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Feature Bikes

Shovel 67

Article & Photos By: Grizzly

Originally Published In The May 2014 Issue Of Cycle Source Magazine

Feature 3a May 14 Kerri

Tommy from Holland bought a Shovelhead ten years ago with the idea to turn it into a screaming loud, big tire bobber. Many summers l a t e r , instead of a big bobber, the Shovel now roams the streets of the Netherlands as a sleek Frisco chopper.

“I had it all figured out,” says Tommy. “It had to be a bling-bling bobber with fat tires. ‘Hey, you just take it easy,’ my friend Ecke told me. ‘Before you change anything  on the bike, I would suggest you first try to learn and understand more of the custom scene. I can guarantee you that your taste will change.’ I followed Ecke’s advice, talked a lot with many other chopper enthusiasts and started reading the American builders’ magazines. Indeed, within a couple of months my idea of what looks cool and what does not changed dramatically. I suddenly discovered the beauty in plain and simple choppers. I bought a book about an infamous American motorcycle club and fell in love with the Frisco choppers that were in it. From that time on, I knew exactly what I wanted. My Shovel had to be a slim and lightweight lane splitting chopper, like the bikes from the patch holders in the book. Small gas tanks mounted on top of the frame, half apehanger bars and narrow telescope frontends! Yeehaw! During the winter holidays of 2011, me and my buddy Peter, the former owner of the Shovel, took the whole damn thing apart in less than a day. I couldn’t wait to start building my own Frisco chopper!”

Feature 3b May 14 Kerri

Tommy is an ICT manager, and at a certain point in time got very busy with his job. Building the bike was also much harder than expected. Many little things had to be modified and our guy just did not have the time for that. Work on the bike was done by Tommy in his spare free moments, but slowly began to feel like therapy. A great compensation for the busy life this man is leading. First, the motor and gearbox had to look better. Both were in a great technical condition but looked like shit. Dry ice cleaning seemed to be the solution to this problem. Parts get blasted clean under high pressure with tiny ice cubes, and this way the motor and gearbox did not need to be taken apart before cleaning. Tommy loved it! They both came out looking like new. Motor parts like the rocker boxes and nose cone were then matted by Tom with Scotch-Brite and oil. The cylinders and heads were also painted by Tom. Then it was time to chop the stock swingarm frame. Out came the angle grinder! Friend Ecke changed the stock frame into an old skool hardtail using cast iron pieces he had developed himself . After this, the wheels a n d frontend were mounted to turn the bike into a roller. As we already stated, Tommy had little time to work on his chop because of his job, but eventually managed to put that to an end. He even got to work passionately and intensively on his project for three months in a row.

“A big love for classic choppers surrendered a spot in my heart. Like the chopper builders from Japan, I think that building should be done as much by hand as possible and with little machinery. I a l s o r a t h e r recycle u s e d p a r t s than buy new ones. T h e frontend for instance is from a Dyna. I shaved the trees and legs by hand, using a saw, a file, sanding paper and Scotch-Brite, to get the effect I wanted,” he explained.

Tommy put a lot of thought and effort into making each part he fabbed just perfect. The oil bag is from a Softail, but was narrowed an inch so it would not be wider than the frame. The rear fender can be adjusted so it will travel with the chain sprocket and stay close to the tire when tightened. The bars are narrow Chumps from Biltwell made even narrower by the Dutch man. “Chopper purists told me bars should never be wider than the widest part of the bike,” said Tom. The new parts Tommy did buy are products from new, young American builders who love classic chops just like Tom does. Our man did the wiring himself using classic wires from the German company W&W which look great and do not need to be hidden from sight. Last but not least, the gas tank was painted by Co Brands. They went with candy metal flake red with pearl white panels sporting the gold leaf “67” which is Tommy’s birth year. “I had all the other parts painted black. This way I can change the entire look of the bike by just mounting a different gas tank,” said Tommy. It has taken years to finish, but Tommy rode his Frisco chop for the first day when we photographed him. He arrived at the shoot proud and completely satisfied. Of course some tinkering was needed, but in all it ran great and convinced the Dutchman for having made the right choice not to go for a big tire bobber.

Feature 3c May 14 Kerri

Shovel 67 Tech Sheet
Owner: Tommy
City: Holland
Fabrication By: Owner and Ecke
Year: 1980
Model: Frisco Chopper
Time: Years
ENGINE
Year: 1980
Model: Shovelhead
Builder: Harley-Davidson
Ignition: Yes
Displacement: 1200cc
Pistons: Stock
Heads: Stock
Cam(s): It’s in There
Carb: CV
Air Cleaner: Ecke Welding Velocity Stack
Exhaust: Drags
Primary: Open 3” Belt
TRANSMISSION
Year: 1980
Make: H-D
Shifting: Four-Speed
FRAME
Year: 1980
Make: HD and Ecke Welding
Rake: None
Stretch: None
FRONT END
Type: Telescope From a Dyna
Builder: HD
Extension: None
Triple Trees: Shaved by Tommy
WHEELS
Front Wheel: HD Spokes
Size: 21”
Tire: Dunlop 90
Brakes: Dyna and Ktech
Rear Wheel: HD Spokes
Size: 16”
Tire: Dunlop 130
Brakes: Sprocket Brake
PAINT
Painter: Co Brands
Color: Candy Red / White Pearl
Type: Metal Flake
Graphics: Number 67 Gold Leaf
Molding: Little
Chroming:
ACCESSO RIES
Bars: Biltwell Chumps
Risers: Two
Hand Controls: Ktech
Gas Tank(s): Sporty
Front fender: None
Rear fender: Flatbender – Modified by Tommy
Seat: eBay / Swedish Milla
Foot Controls: Modified SJP
Oil Tank: Narrowed Softail
Taillight: Lowbrow
Headlight: Bates
Sissybar: Recycled Stainless
Photographer: Grizzly

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