1979 Harley Davidson Shovelhead swingarm Chopper Build Start To Finish

All the heavy fab, machining and welding were done by a friend at his shop. I did all the easy stuff like tighten bolts, build wheels, built motor and painting. Built mostly by me with a lot of guidance and help from friends. Build time was about 8-9 months.

[@jimsteele2072]

A Shovelhead and Motorhead..... both are awesome

[@duke_of_destruction]

Finally someone gets it!!! Motorhead and old school chopped and bobbed iron horse from hell !!!

[@c.j.bakker5653]

🤘🤘

[@robsonfranciscogalvao5627]

Love ❤.. Harley Davidson 🇺🇸... amazing motorcycle... showww my friend 🇧🇷... here in Brazil 🇧🇷😎👍...my favorite..

[@benjeffweldingandfabricati251]

Thank you! Cheers 🥂

[@mattmurray517]

Choppers & Motorhead were so meant for each other. Iron Horse, Born to Lose!

[@TK-ol6hj]

Must be cool riding a motorcycle you build with your own hands

[@TheCookiehammer]

SPEED KILLS. Ride Shovelhead and live forever.

[@tekoporukid]

great vid thanks, didn't even have to turn the music down! love the gold frame

[@michael7324]

Love the swing arm. Nice clean look. Well done dude.

[@westcoast3595]

All that and the using a couple lose zip ties for the cables. Gorgeous bike.

[@ralphyboyj7927]

Thanks for documenting that build and sharing. Awesome bike!

[@hedonisticpunkvatos]

Just dig that, man. Music, vid, the project. Thanks for sharing.

[@IndianaDoug]

Very classy build, I dig it👍🏻

[@scottortiz8274]

Perfect my brotha, absolutely, perfect.........

[@swn7440]

Nice clean build. Everything looks great. Bet it ride’s good too.

[@thebreatheeasy]

This bike is sick..... nice work!

[@bbgdaddy5198]

Great build!!!

[@RomVlad]

Super cool, old school....nice job.

[@credman83]

Killer build man!

[@glennwall8394]

Amazing talent!

[@the_Googie]

the two best things in the world: motörhead, an EPIC bike

[@Jesse-B]

I used to customise like this when I was a youngster, but now in mid-60s I tend to go for bolt-on, off the shelf parts, because my knees, back, neck, shoulders, hands etc are shot so I can't do it the "proper way" any more. Great job brother.

[@benjeffweldingandfabricati251]

Jess hey at least you’re still doing it and having fun! All that matters. I’m Just trying to keep the tradition going

[@Jesse-B]

@@benjeffweldingandfabricati251 And doing a damn good job at it I must say. My first chopper in 1974 was a 67 Triumph Bonneville with a 9" over springer and rigid arse end, which had an identical rear tyre to yours... is it a 5.00x16 Avon? and a 3.00x21 front. Now I rip around on a fairly stock 99 road king. It weighs nothing once you're rolling but 340 Kg is a handful for an arthritic old bugger maneuvering it with feet on the ground.

[@benjeffweldingandfabricati251]

Jess yeap, those are the tyres. That’s cool man, I’ve had a few triumph choppers too. have a ‘69 T120R in boxes that’s been patiently waiting to get put back together. Gonna go for a bud ekins desert sled look on that one

[@Jesse-B]

@@benjeffweldingandfabricati251 There are a few portions of American culture indelibly printed on Australian culture of my era, including (but not limited to) Harleys, blues music, and v8 cars. In the 80s I had a stripped down hotted up 86 cube rigid shovel that could pull a power mono in 3rd gear, jeez I miss those days.

[@benjeffweldingandfabricati251]

Jess hell yeah!!

[@huffmoto3913]

That was a great video!

[@miguero]

polished steel >> chrome. beautiful bike

[@isaachadley7974]

First time I enjoyed the background music, hell yeah🤘🏻🤘🏻

[@carmenandthedevil2804]

Nice build mate. I've got an 84 Big Twin Softy Evo Skinny with a similar stance :)

[@mnavrrojr]

Goddamn, that is a sweet build!!

[@nickfury324]

That Sir is a fine bike.

[@TheMilspyguy]

Nice scoot!

[@mulliedog1]

Nice work. Polished is way better than chrome! It's worth all the work.

[@judsonl8990]

Nice work man! Came out great

[@benjeffweldingandfabricati251]

Judson L thanks!

[@larrydoss7289]

That is a very nice bike brother

[@simonfreeman148]

A real beaut.

[@mourningsmile6882]

amazing job!! be proud!!! i know i am with my own. :)

[@mattysixx]

Swing arms on these frames is so much cooler than a rigid

[@camgnilpe9300]

opinions are like assholes mattysixx!

[@pamhowden8161]

Wow

[@electricdeckhead3083]

Nice build indeed. I kept my sporty and Trumpee and bought a shovelhead roller for $500, at last I found a bargain, they usually elude me.

[@camgnilpe9300]

in your fucking dreams!

[@brdquilici]

That’s awesome ! Love the gold, also Motörhead fucking rules!

