# My sponsored 78 shovelhead build thread
**URL:** https://forums.speedlife.net/t/my-sponsored-78-shovelhead-build-thread/227907
**Category:** Builds
**Created:** [December 28, 2012, 5:52am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/my-sponsored-78-shovelhead-build-thread/227907 "2012-12-28T05:52:09Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 4
### Author:  [@newman](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/newman)
#### Post date: [January 4, 2013, 4:54pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/my-sponsored-78-shovelhead-build-thread/227907/61 "2013-01-04T16:54:55Z")
> [@Willybeen](#):
>
> Thanks for the explanation. How do you make 50 mm forks fit on a compatible triple tree? And also fit that neck? Seems like a ton of work… And then what about brakes and wheels and hubs and axles… Yikes.
Going to make triples from scratch, but in general you just need to machine a new stem. The reason I am making triples is because I want to run a super narrow (in sport bike terms at least) front end. I’m also not running front brakes. (Don’t even start w me). The axle is easy to make from scratch. Hubs are on order.
I like doing stuff that’s a challenge. I don’t want to just bolt something together. Any monkey can do that.
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### Author:  [@Willybeen](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Willybeen)
#### Post date: [January 4, 2013, 5:12pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/my-sponsored-78-shovelhead-build-thread/227907/62 "2013-01-04T17:12:36Z")
This monkey doesn’t have the shop to work with, (I’m working on that)
You should run brakes lol. You’re like the 'busa guys who remove a rotor for drag race purposes. Lol
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### Author:  [@rugsr](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/rugsr)
#### Post date: [January 4, 2013, 6:28pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/my-sponsored-78-shovelhead-build-thread/227907/63 "2013-01-04T18:28:12Z")
very cool. Ive always wanted to do something like this.
How much do you think this project will run you in the end
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### Author:  [@travisn](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/travisn)
#### Post date: [January 4, 2013, 8:01pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/my-sponsored-78-shovelhead-build-thread/227907/64 "2013-01-04T20:01:24Z")
It’s sponsored, so $0?
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### Author:  [@focusinprogress](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/focusinprogress)
#### Post date: [January 4, 2013, 9:39pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/my-sponsored-78-shovelhead-build-thread/227907/65 "2013-01-04T21:39:25Z")
I wish I had access to half the shit you do man…I could get so much more creative if I even had a bridgeport and a basic lathe. I’ve been watching CL like a hawk for both to no avail. I had a line on GSXR600 front forks and brakes for $200 local but lost contact info ☹ REALLY wanted to put them on the CB550…
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### Author:  [@travisn](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/travisn)
#### Post date: [January 4, 2013, 10:06pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/my-sponsored-78-shovelhead-build-thread/227907/66 "2013-01-04T22:06:25Z")
> [@focusinprogress](#):
>
> I wish I had access to half the shit you do man…I could get so much more creative if I even had a bridgeport and a basic lathe. I’ve been watching CL like a hawk for both to no avail. I had a line on GSXR600 front forks and brakes for $200 local but lost contact info ☹ REALLY wanted to put them on the CB550…
How much are you trying to spend on a bridgeport? There are a few places in rochester where you can get one for around 2-3K
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### Author:  [@newman](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/newman)
#### Post date: [January 5, 2013, 5:28am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/my-sponsored-78-shovelhead-build-thread/227907/67 "2013-01-05T05:28:39Z")
Nick, you don’t need a Bridgeport to put the forks on. The only hard plate is getting the rotor on your stock wheel.
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### Author:  [@joelster](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/joelster)
#### Post date: [January 5, 2013, 5:45am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/my-sponsored-78-shovelhead-build-thread/227907/68 "2013-01-05T05:45:35Z")
Can’t you just make 2 new triple clamps? Have the top one extend out a little further than the bottom one. You can get whatever rake you want that way. Factory Motocross guys do that all the time. They get custom clamps with “secret” offset to them.
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### Author:  [@newman](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/newman)
#### Post date: [January 5, 2013, 6:07am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/my-sponsored-78-shovelhead-build-thread/227907/69 "2013-01-05T06:07:37Z")
> [@joelster](#):
>
> Can’t you just make 2 new triple clamps? Have the top one extend out a little further than the bottom one. You can get whatever rake you want that way. Factory Motocross guys do that all the time. They get custom clamps with “secret” offset to them.
I am making the triples from scratch, so that is an option, it’s just a cocksucker to make… but you’re right, it may be less work than jacking with that neck. I was just going to slam a DXF on the EDM and be done with it, but I suppose I could add the stem bolt holes in as a secondary operation.
I don’t think you can just run 2 different offsets… that would put a weird torque on everything… have to machine the stem bolt in at an angle. It also fucks with the trail a lot… but I will look into it.
-5 degrees of rake would require moving the upper center triple hole back 5/16 and the lower center triple hole fwd 5/16… or some combination of the two that adds up to 5/8… I’d like to have about 5 inches of trail. When I get back to work on monday I’ll take a look at how it shakes out.
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### Author:  [@Spam16v](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Spam16v)
#### Post date: [January 5, 2013, 7:37am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/my-sponsored-78-shovelhead-build-thread/227907/70 "2013-01-05T07:37:55Z")
> [@newman](#):
>
> I am making the triples from scratch, so that is an option, it’s just a cocksucker to make… but you’re right, it may be less work than jacking with that neck. I was just going to slam a DXF on the EDM and be done with it, but I suppose I could add the stem bolt holes in as a secondary operation.
