827AMF era Harley's had notoriously poor production and quality control such that it left an impression even decades later. Post-AMF Harley engines are perfectly fine, great even. Lots of old dudes who haven't ridden in 40 years (or ever) keep repeating the old memes.Granted shovelheads still require typical motorcycle maintenance/service intervals like valve adjustment which sounds like rocket science to young people but used to just be normal.
>>28920827>craziest fuddloreShovel spark plugs shooting out of the block. All because they didn't know the torque spec or used the wrong plugs entirely (booze, coke, or meth do be influecing shi like that)>>28920840>Doubt many are onlineNot true, mostly Gen X are the devoted HD folk tale spinners. They got online a little more than the boomers prior to them and would go on about evo this evo that despite not being a real harley.>Every engine after was betterYes and No. Every engine after the shovel wasn't a real harley, they're for people who don't wrench or don't want that OG Harley lifestyle (leaking oil and grease everywhere to mark territory, kick starting a big boy, prioritizing gizmo gimmicks and tech rather than analog genius)>>28920849Pretty much. What used to be alien technology is now organized in hindsight.>t. Big FLH 80ci shovel bored 8 thou out, billet cams, converted to chevy points, amongst a fuckton of other shitI drained all the fluids out then stored it when my son was born, I plan to restore it back to road worthiness with him when I retire.
>>28920891That's why you wrench on them yourself and now you don't gotta put blind trust in AMF assembly workers who were totally blasted off something during working hours.Evo just doesn't have soul and I'm not sorry saying that. They're fine engines, but they're just not cool like shovels, pans, and knuckles.
>>28920898I mean you're probably not finding many original AMF condition ones in the year of our Lord 2026 anyway. But yeah if you do normal maintenance shovelheads are fine. >Evo just doesn't have soul hard disagree. luv me TBI 350's and I love evo engine. They just work. Shovelheads are cool don't get me wrong but it's usually only people who don't actually have to drive one everyday, in the rain, in the cold or drive it a lot singing praises about muh SOVLUGHH I LOVE SITTING HERE IN THE RAIN FOR 10 MINUTES WHILE MY MOTOR WARMS MUH SOVLGOD I love it when the adjustment shims later loose and you have to spend 3 hours on the side of the road UGHH SO SOVLFUL
>>28920907Only time I had to be on the side of the road with my shovel was in 87 when my oil bag was freezing up on a run over Idaho mts or the time my chain decided to shit the bed and this one surpise deep pothole that made my points get thrown off.You need to remember anon, the best aspect about the pre-evo motors were yeah you sometimes had to do some on the road service... but YOU CAN.You can pretty much fix anything and everything on the side of the road with (properly sorted) tool kit. Also we'd just smoke as the bike warmed up, it wasn't an issue. Again very different times back then, and what is seen as an inconvenience was just apart of the lifestyle (I'm sure those ancient Triumph enthusiasts, all three of them, understand what im saying)I may not vibe with evos, but undoubtedly it was the motor that saved HD from bankruptcy and consequently made the bikes I was into back then, substantially more affordable.
>>28920679define unreliable>my harley failed twice on this trip but i was able to fix it with my leathermansome, including me, will call this reliable. it will get you where you are going.>my yamazuki blipped the check engine light upon startup this morning and now i dont know if i dare take the drive?others think this is reliable.story time>live in city in small cuckbox apartment>former classmate from 3 years back suddenly call me late an evening and ask can me and my brother crash at your place tonight?>uhh, well...yeah you can share the couch? why?>oh my brothers hd stopped at the highway, some bikers from a local club offered to drag it to their garage and we can fix it there tomorrow. but we need a place to sleep right now...i put this into the reliability of hd, you will not find that culture elswere.
I'm really not sure if this guy is trolling lol.
>be me>go on YouTube>look up carbureted twin cam >sounds almost exactly like shovelDo my ears deceive me, or is a carb the only thing standing in the way of having a shovelhead without actually having a shovelhead?
>>28921283you're smokin rocks, they sound nothing alike. unless you're comparing to a twin cam with huge cams
