‘There’s No Justice, Just Us’ Shovelhead Harley-Davidson

ROCKET, from the Iron Horsemen MC in Bendigo, has owned his FLH for several years now. “It was a wreck,” he says, looking back with justified satisfaction. “It needed a complete rebuild.”

Being a toolmaker by trade, he was well placed to rebuild it to a standard probably several notches higher than when it first rolled off the showroom. He started by stripping it back to bare metal and repainting it. A few parts—like the characteristically chunky FLH wheels and headlight, and the brakes—remained standard, while other essentials were refurbished or replaced.

Rocket installed the S&S Super Stock cases and some S&S pistons, shaved the heads, and put in an Andrews B cam.

“I refreshed the gearbox with new bushes and all that sort of stuff,” he says. “I completely rewired it from scratch; there were no real difficulties, you just take your time and get it right. I’m always tinkering with it, it’s always trial and error. I wasn’t happy with the ratios of the open belt—it was too low—so I made a new crank-pulley with a better suited ratio.”

Riding most days and going on club runs has meant not only that reliability has been a key consideration, but that Rocket also has to keep up with other riders who have newer and more powerful machines. The Iron Horsemen ride long, hard miles and nobody wants to be the one always lagging behind.

This rebuild, the second one, took about six to eight months. Lips at Bendigo Custom Cycles provided a place to do the work as well as words of support and guidance, but Rocket did all the work himself—including the CNC engraving—something that he’d had in mind from the beginning.

Final flourishes came with the big Western handlebars and one of the briefest, most twisted exhausts you’re ever likely to see, courtesy of a fellow club member. Referring to the exhaust, Rocket says, “It’s different—not something you see on the street everyday. That’s why it suits me.

The distinctive grey and black paintwork was done at home. “I was mucking around in the shed to get the look I wanted. It used to be black and I didn’t like that ’cause all of them are black.

“It also handles all right; it’s good fun.

“I suppose when I get older and too lazy I might put on an electric start, but there’s not really anything I’d have done differently; I’m pretty happy with it.”

Time will tell how long Rocket will stay satisfied with his bike as it is, despite him saying he’s happy with it now. Somehow it’s hard to convince yourself that he’s really finished tinkering with it just yet though, after all, another little improvement here, another minor modification there…

article by Chris Randells