1978 FLH BUILD PAGE 1

1978 FLH BUILD, PAGE 1

I have a preconceived notion about what a motorcycle should look like. My formative teenage years spanned the mid to late 1970's and that is where the hands got stuck on my clock. The styling of mid '70's shovel heads really appeals to my sense of taste but the engineering lacks what I needed for a regularly ridden bagger. I wanted a bike that screamed shovel head from a aesthetic standpoint but that would run, stop and steer like something much newer. So the "Dreamsickle" project was launched.

The plan was to take a shovel head era bike and shoehorn in a factory H-D evolution crate engine along with a six speed transmission. The foundation for this build is a 1978 FLH four speed frame and has sheetmetal from panheads, shovelheads and right up to a front fender off of a Fatboy. The power train is comprised of a H-D silver & chrome Evo crate engine turning a Revtech 6 speed tranny. For those of ya'll that think a Evolution motor or a six speed won't fit in a 4 speed frame you just cut, stretch and weld until it does. The front end has been raked a slight amount and the fork set is off of a late model Fatboy. I put my hand and heart on every part of this bike.

Much of this bikes character has developed from the mishmash of what I was able to beg and borrow from a lot of really good scooter trash. A big shout out goes to all of my scooter friends here in the Chicken City. Without ya'lls contributions and encouragement this project would have stalled early in the game. All ya'll can take credit for the end result. Almost every major part except for the engine and transmission came out of a friends garage or living room as the case may be.

The frame, rear fender, rear wheel, and seat are all correct part numbers for the build year 1978. Everything else is from over 50 years of Harley history. There are Knucklehead, Panhead, Shovelhead, Evolution and Twinkie parts all meshed together to form my definition of what a motorcycle should look like. Some of what I couldn't scam I built, then what I couldn't make was purchased from my two favorite indy shops.

ORIGINAL MOCK-UP AT MY SHOP