Original Shovel

Engine 1966 Harley

Displacement 90 cu.in S&S
Frame DN !6"ra#e
$ear %heel &00"60 16
Front %heel 100"90 19
'ransmission (ltima 6 Spee)
*lutch Hy)raulic
+as 'an# &00& Sportster ,-o)i.ie)/
0ipes 1 12 -y o3n Fa4rication also
5 met 'ommy a couple years ago at a sho3 sponsore) 4y 6ic#er here in
Still3ater. n) true to .orm as 5 3as to .in) out he 3as )oing his 4est to stay out o.
the mi))le o. things. 5 ran into him 3ith my )a) over in the sha)e 3ith his *ustom
S&S 96 So.tail that he ha) 4uilt an) another &70 So.tail 3ith an S&S 11! in her that
he ha) 4uilt .or one o. the guys at 6ic#er.
%e starte) tal#ing8 an) t3o things caught my attention imme)iately9 .irst8 'om
sai) that he ha) 4uilt 4oth the 4i#es 5 3as loo#ing at8 an) the secon) 3as that he sai)
he 3as .rom Still3ater. 5 have 4een aroun) here o.. an) on .or a couple )eca)es an)
my .ol#s have live) here .or over thirty years. Da) an) 5 too# a loo# at the 4i#es9
3hich 3ere soli) every )ay ri)ers that ha) 3hat seeme) to 4e a serious amount o.
custom 3or# on 4oth o. them.
-ore than a little impresse) 3e tal#e) to 'ommy an) as#e) him again to ma#e
sure that he sai) he 3as .rom Still3ater8 an) i. 3e coul) come out an) see the shop
sometime. s 3e 3al#e) a3ay 4oth o. us 3ere 3on)ering ho3 he coul) have 4een
4uil)ing 4i#es in the area an) neither o. us ha) hear) o. him. n) that right there
pretty 3ell sums up 'ommy:s style888 ;(n)er the $a)ar2.
5 gave him a call the ne<t 3ee# a.ter tal#ing to our e)itor8 -iss ;'28 3ho o.
course #ne3 'ommy an) his 3i.e888 ,o. course/. 5 sai) 5:) li#e to )o a story on him as
a local 4uil)er. s luc# 3oul) have it8 5 +ot the green light .rom 4oth 'ommy an)
;'2 an) it goes a little something li#e this=
5 really )i)n:t #no3 3hat to e<pect 3hen 5 got out to the '$ *ycle %or#s shop.
>ots o. .ol#s li#e to tell you ho3 they 4uil) 4i#es 4ut 3hen it comes )o3ns to it that
can really cover a lot o. territory. >et:s 4e clear here8 'ommy is the real )eal.
He )oesn:t 4olt on a couple a.termar#et 4ags or get you a real s3eet pinstripe ?o4
.or your tan#. %e:re tal#ing a4out 4uying a custom .rame8 lengthening it ?ust a 4it .or
the client. -ay4e completely re@engineering the .ront en) ?ust so it 3ill .it the 3heel
you 3ant. Or 4uil)ing you a custom seat an) ma#ing it his o3n 3ithout a hint that the
piece never e<iste) until he .a44e) it. 'ommy 3as custom 4uil)ing springer .ront
en)s .or .ol#s 3hen he 3as ?ust a #i).
'hat:s the #in) o. *ustom 3e:re tal#ing a4out.
s it turns out though8 that:s really not 3hat 'ommy thought the story shoul) 4e
a4out. 5 ha) )one the intervie38 ta#en a .e3 shots o. the shop8 an) spent the a.ternoon
listening to the stories an) the history o. 3hat is no3 '$ *ycle %or#s. 'o say 5 3as
impresse) 3as an un)erstatement. Here 3as a man 3ho 3as 4uil)ing 4i#es locally.
Aasically one o..s. nything .rom a .e3 custom pieces to as much as you 3ante) to
spen)9 nice story to come across any )ay.
5 3ent home grinning8 an) as 5 3ent over the notes .or the ne<t couple )ays 5 li#e)
the story even more. 'hen 'ommy calle) me a couple )ays later an) sai) he
3ante) to hol) o.. on the piece9 ; 5:ve got plenty o. 3or# i. 5 3ant it an) 5 )on:t
nee) any sort o. 0$. 'ell you 3hat though8 i. you can 3ait a .e3 months 5:m going to
4e .inishing up my 66 Shovel an) 5 3oul) li#e it i. you 3oul) )o a story on her2. He
sai) it 3as the .irst ne3 Harley he ever o3ne) an) this 3oul) pro4a4ly 4e her last
re4uil).
5 tol) him sure8 .ile) a3ay my notes8 an) 5 3on)ere) ho3 5 3oul) tell the story
?ust a4out the 4i#e. 5 even 3on)ere) i. 5 3oul) get to .inish the story. 'ommy:s got a
pretty goo) strea# o. ol) school ;4i#er2 in him an) sometimes you can ?ust never tell
3ith .ol#s li#e that.
He calle) me 4ac# in Novem4er an) sai) he ha) the 66 .inishe) an) 3on)ere) i. 5
3ante) to come out an) ta#e a loo# at her. %ith a 4ig smile 5 sai) sure.
5:m going to let 'ommy ta#e it .rom here. 5 as#e) him to give me some sort o.
history@ timeline on 3hat all she ha) gone through )uring the process o. 4ecoming 6
or B )i..erent 4i#es through the years. 'his is ho3 he put it=

