Shovelhead engine

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Shovelhead was an air-cooled, 45 degree, V-twin motorcycle engine manufactured from 1966 to 1984 by the Harley Davidson Motor Company. It was made in the 1200cc bore and, after 1978, in the 1340cc bore for Harley's Big Twin bikes.

It replaced the Panhead style engines and in turn was replaced by the Evo engines. The name "Shovelhead" was a continuation of the convention of naming the engines for the shape of the rocker covers at the top of the engine. The Shovelhead has subtly rounded rocker covers that resemble the shape of a shovel.

The Shovelhead was in production so long during a time of significant innovation and competition that it was considered a relic long before it was replaced. By the standards of the late 70's and early 80's, the Shovelhead's oil management systems, reliability, maintenance schedule, and overall performance were woefully out of date.

Currently, a number of third-party engine manufacturers produce custom Shovelhead-style engines, in a variety of bores, many much larger than the original design displacements. Each manufacturer includes significant upgrades to the original design to improve the performance and reliability while still providing the original styling and overall engine structure.