Axiom Cycles sells Harley Davidson parts including exhaust systems, seats, and windshields at competitive prices.

Harley Davidson manufactured the Shovelhead engine between 1966 and 1985.   The Shovelhead displaced 74 cubic inches (1,200 cc) and produced 60 horsepower.   The design for the Shovelhead engine is an offshoot of the design of the Panhead engine, only the Shovelhead engine includes more powerful cylinders and pistons as well as a slightly different look.

The Shovelhead engine got its name from the distinctive look of the engine's rocker box covers.   These covers resemble the heads of coal shovels, which is how the Shovelhead got its name.   The Panhead engine was originally developed with hydraulic valve lifters and later a hand-clutch/foot-shift option.   The biggest advancement came in 1965 on the Electra Glide with the the electric starter.   As time went on, the Panhead lost its appeal and went out of style as Harley Davidson developed bikes that required more horsepower.

The Shovelhead engines of the sixties entered the scene with newly designed top ends that were invented to give you more acceleration and power.   However, motorcycle experts that deal in antique Harley parts say that the weight of the new shovel head engine detracted from the speed and power of certain models in the sixties.

The weight of the Shovelhead engine combined with its proximity to the ground affected the steering of the bike.   As the Harley Davidsons approached top speed, the shovelhead engine impacting the maneuverability resulting in by some riders accounts a tendency to weave.  

Minor changes that were made to the Shovelhead engines in the 1970’s helped fix some of the problems demonstrated by the much heavier sixties shovel head model.   Those who have been following the history of Harley Davidson products say that even these revisions did not quite catch the Shovelhead"up to speed."   As Harley Davidson was trying to revise the model during the great energy crisis in the 1970s, they had to stick by government regulations that basically said motorcycles could not have more than a top speed of 90 miles per hour.

If the engine came with a feature called the FLH Electra-Glide Package, it was identified as a shovel head engine for police bikes.   This feature was also sometimes called the Police Option as it made it easier for them to run cars off the road.   This was a skill that was often also emulated by pranksters who road Harely Davidsons at the time.

The FLH Electra-Glide package also enabled the engine to turn over longer while the machine was in idle.   However this feature also made for a heavy bike that was not easy for the average rider to maneuver or brake instantly.

Finding a Harley Davison Shovelhead engine with the original FLH Electra-Glide package is very rare.    Motorcycle antique dealers and Harley Davidson parts collectors to this day seek out original Harley Davidson motorcycles with the Shovelhead engine.

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Axiom Cycles has been hard at work creating Custom Harley Davidsons years longer than most dealers.

Using products from Daytona Twin Tec and Speed's Performance Plus as well as others we have been able to produce up to an additional 18 horsepower!

See our Fuel & Intake section for products.
 

Axiom Cycles offers a custom Harley Davidson service.  Using our  catalogs we are able to create a custom Harley Davidson without limitations.

Axiom Cycles carries Harley Davidson parts and parts for custom choppers as well as Bobber Motorcycles from every manufacturer on the market:

The new JAMMER Catalog offers a wide array of parts for Bobber Motorcycles