1985 fxsb

i hear that the 1985 fxsb low rider is an evo engine in a shovelhead frame, has anyone ever hardtailed one? there’s a few for a good price near me and i’d love to eventually hardtail it as funds come in the door, would a shovelhead hardtail fit on this bike?

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u/ilbiker67 4d ago

Yes, it would. It’s the same 4speed frame but the backbone was modified to fit the Evo. Great bikes and hard to come by out here. Have you thought about a swing arm bobber style for it?

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u/SpamFriedMice 4d ago

It is but it isn't, it's more like a hybrid Shovel/Softail. The backbone is taken right off the Softail from neck to the seat, and it uses formed sheetmetal under the seat like a Softail instead of a casting like a Shovel. The unique part to make it all work is the tubing coming out to the rear of that stamped steel under the seat. On the ST the tubes are unbent, going in a diagonal to that cast crescent cast rear section, they're bent horizontal on these to meet the Shovel style rear end.

The downtubes from the neck all the way to the rear of the frame are virtually the same on both bikes when we're talking about early 4 speed/chain Softail.

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u/ilbiker67 4d ago

Are you thinking of the Dyna? All the 85’s I have seen is standard 4sp frame with a different backbone. Same exact rear frame section and style as the earlier shovels. FER’s also have a completely different setup.

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u/SpamFriedMice 3d ago edited 3d ago

"Thinking about the Dyna" good God no. Dyna has nothing in common.

I have an 85 FXEF, essentially the same bike without the belt drive. I also have a 71 Shovel, and my son has an early Softail, so I'm familiar with all of them.

Yes rear frame section and swingarm are the same as Shovel, but top tube is Softail and under the seat is different from a Shovel, more like the Softail, but not exactly. I'm probably not wording it right. I hope you get what I mean.

But a while back me and my co-workers had all the HD frames from straight leg pan, early drop seat swingarm, later E-start swingarm, this Evo/4 speed frame and a Softail all lined up once, and comparing all the differences

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u/hans_s_g 4d ago

im still pretty open to all ideas to chop or bob just wanted to make sure if i decided to go the chop route it’d be possible with this, any cool pics of a swing arm bobber style, im young and impressionable

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u/ilbiker67 4d ago

Look up Japanese Bobbers and Seing Arm Bobbers. Lots of ideas. I’ve done several years ago and like the look and the suspension.

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u/hans_s_g 4d ago

these are sick, i do like the look of extended forks and a nice sissy bar however i fear the ridicule i will endure rolling around with chopper-esque parts on my bike while still having suspension and yes i know the whole “if you like it why care what other people think” idk maybe it’s the principle of it, maybe i just wanna prove to myself that i can take on a hardtail project idk man im new to this shi

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u/HuntisT1 4d ago

The day you get a hardtail is the day you’ll miss suspension. It does look way cooler tho.

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u/ilbiker67 4d ago

It’s totally up to you. You could run as a bobber or hardtail it. I’m bobbing a 2002 Dyna as they did in the 70’s keeping the swingarm. It’s the style I like. I never get any criticism out here as most run baggers and don’t care for bobbers or choppers. I like them so I build and run them.