[@leathers970]

sweet nothing like a fresh sled check out my pan last winters build

[@railroad7401]

I build my own also, but you put in much more attention to detail. I'm more swap meet special.

[@denofgators]

Oh, man, 🤩

[@elcasador1]

It's cool

[@Born2Ride365]

Rad!!

[@cesarbueno4226]

👏👏🇧🇷🤠✋gostei

[@nonyabiz9487]

Hmmm dang man I dont know if I would of done that trade... To be honest there aint much performance difference between the Shovel and the Iron. The Ironheads make really nice choppers especially when I run 4 spark plugs in them they can do circles around a Shovelhead all day long plus I can leave the bar much faster too with much more reliable starting!

[@seanbucke]

Hello stunning build.what is the RAL code for the gold?

[@ericthompson3551]

How many STAYED for the Motorhead? The chase is better than the catch.

[@chrismckell5353]

Absolutely did.👍

[@blasep8455]

Hey man this build is fantastic and is serving as a model for my own build. I have a 79 FXEF 80 and I'm running pretty much the same setup on the rear with a round swingarm from a 72 flh. I was wondering if you'd be willing to fab me up some rear axle spacers/adapters as well as the shock spacers for purchase?

[@benjeffweldingandfabricati251]

That’s hard to do without the bike to get em just right. If you look on lowbrow they have wheel spacer kit that would get you close

[@trm9484]

Nice build man! can you tell me what modification was done to the frame? Great stance!

[@benjeffweldingandfabricati251]

Tane Morgan not much other than slight rake and windowed neck. Thanks!

[@morkmorkster]

Music sounds like Phil Rudd

[@kimhorton6109]

I’d ride that. And I’d ditch the short trip tank for some real stretch. Bike’s should ride from here to therre

[@darrenoliverio7259]

no front brake...brilliant

[@benjeffweldingandfabricati251]

Darren Oliverio if you’re scared go to church!

[@Wyrdrock]

This is one of my favorite choppers I've ever seen. Is this the stock rake?

[@benjeffweldingandfabricati251]

Was like 32? & thanks!

[@Wyrdrock]

@@benjeffweldingandfabricati251 thanks! Much appreciated, it looked like it might be a bit less in the video so I was curious

[@henning9442]

Did he have any problems with the windowed neck like unstable ride? Thanx H.

[@benjeffweldingandfabricati251]

Nope no problems

[@cicciobau]

Hi Ben! great job!! where did you get those exhaust pipes??????

[@benjeffweldingandfabricati251]

cicciobau paughco

[@ziparillomcmf1822]

What are Your tricks for polishing?? Very nice job

[@benjeffweldingandfabricati251]

Whitey Mcproud corse grit like 320 up to 3000 grit sandpaper. Then hit it on the buffer.

[@MaukkaOne]

Nice build. What are those exhaust pipes?

[@benjeffweldingandfabricati251]

Paucho

[@GASBASSASSANDBRASS]

what kind of polish you use

[@benjeffweldingandfabricati251]

+Mike Toro Rouge buffing compound bars, green cutting bar then blue polishing bar. I could do more mirror finish if I had a nice buffer to separate compounds/wasn't so lazy.

[@Wyrdrock]

What width rear wheel did you go with for the back? What tires did you use?

[@benjeffweldingandfabricati251]

It had a stock 16” shovelhead wheel for a while, switched to a 18” sportster hoop laced to a dual flange shov hub. Can’t remember what tire that was.

[@Wyrdrock]

@@benjeffweldingandfabricati251 do you know if the rear wheel was 3" wide or 3.5" wide? thanks!

[@benjeffweldingandfabricati251]

@@Wyrdrock oh sorry, yeah 3.5” width

[@Wyrdrock]

@@benjeffweldingandfabricati251 Thanks! So in the video was it using the 16" or the 18" rear?

[@nico94LLo]

motorhead... song?

[@SvenJunior]

the chase is better than the catch - from the ace of spades album

[@priceamp]

Why didn't I ever think to just use the dang dishwasher? Great idea. Duh!

[@Wyrdrock]

Where is the battery on this bike?

[@benjeffweldingandfabricati251]

It was a small antigravity under the oil tank

[@bailey78]

Are you still riding it in 2019 ?

[@benjeffweldingandfabricati251]

baileytom78 yes i am, check out my channel all i do is bike stuff

[@j.ramone4116]

dont seem a very good trade.triumph and a sportster for shovelhead in a box.

[@brentpeyton4304]

Does anyone else that voice,(build tho chopper sayth the lord)

[@alanburgess7519]

No front brake, no leverage narrow bars, suicide shift. Yikes!

[@benjeffweldingandfabricati251]

Alan Burgess it’s so you can still ride handcuffed, duh

[@camgnilpe9300]

you are a 21st century pussy burgess! youand your buddy 21st century pussies will be the downfall of class and cool! FUCKOFF!

[@TheRoguelement]

Dude really 10 inch wide bars bro really ? What fucking Mag did you ever see that crazy bullshit ?

[@benjeffweldingandfabricati251]

Michael Laverty it’s so you can still ride while handcuffed, bro!

[@hardtailsuicidaljockey6827]

Only took me 3 minutes to build mine....lol