Jockey Journal Forum banner

---> My -79 Shovelhead project <---

93K views 224 replies 58 participants last post by  knallert 
#1 · (Edited)
UPDATE: PAGE 8, post 157... she is "DONE"

here...
http://www.jockeyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=88977&page=8

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hi guys...

Started a thread asking about gearing and stuff and thought I should get going on a build thread and show my progress on the bike!

ok here goes....

she looks like this now (minus the seat, its a single now)






(and the stickers on the gas tank is removed also)

Have to qoute Dr. Benway

Oh my.
That thing is just chock full of 1990's glory...... End qoute

LOL

well my plan is to post pics in here and ask you guys what you think and so on.....

(collecting parts if a fun part of this build and I have allready scored some spoked wheels 16"x3" rear and a 21" front)

Would really like to know what your thoughts are and shot away, im not afraid of criticism!!

ok... next is?
 
See less See more
3
#2 ·
got a long way to go. im workin on a 69 shovel that started off 90s style like this. the good thing is you can make a lot of money back selling all the crap on this bike to buy the parts you really want. the bad is that the guy painted the frame, heads and cylinders etc. so eventually if you want it to look good you will have to tear it all the way down and repaint it all. like i said im goin through it now, the guy that had my bike covered the frame in truck bedliner and had horribly bright orange under the bedliner. good luck with your build.
 
#5 ·
willthesteel: thats sums it up pretty much... sell all the crap and make something nice :)

Dr.benway: I´ll remember that...

Sweatmachine: sounds like my kind of plan...


had a leak at the petcock so i had to resolder it, hope it doesnt leak!

cheers!
 
#6 ·
did some last wrenching before my trip tomorrow and i saw that the bracket thats fitted to the frame ontop of the motor (head steady) is a 2 piece billet crap thing that holds my dual coil setup..(2 plugs in each head)

anyway there should be 2 bolts holding them together but there was NONE!

just 2 empty holes staring at me when i looked under the right side tank half..
so now its bolted and tomorow is the first out of 10 days of riding with friends!

fuck yeah im exited!!

i dont remember my -81 wideglide vibrating as much as this one. but it can be from riding a Hinckley Bonneville for 4 years...

hope she keaps together on this trip, because its been tough love so far...


cheers guys and have a super weekend!
 
#8 · (Edited)
my first ride is over... 2000 km (1240 miles)

and i LOVE my new bike!

# after 100 km my front fork stoped working so i rode a reverse "hardtail" for the rest of the trip!!

# 500 km later mi right tank started leaking fuel on my front exhaust! on a ferry!!

# up on Jotunheimen (Norways highest mountain) the bike died!

# spark plugs were all black with a LOT of oil on them!

# 3 Litre of oil was cunsume bike this bike (not leaking)

but still I love it!!



have some Q for you guys....

does the -79 have valve seals??? (or is it later ca -81)

because i dont think its the piston rings ( it holds my 85 kg when standing on the kick)

valve guides/seals or piston/rings?

can it be the breather that is of by a bit?

well it needs some work this winter thats for sure!

Cheers Kenneth

ohh.. should i se a puff of "smoke" at every stroke when i look into the oil tank at idle?

doubble cheers!
 
#9 ·
No valve seals on a shovel from the factory, but who knows what the last 5 owners have done. Guides could be shot, could be rings too. Compression test will tell you a lot. "Smoke" in oil bag is maybe oil mist from vent?
 
#11 ·
HeHe.

Could not help myselfe..

Cant fkn stand the look of the "duck" rear fender!



Kickstarter: maybe you are right, and I can allways build it back to "mainstream" again ;)

76_iron: you are right its more like mist.. and thanks for the info.
 
#14 ·
To own a Shovel is a family business.. :)

Alva is helping me adjusting the clutch.

checking clutch lever play... so far so good.


her face tells the story.. its hard to wrench when you are only 10 month old!



After a little while she got the hang of it, now it works 100%!
Easy to go to neutral and shifts easy..

Thanks Alva for helping out.......
 
#17 ·
Thanks guys... i know im lucky and im loving it!

no day is the same when you got a little girl crawling around.. :)

Ina my girlfriend laughed when i told she was cool.. hehe
still I enjoy her to ;)

I tried the 23 front - 42 rear sprocket setup today, jesus christ mother of behemoth what a high way cruiser the bike became!!

Before i rode comfortably at 85 km/h (55 mph)

After its 130 km/h (80 mph)

and she has the OUMPH to carry me at those speeds :)

have to change the chain since the old one is really fkd!
relocate those coils so i can put a 3.5 G tank on her...
and some other bits and pieces..

cheers guys!
 
