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The Harley
Davidson Shovelhead Motorcycle
Engine
The
shovelhead engine is a type of
V-twin engine that was manufactured
by the Harley Davidson Motorcycle
Company between 1966 and 1985
The
design for the shovel head engine is
an offshoot of the design of the
Panhead engine, only the shovelhead
engine includes more powerful
cylinders and pistons as well as a
slightly different look.
More
info at
HarleyShovelhead.com
The
shovelhead engine got its name from
the distinctive look of the
engine's rocker box covers.
These covers resemble the heads of
coal shovels, which is how the
shovel head got its name...
The
Panhead engine was originally
developed to fit Sportster choppers
that were designed in the
mid-sixties. As time went on, the
Panhead lost its appeal and went out
of style as the company Harley
Davidson developed bikes that
required more horsepower.
The
shovel-head engines of the sixties
entered the scene with newly
designed top ends that were invented
to give you more acceleration and
power. However, motorcycle experts
that deal in antique chopper parts
say that the weight of the new
shovel head engine detracted from
the speed and power of certain
models in the sixties.
The
weight of the shovel head engine
combined with its proximity to the
ground affected the steering of
the bike. As the choppers
approached top speed, the shovelhead
engine would cause it to start
weaving. This is probably as a
result of the shovel head engine
being originally designed as an
engine for an outboard motor (a
motor for boats). It was a failure
as a marine engine…it did not
function in water or in moist air
(very important for marine engines).
Minor
changes that were made to the shovel
head engines in the 1970’s helped
fix some of the problems
demonstrated by the much heavier
sixties shovel head model. Those who
have been following the history of
Harley Davidson products say that
even these revisions did not quite
catch the shovelhead "up to
speed." As Harley Davidson was
trying to revise the model during
the great energy crisis in the
1970s, they had to stick by
government regulations that
basically said choppers could not
have more than a top speed of 90
miles per hour.
If
the engine came with a feature
called the FLH Electra-Glide
Package, it was identified as a
shovel head engine for police bikes.
This feature was also sometimes
called the Police Option as it made
it easier for them to run cars off
the road. This was a skill that was
often also emulated by pranksters
who road choppers at the time.
The
FLH Electra-Glide package also
enabled the engine to turn over
longer while the machine was in
idle. However this feature also made
for a heavy bike that was not easy
for the average rider to maneuver or
brake instantly.
Finding
a harley shovelhead engine with the
original FLH Electra-Glide package
is very rare and is prized by
motorcycle and chopper part
collectors. If you find a shovelhead
engine that includes this package
you should snap it up as it is worth
a lot of money in the used chopper
parts market.
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