The Harley-Davidson Shovelhead is more than just an engine; it’s a chapter in motorcycling history that perfectly encapsulates the grit and attitude of the 1970s. For custom builders, it offers that sweet spot: old enough to be genuinely cool, yet still affordable and simple enough to customise without needing a university degree in electronics.
The name, of course, comes from the distinct profile of its rocker covers, which famously resemble an upside-down coal shovel. It’s the engine that literally defined the look and sound of a generation of Harleys, and one that remains a hands-on, mechanical favorite today.
Introduced in 1966, the Shovelhead was a necessary power upgrade designed to replace the ageing Panhead. It retained the Panhead’s bottom end and iron cylinders but gained new aluminium-alloy heads with larger valves and a shallower combustion chamber—a change that yielded a claimed 10 horsepower increase.
A huge portion of the Shovelhead’s life was spent under the tumultuous ownership of American Machine and Foundry (AMF), which took control in 1969. While this era saw technical leaps like the replacement of the external generator with an internal alternator system in 1970 (creating the “Cone Shovel”), it also birthed an icon. In 1971, Willie G. Davidson designed the FX Super Glide, a factory-built custom that married the big-twin Shovelhead frame with the narrow Sportster front end, fundamentally creating the factory custom/cruiser market.
However, the AMF period is often considered the “Dark Days” due to cost-cutting and a decline in quality control. This, combined with issues from the 10-fin cylinder cooling and the low-octane gasoline of the 1970s oil crisis, severely exacerbated the engine’s inherent problems, including overheating and oil consumption.
Redemption came in the final years. Displacement was increased from 74ci to 80ci in 1978 for better torque. Crucially, in 1981, thirteen Harley-Davidson executives bought the company back from AMF, immediately prioritizing quality restoration with improvements like a new oil pump. The Shovelhead even debuted in the high-performance FXR chassis (1982-1983) and received rubber mounts in the FLT Tour Glide frame in 1980 to reduce its infamous vibration. The engine was finally replaced by the all-new aluminium-headed Evolution in 1984, but its legacy lives on as the last “old school” Harley engine that an owner could reliably maintain with basic hand tools.
The Shovelhead’s raw, mechanical character makes it irresistible to builders who value simple, tough aesthetics. Here are seven of our favorite custom Shovelheads that have passed through the Bike EXIF gates, each proving that this old workhorse is still one of the best platforms around.
Takuya Aikawa’s 1968 Harley-Davidson FL Hardtail
Takuya Aikawa of Sureshot in Chiba, Japan, is accustomed to bringing home hardware from the Yokohama Hot Rod Custom Show—and this stunning 1968 Harley-Davidson FL hardtail is no exception. Aikawa-san’s work brilliantly fuses vintage muscle with modern manufacturing techniques, resulting in a beguiling machine loaded with ingenious, high-class details. The client’s brief was simple: a rigid frame, an electric starter, and a standard foot shifter—but the style was left entirely to Takuya’s award-winning imagination.
The bike is far skinnier than a stock FL. Takuya mated the front of the Shovelhead frame to a narrowed rigid rear triangle and transplanted front forks from a Japanese ‘Auto Race’ bike (a form of asphalt flat track). This was far from plug-and-play, requiring the forks to be liberated from their yoke and lengthened to suit the Harley’s ride height. The rebuilt 1,200 cc Shovelhead is performance-oriented, featuring an S&S Cycle L-carb and a bespoke Dynatek Dyna 2000i ignition map, perfectly embodying Takuya’s belief that “a carburetor is a functional part… but for Harley-Davidson, it is also a strong exterior element that evokes performance.”