#18 · (Edited)
had to try the other exhaust that i got in the deal....

dont this make good Hp but i lite the look, kinda



what can you guys say about this primary..
BDL?
Clutch?


i have done some research and found out that my gear box is a Revtech 5 speed in a 4 speed box, (art nr 58295) it works like a charm, and the clutch is awesome to.

but i dont know anything about the primary and cluth... any clues?

cheers :)
 
#21 ·
I tried to flip the swingarm and here are the result....

16"x3" wheel i had on my Triumph project just to have a look..

Avon mk II 5"



hehe... i have to get it on the ground before i can make a decision...

sure looks cool sitting on the lift ( 3" lowerd fork)



Cheers // Kenneth
 
#23 ·
buddha000:Thanks, but i dont think it will be yellow after this winter......

............................................................................................

My electric start system dont work that well... relay just says "click click"........

I have used my leg since i bought the bike. and its nice to kick start a bike again!

but i found some solenoid start buttons online and thought about them for awhile.

so i took the lid of the solenoid and made my own button...(cheap basterd)

10mm bolt that i shaved 80% of its head and mounted a spring on it...
drilled and made a 10 mm thread and glued the skull in place..
it works great!



it had to be a skull, since all the tough motorcycle rider got them, and i dont wanna be any less tougher....

also started on my mid controls (sketchup 8)



its only the start of it all... havent got a good solution for the right side yet, have to think about it and do some searching..

That´s all folks....

Cheers // Kenneth
 
#152 ·
Hello Knallert !

Please tell me more abaout that solenoid mod... Do you manualy push the bendix in to the clutchsprocket ? Do this dothe same as the cool "lever solenoid kits" i have seen ebay; custom chrome +++ ?

buddha000:Thanks, but i dont think it will be yellow after this winter......

............................................................................................

My electric start system dont work that well... relay just says "click click"........

I have used my leg since i bought the bike. and its nice to kick start a bike again!

but i found some solenoid start buttons online and thought about them for awhile.

so i took the lid of the solenoid and made my own button...(cheap basterd)

10mm bolt that i shaved 80% of its head and mounted a spring on it...
drilled and made a 10 mm thread and glued the skull in place..
it works great!



it had to be a skull, since all the tough motorcycle rider got them, and i dont wanna be any less tougher....

also started on my mid controls (sketchup 8)



its only the start of it all... havent got a good solution for the right side yet, have to think about it and do some searching..

That´s all folks....

Cheers // Kenneth
 
#24 ·
Once you get it on the ground, I'm sure you'll find that swingarm flip to be too low...if not for speed bumps, corner will stand you up and lay you down.

...and if even if that weren't the case, check you final drive chain to primary housing clearance. I can almost guarantee that it's ready to eat that housing up when you get going down the road.

You can't really go that low, reliably on a suspended bike.
 
#25 ·
You can't really go that low, reliably on a suspended bike.
Have come to my senses and relized it to....
so a reweld of the shock mounts is on the "to do list" now.....

I have a 42 tooth rear sprocket so that helps a little with chain clearance...

you are probably 100% right that it is to low on that pic..

but it looks awesome that low..
 
#26 ·
Started working on my swingarm tonight...

Sorry for not taking loads of pics, Got a little excited when i got the old milwaukee angle grinder out.. The chrome was a pita to remove, came off in big flakes.. flying all over the "workshop".. will sand blast it before powder coat.

Not my "OEM" swingarm, this one I got from a friend that way I can ride my bike when its still summer and warm outside...

so it will be a quick swap when its done....

A question guys.....

OEM mount is @ 170 mm...

My plan is to move the shocks to 110 mm...

Is that to much??? any thoughts...



Cheers // Kenneth
 
#28 ·
why are you wanting to move the shocks forward? if your gonna lower it use lowering shocks. and i think it looks killer that low, and anything can be made to work you just have to figure out how to do that. i think you should keep it that low and just cut and weld for your clearances on the final drive.
 
#29 ·
not forward, back 60 mm (2.something inch)

Have to get it on the floor and put some wood at a desired ride hight under and se were the mounts will go...

but i agree she sure looks awesome that low.....!

im gonna ride it, not wathing the bike from a distance.....
 
#31 ·
Got the swingarm done tonight.
didnt mount the shocks ontop, instead i drilled it and put them in the middle of the arm.....

Inside... (they are turn in the lathe, so they are round inside the arm)



Outside...


didnt know the final lenght, so here they are still uncut...

Outside...


Inside...


And the final result...


Got 85mm under the frame now...
its gonna be alittle higher when i get the Avon MKII 5" monted...
maybe a 10mm or so...
got plenty of clearence at the starter/chain but i have to do some rideing before i know for sure....

Cheers // Kenneth
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top