This story started a long time ago, about 20-years to be exact, when Alain bought this bike from Barnett H-D’s then new-guy-salesman-on-the-block, my friend and watch-loving buddy, Johnny Hernandez, as the first sale of many thousands to follow and he’s still at it today. “It was a police special FLH from Virginia. When I got it, I started by taking the bags off, it had the big front end, and it originally came with a swingarm on it. I put a rigid kit on it and stripped it down,” said Alain.
It stayed that way for quite a while until he laid eyes on a Barnett’s Magazine project bike, a 2003 Fat Boy bobber-style makeover (issue # 51) by Brian Klock of Klock Werks Kustom Cycles. The key elements that must have caught his eye were the stark simplicity of a solo-seat, springer front end, and red powdercoated rims working together to give a vintage look to a new bike. “I saw the bike in person a couple of years ago at Barnett’s in El Paso and that’s when I had that vision for my police special, but I wanted to do it with a Shovel instead of a Twin Cam,” said Alain. “I didn’t want a 200mm tire or a 21” front rim or anything like that. I wanted an Old School look.”
Ditching the telescopic forks, Alain went for a springer, but not just any springer. “It’s an original-style Harley-Davidson springer. All the ones now are in-line and that an offset,” said Alain. “The headlight is from the same front end also, I just altered the brackets a little.” The springer combined with the hardtail section Alain welded on set the tone that only a set of classic-style tall sidewall and skinny-section (for today) tires and wire-spoked wheels could compliment. Covering those bright red powdercoated hoops are a set of vintage looking, but great handling according to Alain, 16” Avon Safety Mileage tires front and rear.
Everybody’s got an opinion about Shovelhead engines and so does Alain. With over a hundred thousand miles and one re-build on the original 1200cc engine, you can guess where he stands. “I’ve driven that bike to Mexico City and back,” he said laughing. “You’ve got to kick it, tighten nuts and bolts, but that’s the whole pleasure of riding it. I rebuilt it about three years ago, top end, Fireball cam, but it wasn’t a performance thing. I just like to ride it.” As for kick starting, Alain said, “ I do have an electric starter on it, but I use it only if the bike’s been sitting for a while. It always starts on one or two kicks. I think I’ve only done three once the whole time I’ve owned that bike in 20-years.” Style wise, it’s a blacked-out mill with a traditional S&S air cleaner, a smart oil cooler, and a simple two-into-one header-wrapped exhaust sporting a fishtail ending. All the right Old School boxes checked in case you’re keeping score. The original H-D 4-speed tranny is still the onboard deejay of choice switching gears for power or sound as needed.
Since this is a daily rider facing desert sand-covered El Paso roads and harsh sun, Alain kept the finish simple and strong. “I had the frame and fork satin-finish powdercoated by Ary Marivani of El Paso Powdercoating and the service and the end product just came out excellent,” he said. “I might just let the black paintjob wear off ‘cause we painted it red underneath for that rustic look in case it starts to wear. I didn’t want to overdo it, I did the red pedal and the red grips and I’ve been waiting to get a little pinstriping done on it. Just a couple of lines on the fork and a line around the Sparto taillight.”
This bike is still a work in progress and changing the seat from springs to Chopper Shox raised the seat “about four-inches” necessitating a handlebar change. “The seat shocks changed the ride comfort 100%, I can’t tell the difference between my Softail and the Shovel,” said Alain. “I’ve just powdercoated a set of Speedster bars, actually they’re the old style Hollywood handlebars, that won’t hit me in the thigh when I turn.” It seems like this 35-year old Shovel has not seen its final form yet.
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