For
those of you that would like
to learn a bit more about the
Shovelhead Engine, this
article will teach you the
basics. For starters, the
shovelhead engine is a type of
V-twin engine that was
manufactured by the Harley
Davidson Motorcycle Company
between 1966 and 1985. The
design for the shovel head
engine was developed based on
the design of the Panhead
engine. The difference is
that the shovelhead engine
includes more powerful
cylinders and pistons as well
as a modified look.
What
some of you may not know is
that the shovelhead engine
received its name from the
unique look of the engine's
rocker box covers. These
covers bear a resemblance to
the heads of coal shovels.
That is how the name
"shovel head" came
into existence...
Around
that same time, the
shovel-head engines entered
the scene with newly designed
top ends that were created to
give you more acceleration and
power. Unfortunately, many
motorcycle experts now say
that the weight of the new
shovel head engine detracted
from the speed and power of
certain models in the sixties.
In fact, the shovel head
engine was originally designed
as an engine for an outboard
motor (a motor for boats), but
it did not function in water
or in moist air.
In
the 1970's, minor changes were
made to the shovel head
engines that helped fix some
of the problems demonstrated
by the weight of the sixties
shovel head model. However,
most Harley specialists would
say that even these revisions
did not quite catch the
shovelhead "up to
speed." This was mainly
due to that fact that Harley
Davidson had to stick by
government regulations that
basically said choppers could
not have more than a top speed
of 90 miles per hour.
