bought myself an Aussie shovel...

[kiwidave]

Well, a bloke needs to ride.

Now I have a bike at each end of the world, as it looks like I will be back in the UK next year for tedious domestic reasons....*sigh*. I was considering shipping my FXEF, but the hassle and FULL on-the-road costs added up to about almost half the price of buying a Shovel here.

Anyway, check this out. 5,600 quid, 1980 FXWG, matching numbers.




Got it off eBay from 12 miles away here in Melbourne. Damn good price, so many Shovels here are priced at 6,500 pounds and more. There's even a mint restored 1980 FXWG on offer for 12,000 pounds... that bloke must be in dreamland!

The guy who owned this can no longer ride for medical reasons.....a very sad story. We can do daily what others can only dream of doing.

The bike has matching numbers. Fairly stock except for FLH yokes (no idea why) and one of those awful chrome oil tanks. Some nice upgrades including a Lockheed rear brake, Accel ignition. S&S carb. Generator Shovel style speedo console (gen light is the now neutral light).






There's a few things I don't like that will be changed. The whitewalls and apes (had enough of apes after 12 years with them on my 1985) will go as soon as possible. The FatBoy-style rear wheel is butt ugly to my mind and will be swapped out for a stockish spoker.

I don't mind the paint, but eventually I would like to return it to the original flame job.

This bike will stay in Australia. I ride it for a year here, then enjoy it when back on holidays, and a mate from NZ can ride it as well, as he lets me use his 1975 FLH when I am back home.

Oh and by the way, I rode it back to the house 30 miles and by the time I got home all I got from the electric leg was the relay *click*. Praise the Lord for kickers! And the indicators (mandatory here on 1975-up bikes) don't work. It's already behaving like a bitch!

I do love it though. Always wanted a Shovel.....

[MacHarry]

Looking nice Dave

Enjoy your ride there in Aussi land

Harry

[Kiwi]

lovely bike possibly one of the best looking bikes harley ever made the FXWG

[Nimrod]

That's a beautiful Shovel, very much like what I'd want... you lucky guy!

[Nimrod]

Originally Posted by Kiwi

lovely bike possibly one of the best looking bikes harley ever made the FXWG

Very true...

I can still remember seeing a new one getting PDI'd at Powerhouse Motorcycles in Kentish Town, North London.

The flame tank made a real impression on me as a starry eyed 19yr old.

Trouble is they dropped it off the bench getting it down, and wrecked the tank - doh!

[BaZa ®]

Well done Dave and so close to where you are, could have been days away.

I am also looking forward to riding that '85 FXWG Evo in a few weeks time in the USA.

Enjoy mate.

[Ming the Merciless]

Nice one KD, just the thing to keep a bloke smiling all day...

[Panhead Boris]

Very cool..... sorting out the niggles and personalising it is all part of the "experience". Enjoy!

[dantheman]

ya lucky lucky ferker, if ye get fed up wae the ferker throw it in yer bags and bring back hame fir me well done dave well made up fir ye

[Strawhead]

Hi Dave,

Great choice of bike. certainly my favourite shovel.

looks like you picked up a real bargain,

those after market switch housings are pretty poor, check inside for the starter button and make sure they are not shorting out on the bars.

all the electrical probs i had with my FXWG were as a direct result of the switch housings.

enjoy the bike