Touring bikes have already been the foundation of Harley-Davidson’s collection ever since the inception of the Big Twin. Dressed up with windscreen and saddlebags, the strategy has shown to be a reliable platform for driving the motorways and byways of US. Having quite a few particularly long jaunts on-board my old Panhead, I can confirm directly to the virtues of a well dressed Harley for long ride touring.
However those original Touring machines also create worthy daily bikers, too. Take for instance, Pat Moroney’s 1970 FLH shown in this article. He also happens to have Moroney’s H-D in New Windsor, New York, also, this motorbike is actually a treasured bike within his large variety of H-Ds. The first year for the cone cover Shovelheads was in the early 70’s. The previous year, the Motor Company had been obtained by American Machine and Foundry (AMF), making the 70s a somewhat tumultuous period for the people in Milwaukee.
Prior to the cone cover motor, Shovelheads were known as even sides, in reference to the flat-sided generator and cam cover on the right section that’s a carryover on the Panhead motor unit. The distributor was mounted on the base of the front cylinder, which makes this engine quite simply recognizable. That same era, 1970 saw the alteration to an alternator driven the left side of the electric motor by the sproket shaft. On top of that, the distributor was removed, and the points were encased within the conical timing covers on the motorcycle’s side.
This 1970 motorbike came into Moroney’s Harley-Davidson for the top-end job between the 1980’s and right after the work was finished, the actual owner strangely didn’t come back for his bike. Tough to picture in this time period, but at that time, the old Shovelhead was just another used motorbike down below its market value. The store’s techs placed the restored and thought to be forgotten motorcycle away, in which it lay for over two decades, until finally about 2003, when Pat took it out and made a decision to start a complete restoration on it.
The fuel tank was ,in the past, sanded and coated in paint primer, so unfortunately too few original coating remained to try and do a considerate rescue. He stripped the motorcycle right down to the chasis and sandblasted and coated parts before even starting the project. To be a Harley dealer meant just about everything was performed in house. The motor unit was rejuvenated to manufacturer standards, like new bushings, bearings, etc. The tranny was totally restored and a new clutch system added.
He stated that a whole lot of focus was presented to the Tillotson carburetor’s restore. Those carbs was built with a character for being finicky, and in the 70’s, many described the Tillotson carb as The Troublesome. Pat talked about, though, that when correctly dialed in, the “troublemaker” could be a trustworthy carburetor. The bike’s renovation went on with brand new chrome and cadmium plating, and Parkerizing the proper pieces so that the Shovel-powered motorcycle was exactly as it would have been on the showroom decks in the 70s.
Allen Rav, one of his longtime techs, painted the fuel tank with the factory Hi-Fi Red and Birch White. I enjoy this tone mix and remember so well the statement it makes with motorbikes on the streets or parked while in front of a neighborhood bar. The rims were relaced and trued before these were covered with Goodyear whitewall tires. The white pillow saddle and grips enhance the motorbike’s old-time experience.
This motorbike genuinely jumps the era between old and new: a really wonderful collectible, but competitive ride. It retains all the elegance and detail work of its forerunner, the Panhead, yet boasts most of the features and toughness for newer Evo versions that replaced it in the 80’s.
Before you go, here’s a helpful reminder from a biker to a fellow biker. When installing components, parts or upgrades just like z bars, Harley hand grips, mirrors, mufflers, and many others, make sure you get the best items done. Get top notch products and get them installed by skilled or authorized H-D specialists.
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