Professional mechanics of busy Custom Motorcycle Shops don’t work on their own bikes during business hours. Nor after hours because most days, custom building for clients requires daily extra shop hours… And you thought it was easy, without any fabrication or mechanical set backs? So,like many pros bike builders, Udo (a member of the Thunderbike Germany Crew) reworked his Shovelhead in his own garage, giving it a complete new appearance and extra muscle.
18 years that Udo owns his Shovelhead. Quite obsessed with it – he swears he will never get rid of it – the 1978 FLH had already more cosmetic surgeries than Joan Rivers. For reasons only him knows, he went for a drag race look which first required to boost the Harley stocker (1340 cc, 82″ for years 1978 to 1984) to a 98′ equipped with a Sidewinder crankshaft, Andrews Camshaft, an S&S oil pump, contact ignition, a Dell’Orto Carburetor working with a Malossi velocity stack. Tranny is Rotary 4-speed (kicker only) in a Primo 3″ BeltDrive primary system with Barnett clutch plates.
Aesthetically improving it for the speed look, an extra 11-degree rake was added, the rear fender was stretched and is now held by internal struts/ A low stance was created by shortening the stock FL shocks, and a more racy appearance was achieved by installing a narrower and more profiled Paughco Mustang gas tank. Handlebars come from a Nightrain (shortened 2″) installed on a set of HD risers. Paint was applied by Marc Witczak, the old school way w/o airbrush.
When you have had a really exhausting blue-Monday and the year seems like it is already waaaaay too long – it is just so extraordinarily uplifting to see such good looking pics!
O, yes.., the bike is also rather good looking…
I like the lines of the swingarm 4-speed frame with the extra rake… and for me, a bike I could ride cause with a bad back a rigid although it looks good I can not ride for any real seat time to enjoy. I would only change it over to a foot clutch and jockey shift…. but that´s just me. Good Looking Shovelhead!
Thanks, Cyril You bring us the riders, and the show bikes.
Custom riding bike. Good to see one from time to time…
Love this bike. Love the fact that the guy has owned this bike for so long, is committed to keeping it and did all of the mods at home in his own garage after work even more. This need a big ‘like’ button.
Shovelheads forever
The stance and some parts reminds me of Exiles bikes…..pretty cool.
Shovelhead til im dead ….love it..goodstuff !
always great to see this stuff done right. Great Job!
Nice Bike, but why oh why do you have to number it…it will not race.
Umm, I don’t see a race registration plate, I see a ’78 for the model year of the bike. And I’d be proud to advertise that I was still kickin’ it on a bike I’d owned that long.
Looks great….and the bike looks pretty good too!
Yummy!
Finally a beautiful model!!!
almost done with my 81 flh build srent me back to the drawing board njce clean build