Perhaps the most astonishing detail is Sureshot’s relentless focus on mass centralisation. Takuya achieved this by removing the kick-start, relocating the heavy transmission up and forward closer to the engine, and converting the clutch to a hydraulic system that discreetly mounts the master cylinder on the side of the crankcase. He even fabricated a set of matching mufflers tucked tightly underneath the bike. The hand-finished billet aluminum parts are also pure genius: Takuya removed the typical machine-cut marks and polished them to resemble vintage cast surfaces, ensuring every detail, from the Montesa-inspired spoked wheels to the horse hide bobber seat, fits the classic aesthetic while operating with modern precision. [MORE]
Kraus Motor Co.’s “Achuma” Shovelhead Streetfighter
“Achuma,” the hallucinogen-named Harley that is part old-school Shovel and part contemporary motocrosser. Satya Kraus, the builder behind Kraus Motor Co., admits he doesn’t look too hard at what everyone else is doing, and this Shovelhead-powered streetfighter—complete with a built-in skidplate for urban hooliganism—is the thrilling result. Born out of Satya’s desire for a “racier look and feel” after tiring of rigid frame limitations, Achuma is a machine built on the core philosophy of lightweight.
Kraus’s ingenuity shines in the suspension. The forks are his updated take on a traditional springer, now featuring a Foes Racing air shock originally designed for heavy-duty downhill bicycle racing—more than up to the task here and yielding 3 inches of travel. The twin-shock swingarm, braced and running a pair of Foes dampers, provides a generous 5.8 inches of rear travel. This focus on performance and reduced weight is why the bike eschews paint entirely; instead, the frame is plasma-arc sprayed with a thin coat of real bronze, complementing the highly polished 93-inch S&S Shovelhead motor.
The high-compression 90 hp S&S motor was meticulously taken apart, with the fins shaped, casting lines smoothed, and cases polished by the Kraus team. Satya’s aversion to paint means the bike is a full-metal symphony, giving it a visceral quality. As Kraus says, “When you actually get close up, get your hands on it, touch it and feel the difference between paint and a real-metal finish, that’s what really gets you…when you see the perfect imperfection of it.” [MORE]
Jamesville’s Harley Shovelhead Café Racer
James Roper-Caldbeck is one of former Bike EXIF Editor Chris Hunter’s favorite Harley builders. While known for his clean, stripped-back bobbers, James took a rare stylistic detour when a client requested a café racer. Taking inspiration from the XLCR 1000, James based the build not on a Sportster, but on an FX Super-Glide—specifically one featuring a robust 80ci S&S Cycle motor and a five-speed transmission.
Despite admitting he had no idea what he was doing in the café racer space, James produced one of the best-looking Shovelheads we’ve ever seen, demonstrating his trademark knack for perfect stance and balance. The changes are subtle but effective: the tail section, complete with a Triumph taillight, was fabricated from scratch and set high to mimic superbikes. Surprisingly, the fuel tank is the original FX unit with minor modifications, and the sporty fairing is a cheap eBay find that fits perfectly.
Since the S&S ‘V80’ engine already pumped out around 40% more horsepower than an average Shovelhead, James focused on crucial safety upgrades. The original brakes were replaced with dual discs up front and Performance Machine calipers on both ends. The exhaust is a key aesthetic feature, drawing inspiration from Italian sportbikes with pipes that wind through the bike and exit high near the tail. The entire machine is finished in a subtle, yet sporty, black paint scheme that gives off a distinct 80s superbike vibe, proving James can conquer any style he sets his mind to. [MORE]
Shiny Hammer’s 1972 FLH Bobber
Following up his streamlined electric projectile ‘Hope,’ Samuel Aguiar swung the other way with this elegant ’72 FLH Shovelhead, combining classic Milwaukee metal with the unorthodox vision of a low and narrow chopper with trials-type wheels. The stock FLH frame was modified to be two inches lower and 1.5 inches narrower, creating a slim, straight profile.
One of the most innovative features is the fully integrated rear suspension. Samuel wanted only the engine to ‘pop’ out, so he employed oleo-pneumatic shocks (technology often found on aircraft landing gear) made by specialist Forunales and housed them seamlessly within a one-off frame geometry. To maintain clean lines, he fabricated two mirror-image triangular fuel tanks to fill the space between the engine and chassis, supplementing the total capacity by adding a fourth tank under the seat, all linked to function as one.
