View Full Version : Machinest Dream Shovelhead Sportster


Nu Viking
3rd May 2005, 06:34
[IMG]Yes I know Harley Davidson never made a shovelhead sportster, but this guy did.
This was the coolest bikes I saw at the Regina Bike show in mid April and forgot my dig. camera and film for my vieeo camera. Got these pics at the Magestics car show the weekend after. and also seen the bike at this past weekends bike show In Saskatoon Saskatcwan.
Considering Im studying machning right now I found this motor to absolutely fastenating considering the valvetrain geometry
COOL HUH

HrdlyDangrs
3rd May 2005, 21:39
Not only was adapting a Shovel B/T top end onto Sporty bottom ends a fairly common practise in the 70's, but so was adapting Panhead and Knucklehead top ends to the venerable Sporty cases.

Known as a 'Shovster', 'Panster' or 'Knuckster' the engine combos offered a larger displacement over the stock Sporty set-up and great valve train geometry what with the Sportsters superior 4 cam set up. You'd more then likely would see these swaps on the Drag Strips and Custom Shows...and if you were lucky...once in a while on the street!! They made for great looking motors and sounded fantastic with straight pipes!!

There were quite a few 'How-To's' on these engine mods printed in the then hot motorcycle magazines like Easy Rider, Iron horse, Big Bike and others.

You would have to be a machinist to do these mods or know some one that could do it for you. Once that was done, assembly of the motor was pretty straight forward. How long they would last was another thing altogether. I can't remember the last time a seen a 'Shovster'....never mind the other combos!! :smoke

Y2K
3rd May 2005, 21:58
:smoke Axtel makes a Shovester kit if I remember right.
I pretty sure they make the jugs to fit the Sporty case and use the Shovel heads.
Y2K