[Thalay Sagar]

Looking for a little help from the pros on identifying Frame/Forks/Engine/Trans or anything else if you know what it is.

Want to try and replicate this chopper but need some schooling on what is what.


I have hi-resolution photos I can email on request.
Any insight would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you

 

[chasarms]

Motor and trans looks like a late 30's Knuckle. The frame probably is also. The oil tank looks right. Most of the rest looks like junkyard finds.

 

[Breeze3at]

Engine is probably a '66-'69 generator Shovelhead (flat side, slab side, kidney or erroneously called "Pan-Shovel"), from angle of photos, frame is a wishbone rigid (HD or aftermarket) looks raked. Forks are springer, mechanical drum brake rear, zero front brake. Dry clutch, mousetrap foot clutch (possibly suicide, forgot spring position), jockey shift (or as American Chopper dudes call them suicide shift) on a rachet top trans. Damn thing has a speedometer! I can't ID the tank, and my Scotch is empty. over & out!

 

[chasarms]

Engine is probably a '66-'69 generator Shovelhead (flat side, slab side, kidney or erroneously called "Pan-Shovel"), from angle of photos, frame is a wishbone rigid (HD or aftermarket) looks raked. Forks are springer, mechanical drum brake rear, zero front brake. Dry clutch, mousetrap foot clutch (possibly suicide, forgot spring position), jockey shift (or as American Chopper dudes call them suicide shift) on a rachet top trans. Damn thing has a speedometer! I can't ID the tank, and my Scotch is empty. over & out!

The heads are shovel, but the bottom of the motor, primary cover etc looks like a 30s knuckle.

 

[FritzHD]

Slab side shovel, rocker foot clutch. Primary side view of cases are too large for knuckle.

 

[Thalay Sagar]

Thanks guys,
There is a painted '63 on the left side of oil tank so thinking that is referring to the frame?? Wishbone rigid frame is what can't seem to pin down as to yr. or model. Headstock is molded and so is the little wishbone cross member below the neck-piece. Is the backbone or top tube brace also molded into the top of the wishbone like the headstock?? Do people do this kinda work? or is there a stock frame like this? minus the rake I guess.
I have much better pictures(big file size) and can send to anyone the dropbox link for a closer look if they like.
I've been told the engine is a pan bottom with shovel top but be nice to confirm that (as per comments of Pete / Breeze .380 make me wonder now/ do a lot of people make that mistake??)
The forks are maybe a reproduction of a 1948 Harley Davidson Offset Springer Front End as the look identical except for the length. Not sure if there is a method of modding stock ones or if they just copied and stretched them.
Been told the oil pump looks steel which should mean '66-'67 but not sure...
Stock Rocker foot clutch most are agreeing on.
I've uploaded a closer shot of the motor and another angle of left side.
The white chopper beside it is a stock early '60s panhead right? Are the bottom ends of the motor the same or does it just look that way to the untrained eye??
Thanks again for your time. you have given me somethings to think about.

 

[MADMACK]

Gotta love the highway pegs.

 

[Kainam]

The heads are shovel, but the bottom of the motor, primary cover etc looks like a 30s knuckle.

Nope.

 

[chasarms]

Nope.

I've never seen a shovel head motor with a "soup bowl" clutch cover like that before. I've also never seen one with a louvered right-side cover. But, in looking at the white bike, I know get where Breeze is going with the "Pan-Shovel" thing.

Then again, when I got into harleys, Evos were vintage! My experience with all of the old stuff is museums, pictures, the web and the very rare occasion that you actually come across someone riding one.

And despite being horribly wrong, I am willing to wager another attempt and state emphatically that the coil cover is a Colt .45 malt liquor can!

 

[bbally]

No Shovel in the picture at all.

Brown looking bike with the wood work pegs and tree branch highway pegs is about a '38 Knucklehead engine. 61 CI :about 34 HP.

The white bike is a pan... but I am having trouble aging it.

I am guessing 1965 because the electric start looks original match. I would guess someone grabbed up a wrecked '65 FL engine and trans and built a hardtail.

 

[Breeze3at]

Chas; You're correct that no Shovelheads came with the soupbowl/stamped primary (all Shovels came with elec. start), but Big twins engines and transmissions are separate, and any number of primarys can be run. My '68 Shovel eng. has an open belt primary attached to a '80's transmission. It also has the finned slabside cam cover (photo in my garage). The "Cone" cover came out in 1970 when the alternator was introduced.

For the post after yours about it being a Knuck,, well just wrong.

Edit: to clarify about the finned/ribbed cam cover. I do believe it is/was either a HD or aftermarket accessory. They came with a smooth cam cover.

 

[kcdcltd]

+1 for Breeze3at

 

[CLASSIC86]

It is "NOT A KNUCKLE HEAD" as breeze said it is a generator shovel head or better known as a Pan/Shovel head. Hard tail frame, molded and raked at the neck. Springer frontend ,
foot clutch jockey shift. Carb appears to be a S&S Super B. If you are looking to replicate this bike, recommend contacting "Denver Choppers" for frame and "Pat Kennedy" for frontend. If you want all original, start looking around now. If not, you can purchase after market products.

 

[mcaccamise]

+1 my old 50 pan bottom looked the same with a finned generator and flat side cover kicked the chit out of that bike fun to ride.

 

[misinlink]

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[bbally]

Guess I phucked that up.