Original Shovel
Ay
'ommy Smith


5n pril o. 1967 at the age o. 19 5 caught a ri)e to thens Ohio 3ith some .rien)s
to 3or# on a pipeline ?o4. -y plan 3as to 4uy me a Harley.
5n early Cune 5 ha) enough money save) an) 4ought a 197D 0anhea) Duo@+li)e
.or EB70. 5 ro)e an) .ollo3e) the pipeline into 0ennsylvania an) 4y late Septem4er 5 3as
tire) o. 4eing 4ro#e )o3n on the 7D all the time an) )eci)e) 5 nee)e) a later mo)el or
may4e even a ne3 one.
5 ha) 'e< at 'e<ture Harley@Davi)son in >ancaster 0 .i< the clutch on the 7D one
last time an) 3hen 5 3ent to pic# it up 5 .ell in love 3ith this 196F Duo +li)e 3ith Hi Fi
$e) paint. 5t 3as the prettiest thing 5 ha) ever seen. Aut 5 ha) a .rien) 3ith me an) he
3ante) it as 4a) as 5 )i). Someho3 5 let him an) 'e< tal# me into the 4ran) ne3
Hi Fi Alue one he ha) ,still in the crate/ an) my .rien) too# the 6F re) one. 5 tra)e) my
ol) 3hite 7D Duo +li)e an) E1!B7 .or the ne3 4lue 1966 Electra +li)e. %e 3ere 4oth in
Hog Heaven.
5n late Octo4er 5 ha) .inishe) the ?o4 an) 3as rea)y to really rea)y to ri)e. 5 too#
o.. .or *ocoa Aeach F>. 5 spent a .e3 3ee#s )o3n on the 4each an) then le.t out o. .or
O#la. For some reason though 5 ?ust never really li#e) the 4lue an) in 6D 5 strippe) the
4i#e )o3n an) too# the parts to a shop an) ha) them paint it up in a -etal Fla#e %ine
color.
5 got it 4ac# together an) 3as happy .or a 3hile 4ut it still )i)n:t seem right. 5n
19B0 5 4ro#e it )o3n again an) this time 3ent 3ith ;0lum *raGy2 purple. 5t loo#e) great
4ut 5 still 3asn:t satis.ie).
'hen in 19B1 5 ha) a 3rec# on it an) tore it up pretty goo). 'hat 3as all the
e<cuse 5 nee)e) to .inally chop it. 5 .oun) a 19FB #nuc#le .rame an) .ront en). 5 ra#e) the
ri)ge) .rame an) e<ten)e) the springer to 1D2 over an) put the 66 shovel engine an)
tranny in88 an) ha) mysel. a real *hopper. 5n 19BF 5 even got a 3rite up 3ith some goo)
.otos .or the Decem4er issue o. *hoppers -agaGine.
Ay 19D1 my ass an) 4ac# 3ere #illing me so 5 .oun) a 197D Duo gli)e .rame. 5
ra#e) an) lo3ere) .ront legs an) e<ten)e) the 3i)e gli)e .ront en) 102 an) stro#e) the
ol) shovel engine out to 90 cu.in. 3ith an S&S 4ig 4ore #it.
Ay 19D!8 tire) o. #ic# starting it8 5 4ro#e it )o3n again8 repainte) an) installe) an
electric start. 5 ro)e an) repainte) ! more times until &00B8 then 5 )eci)e) to put it in a
*ustom &00 so.tail .rame 3ith a 6 spee) tranny an) Aelt 0rimary. 'his is no3 the secon)
paint ?o4 5:ve )one on it no3 an) it:s Hi Fi $e). %hy 5 never painte) it Hi Fi $e)
through the past F6 yrs 5 )on:t #no3.
Aut 5:m satis.ie) right no3 an) )on:t have any more plans .or it888 4ut you never
#no3.
-a?or -o)i.ications
'o Start 3ith 5 re3or#e) the s3ing arm8 transmission mount an) 4ac# 4one
stretch o. the &00 so.tail .rame. 'o 4e a4le to mount the ol) style Shovel engine to
the late mo)el 0rimary 5 ha) to 4uil) an a)aptor to attach the t3o together an) also
3or# it as an o..set spacer .or the &00mm rear tire.
'he 4elt 0rimary )rive 3as !.!70 inches 3i)e. 5 cut it )o3n ,4elt an) all/ to &.&70
inches. 5 call the .ront en) a ;Narro3 %i)e +li)e2. 5t has the F1mm tu4es space) at
B.&7 inches center.
5 ha) to cut .&00 inches .rom the insi)es o. the so.tail sli)ers to get enough room
.or the Sportster 3heel. 'his also meant 5 ha) to relocate the .en)er mounts8 caliper
ta4s as 3ell as .a4ricating all the 4rac#ets an) spacers8 an) .inally mo)i.ying the a<el
itsel. to get it right.
5 )eci)e) to mount the rear 3heel caliper to the 4ottom si)e 3hich again le) to
.a4ricating the 4rac#ets8 spacers an) mounts.
'he rear .en)er an) struts along 3ith the seat mount an) 4attery cover are my
)esign an) position also.
'he .asteners involve) 3ere something else all on their o3n. +etting the right
siGe8 type8 length8 threa)8 pitch an) shine involves a tremen)ous amount o. time an)
)etail.
'ommy Smith
'$ *ycle %or#s