Shovelhead
Custom made 1977 Harley-Davidson Electra Glide Sport (FLHS).
Original design and build by the late ‘Apache Jack’ Crossley
1340cc S&S Kickstart engine built by Malcolm Barton
Tinwork and fettling by Les Field
Paint by ‘Candy Flake’ Jake Clark
I’ll be testing it and tweaking it through the winter whist my new tank, mudguard and Sissy bar are painted ready for the spring.
I first came across this bike a few years back in some magazines. It was built by Apache Jack, a custom bike builder based in Brighton, and I immediately thought it was stunning—impractical, but stunning. I mean, who could endure riding a hardtail with their arms and legs stretched out for more than ten minutes?
I loved the colour, the big S&S engine, the reversed mudguard, an oil tank fashioned from two welded-together fire extinguishers, the unique shaved primary case, the lowered wide glide forks and those wheels —custom made with Moto Guzzi Borrani rims paired with a vintage 8” Norton hub brake — wow!.
Anyway, I liked it so much that I decided to use it as inspiration for my next bike build. But then it came up for sale……
I was familiar with the bike’s history, having read about it in a magazine. Jack had spotted an advertisement for a blue and white 1977 Harley-Davidson FLHS Electra Glide (The FLHS was only made for one year), and it had been fitted with a replacement S&S engine. He purchased it as the foundation for his custom build. It had been sitting unused in a garage for over two years since Jack had sadly passed away and it had difficulty starting. Jack’s modifications were impressive, thoughtfully designed with incredible attention to detail. The only original part left was the S&S engine which refused to start. Knowing that after a long period of inactivity would need good overhaul, I assumed that some new spark plugs, fresh fuel, and a bit of TLC I could get it going again. So, I decided to buy it.After just 30 miles, the engine started to rattle, and it was backfiring through the carburettor.
I began taking it apart to diagnose the issue, only to discover that the deeper I dug, the more problems I uncovered. The compression was extremely low and I knew it would need a rebuild. I've built Aircraft engines before, but that was to a dedicated spec, and as this was a custom-built engine with 3rd party pistons and a camshaft from a 90's Evo engine so I opted to hand it over to Shovelhead expert Malcolm Barton. Four months and £6,000 later I got it back.The 90's Evo camshaft had caused damage the heads as you need to change the rockers etc to use it inan old shovelhead design - which had not been done. The pistons and barrels had overheated and badly worn (probably due to the incorrect timing of the Evo Camshaft). So I opted for a complete rebuild: Fix the heads and valves, fit new barrels, Wiseco forged pistons, an Andrews Street/Drag racing camshaft and a list of other new parts as long as your arm. 4 months later I got the bike back and within 10 miles it broke down again. The electrics had died. I then stripped down the primary side myself and upgraded the 22A electrics, and swapped out the old clutch with mis-matched plates for a new 10 stud Barnett unit. Once it was running, I first did a test paint job in blue and white using rattle cans (just to see if my idea worked), swapped out the handlebars for 7" lifts, modified the seat, added some brass and then set about fabricating a new larger fuel tank and rear mudguard that is similar to the original, but a bit longer to accommodate a custom-made Sissy bar. The new parts are now off to Jake for amazing custom paint job that's going to follow the blue and white mock-up apart from the blue will be Candy Flake and the tank logos will be vintage gold leaf. I can't wait to share the photos of the finished bike soon. The bike was recently in the publicity shots for the largest Harley Davidson dealership in the UK, and when it comes back from the paint shop it’s going to be used to advertise the new Davida Helmet range - which is obvious as I’m the photographer 😉
Top: When I brought it. Bottom: Back home with its rebuilt engine prior to having the new tank and mudguard fitted.
The specs