>
> I don’t think you can just run 2 different offsets… that would put a weird torque on everything… have to machine the stem bolt in at an angle. It also fucks with the trail a lot… but I will look into it.
>
> -5 degrees of rake would require moving the upper center triple hole back 5/16 and the lower center triple hole fwd 5/16… or some combination of the two that adds up to 5/8… I’d like to have about 5 inches of trail. When I get back to work on monday I’ll take a look at how it shakes out.
That’s how they do it, or the upper is “shorter” or “longer” of an offset from the stem and the angles are machined to match that offset. There are companies that specialize in machining tripples for custom offset.
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### Author:  [@newman](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/newman)
#### Post date: [January 6, 2013, 8:53am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/my-sponsored-78-shovelhead-build-thread/227907/71 "2013-01-06T08:53:48Z")
Just checked and raked trees will give me 8.5" of trail which is too much.
By deraking the neck I wind up with 5.25 which is WAY better.
---------- Post added at 11:53 AM ---------- Previous post was at 11:35 AM ----------
Also… tools are expensive!
I spent nearly 1000 dollars on dies to bend 1" and 1-1/8 tubing for my frame and bars. Couldba bought a whole frame for that but having tools is sweet.
I’m sort of dead in the water til my dies arrive so I practiced laying down some TIG beads.
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### Author:  [@focusinprogress](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/focusinprogress)
#### Post date: [January 6, 2013, 9:32am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/my-sponsored-78-shovelhead-build-thread/227907/72 "2013-01-06T09:32:09Z")
I fucking love buying tools. I think next bike I decide to build instead of buying a pre-bent tubing kit I’ll buy a pipe-bender
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### Author:  [@Onyx\_Z32](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Onyx_Z32)
#### Post date: [January 6, 2013, 1:59pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/my-sponsored-78-shovelhead-build-thread/227907/73 "2013-01-06T13:59:41Z")
I have no idea what any of you are talking about but still think it’s cool :tup:
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### Author:  [@Willybeen](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Willybeen)
#### Post date: [January 6, 2013, 4:48pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/my-sponsored-78-shovelhead-build-thread/227907/74 "2013-01-06T16:48:53Z")
^Me too. Lol
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### Author:  [@LUKE\_L](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/LUKE_L)
#### Post date: [January 7, 2013, 1:44pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/my-sponsored-78-shovelhead-build-thread/227907/75 "2013-01-07T13:44:20Z")
^ I’m with those two.
In for build progress…
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### Author:  [@newman](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/newman)
#### Post date: [January 8, 2013, 6:05am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/my-sponsored-78-shovelhead-build-thread/227907/76 "2013-01-08T06:05:32Z")
Ok, got some work done on the neck.
Check the earlier pictures for how it started.
So i added on to my jig something to hold the neck sturdy. For anyone wanting to do this, a taper lock 1008 1.0 bushing like this
will slide over a 1" shaft and perfectly center it in the neck like this:
If you weld on the bushings they will crack, though.
The above was used as leverage to bend the neck and also to ensure it stayed straight. The square tube that’s been added onto the bottom of the jig served as a guide.
I don’t have a picture of the cuts before I bent it, but here is a picture of the cuts after i had bent the neck down.
(Bending the neck down alone with 2 gimpy legs was not easy, i wound up running a strap under the acorn table and pulling on it from the opposite side)
So then I beveled out the cuts and mig welded the shit out of it (3 passes). Did a little smoothing to the welds (it really didn’t need it but whatever). The neck is actually cast steel, not cast iron like i originally thought, so it mig welded great.
(sorry about the blurry pic)
So then I had a moment of panic. I threw the level on the outside of the neck and it was way off. Like 2 degrees off (which would have moved the tire about 2" off center. I almost lost my shit wondering how I could fuck up so bad when I took a break and realized that they must machine the neck once it’s welded onto the bike, so the outside is not parallel with the inside hole (which is what matters). So I grabbed a new 1" round and checked it for straightness (my last one bent while reefing on the neck) and installed it in the frame the opposite way like this, then hung a plumb line from it:
Looks good. I threw the angle finder on it but as you move the level around the OD of the pipe the angle changes so it’s pretty hard to tell what the angle is…
But the plumb line isn’t hard to read. Sits right in the middle of the backbone.
I realize the backbone isn’t the BEST judge, but it’s a good second check!
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### Author:  [@GV1390](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/GV1390)
#### Post date: [January 8, 2013, 6:16am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/my-sponsored-78-shovelhead-build-thread/227907/77 "2013-01-08T06:16:59Z")
Bob needs more head punches.
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### Author:  [@newman](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/newman)
#### Post date: [January 8, 2013, 6:30am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/my-sponsored-78-shovelhead-build-thread/227907/78 "2013-01-08T06:30:51Z")
First thing the italian guy thinks of is punching.
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### Author:  [@97FormulaWS-6](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/97FormulaWS-6)
#### Post date: [January 8, 2013, 6:31am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/my-sponsored-78-shovelhead-build-thread/227907/79 "2013-01-08T06:31:02Z")
Newman - Always impressive work! Keep it up!
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### Author:  [@focusinprogress](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/focusinprogress)
#### Post date: [January 8, 2013, 6:32am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/my-sponsored-78-shovelhead-build-thread/227907/80 "2013-01-08T06:32:25Z")
> [@newman](#):
>
> First thing the italian guy thinks of is punching.
:like:
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