Shovel shake-down.
We love to hear from people who are out there just getting it. Our mate Page from the UK does it right. He builds cool shit and takes himself all over the place to ride and enjoy shows. Probably something we should all fo more of.
Here’s his story and pictures from a recent Daytona mission.
If it inspires you to get a shit box old bike and rip it around let us know about it - diceorders@gmail.com
Shaking Down a ’74 Shovelhead at Daytona Bike Week
“Last year I picked up a real gem of a 1974 Harley-Davidson Shovelhead in Daytona. It had great bones and loads of character, but like most old bikes it needed some love. Over the past few months my buddy Loo and I stripped it back and gave it a new look using a mix of swap meet treasures and whatever cool parts we could find along the way.
I wanted to keep it simple: build a swing-arm chopper that stayed true to that classic 70s vibe but could still be ridden hard. No trailer queens, just an old Shovelhead built to be ridden properly.
The bike ended up with a fresh stance thanks to some new bars, a crusty sissy bar, and a different taillight setup. Nothing fancy, just good old chopper style built from parts with real history.
With the bike finally together, there was really only one proper way to test it: ride it straight into the madness of Daytona Bike Week.
Of course, old Harleys like to remind you who’s in charge. Before we even got to enjoy the ride properly we had to sort out the usual teething problems - oil leaks, a few broken parts, and at one point we even managed to lose the exhaust somewhere along the way. Just another day shaking down a Shovelhead!
But once it was running right, we spent the week ripping around Daytona visiting some of the awesome chopper shows and swap meets that pop up all over town during Bike Week. Everywhere you look there are incredible builds, old bikes with stories behind them, and riders who’ve been coming here for decades.
In between the shows we took the bike out along the coast, cruising around Daytona Beachand the surrounding roads, enjoying the sun, the sound of bikes, and visiting loads of swap meets Daytona had to offer.
There’s something pretty damn special about riding an old machine you’ve put your own stamp in. It’s raw, a little unpredictable, and every mile feels earned. But that’s exactly what makes it worth it.
The bike survived the shakedown, the crowds, and the chaos of Bike Week, which means the old ’74 is ready for plenty more miles.
Daytona was the best place to begin. And all things being well, I hope to put some more miles down across the states this summer.”