After machining new hubs, Samuel laced the bike with lightweight Excel hoops from a Husqvarna 125 enduro bike, wrapping them in Pirelli MT43 trials-pattern rubber to provide a bit of chunky, visual grit. After test-riding the bike with a regular fork, Samuel dedicated 300 hours to creating the final, impossibly elegant, one-off girder fork. He narrowly integrated the arms inside the fork and optimised the geometry for vertical wheel travel, resulting in a narrow, sleek front end. The custom build is further accented by an S&S Super E carb, split rocker boxes, and a sinuous, swirling polished stainless steel exhaust system that visualises “how the smoke would flow if riding the bike without any exhaust pipes.” [MORE]
CW Zon’s Mooneyes-Winning Harley Shovelhead
Yuichi Yoshizawa of Custom Works Zon (CW Zon) is a builder whose work is instantly recognisable: clean, functional, and deeply artistic. This Harley-Davidson Shovelhead earned the prestigious ‘Best of Show’ award at the Mooneyes Yokohama Hot Rod Custom Show, demonstrating that Yoshizawa-san maintains the highest possible standards regardless of the style. The frame is a major technical feat, made entirely of 7N01 aluminium, an aerospace-grade alloy known for its high tensile strength and light weight.
In fact, most of the bike, save for the engine and tires, was handmade in Zon’s shop. This includes the stunning seat and tail section, which cleverly doubles as the oil tank, and Zon’s signature-style girder fork. The gas tank is split by the frame and is adorned with intricate hand engraving by Silver Smith Fin, featuring thunderclouds, a winged tiger head, and Zon’s signature shining sun. Despite the bold, metal, timeless aesthetic, modern touches are cleverly hidden, such as a mountain bike shock tucked into the girder and a tiny digital Motogadget speedo flush-mounted in the fork’s pivot plate.
The 1973 Shovelhead engine was transformed into a fire-breathing 93ci hot rod featuring a Weber dual-throat side-draft carburettor, dual Morris Magnetos, and a Baker six-speed transmission. The aggressive look is capped off by 21-inch spoked wheels with aluminum covers, contrasting against remarkably skinny 3-inch-wide Firestone tires. [MORE]
Stoos Customs’ Street Tracker
South Africa’s Stoos Customs, run by Alex Stoos, built this fiercely aggressive Harley Shovelhead as part of a private intercontinental build-off against El Lobo Cycles in the UK. The only rules were that both bikes had to be Shovelheads and run BST carbon fiber wheels. The goal for Stoos was to create something aggressive, yet eminently rideable, starting with a tired 1981 Shovelhead and tearing it down until only the engine cases and parts of the frame remained.
The frame was massaged into street tracker proportions and propped up on high-end Öhlins suspension, with beefy, in-house machined fork yokes and swingarm. The bike rides on 19F/18R BST wheels wrapped in Michelin Commander III Touring tires. Stopping power comes from Arlen Ness callipers on custom-made brackets. Crucially, the engine was rebuilt with parts from Speed and Science Inc., essentially turning the inside of the Shovelhead into an Evolution motor—complete with internal oiling and roller-style rockers—while retaining the iconic Shovelhead look on the outside.
During the build, Texan custom builder Colt Wrangler (known for his distinctive metalwork) joined the team, hammering out the bike’s waspish aluminium bodywork. The metalwork is aggressive and organic, featuring a slim taper in the middle and finished in alternating matte and gloss black. The fuel tank is complemented by an oil tank tucked neatly below the transmission. The cockpit features stainless steel tracker bars with Arlen Ness grips, and the stainless steel exhaust system is unapologetic in its promise to deliver a raucous sound. This Shovelhead street tracker brilliantly defies vintage Harley conventions, transforming the old workhorse into a fierce, modern competitor. [MORE]
