At first glance it just looks like a very nice reborn Shovelhead. Then spend some time looking closer and you will find out that this machine is much more than it appears. The list of tricks is very representative of the work of builder Bernard Massard at his south France custom V-Twin Mechanic shop. Starting with with an early 1966 Shovelhead, immediate tasks to be performed were obvious: a full tranny and engine rebuilt adding some of the best add-ons motor components of the industry to turned it into a 1480 cc powerplant: Jims, Andrews cam, S&S oil pump, Dyna 2000 ignition, Mikuni 45 carburetor. Then turning the stock frame into a rigid one and welding the rear fender to hug the tire.
From there, the rest of the build is an addition of creative ideas perfectly executed. An Evo Harley Springer front end was shortened 10″, and after modification of the stock rockers. fitted with 2 Scooter springs! The reservoir (no gas there) was hand formed taking inspiration from an Italian Aermacchi tank, welding a fat rod around it and a 70’s style gas cap. In it, is the a similar shaped oil tank. To fill the free space under the seat where you would expect the oil bag are installed together, in the same compartment the battery, the coils, the Dyna ignition and all electricals.
Braking setup is a single PM caliper in the front and a modified 4-piston Harley Twin cam in the rear, both brakes being activated together with right foot pressure via a Nissin mini master cylinder taken off from a Jap bike. Handlebar setup includes reverse hand controls with clutch on the right side and throttle on the left, gearing being done via a left side installed hand shifter.
Air filter was built using the oem pair of Springer front end rockers as front and back covers. Exhaust system exiting discreetly on the left side was hand-built from stainless steel tubing with addition of alu end caps. Wheels can be identified as borrowed from a Harley V-Rod with right front disc being forgotten for evident aesthetic reason. Named “Smockey Gold” this custom is another successful demonstration of the almost infinite options available to all when rebuilding an old bike, keeping some of its original flair while reinventing it cosmetically and mechanically. V-Twin Mechanic.
Very nice bike.
Well done.
A rare case where I like the solid wheels.
Shovelhead forever!
Neat.
Nice look, very tasteful paint and a very tight package. Bummer it can’t have a small front fender to balance the paint on the rear, but it would be hard to make it look right with that front end. I would absolutely find room for it if the owner ever needs to store it Stateside 🙂
Not sure about the tank, but that’s one hell of a good looking motorcycle right there!
Nice build, some outside the lines stuff. Clean and tuff.
dig this bike
Sweet!
Shifter,
You may also appreciate “Earl Grey” (Softail) by Thunderbike in Germany.
PS: The quality- and innovation of work from Europe is just from another.., well, planet. The US just seems to be caught in a rut of predictability. Perhaps I am wrong, but when last have you seen a custom, from the US, that is really innovative – not an over-decorated street-tart, something simple, clean and different? Even the US legends of innovation – e.g. Ness, have become sheeple in the quest of ever increasing wheel diameters and little more…
hey sig, how about….Caleb Owens, Jessie basset, Yaniv Evans,Dave polgren,t-bone,Lock baker…to name a few who recently built bikes exactly like your description…not going to hate on this bike but there’s a lot going wrong here.and Tory had one word?? Maybe this is the bizzaro world cyril huze post
Not that I like, well done!
I dig it all but the wheels..
Pretty Cool.
I am trying to figure out why you would want the throttle and shifter on the same side.
Mcfreeak,yeah I can’t figure why the controls are all over the place.LHS shifter,RHS throttle and RHS clutch lever.Why not a normal LHS H-D foot clutch?
wow…. full block rim
Best lookin shovel I ‘ve seen in a long time!
Total package ,,,,, 🙂
It would pretty difficult to use a LHS clutch lever and change gear with the jocky shift. Maybe Europeon traffic is too hectic for foot clutch? Very nice bike, the tank gives it a lot of character.
I like everything about this bike. Very creative use of good quality modern parts.
kiwished,it’s got a RHS hand clutch lever for some reason.
As I mantioned Terence IF it had a left hand clutch lever then it would be hard to pull in the clutch and change gear with one hand, therefore thats the reason for the RHS lever.
damn fine bike good craftmanship