Bobby Shadley's 1972 XLCH

while living in California, Bobby Shadley decided he needed a motorcycle. Since he didn’t have a garage, it was more of a beater that he was looking for, something he could leave outside and just throw a tarp over. Luckily family came to the rescue with an Ironhead Sportster that Mark Shadley had just taken in. Down side, it was in pieces and needed put back together. Building a bike this way usually goes one of two ways, either you throw it together and ride or things go completely off the rails and one upgrade leads to another. For Bobby, it was definitely the latter, which was almost a given considering his family tree. The Shadley Brothers, Bobby’s Dad and Uncle, have been known for their killer customs for years now from their home base in Massachusetts.

The frame and suspension needed a few upgrades, so to start things off the front section was cut off. From there a 2-inch stretch was added along with a 32-degree rake and new neck to accept the 1-inch stem used in the more modern front ends. Speaking of front forks, a 39mm dual disc narrow glide front end was hung from the newly fabbed front section. The rear swing arm is a one-off piece from Mark Shadley. To roll things along, Morris Mag wheels were shod in Dunlop Elite 4 rubber, 16-inch

rear and 19-inch front.

With everything rolling it was time to take a look at the powerplant. Sadly, the sight wasn’t pretty. The cases were a complete mess and would require quite a bit of work. Mark stepped up once again and got the cases into a useable condition. With the bottom end ready, Waseca pistons were attached to the rods and a set of Harley Davidson P Grind Cams were installed in the cam chest. The cylinder heads were ported by Jim Dorgan and hardened valve seats installed to deal with todays gas. An S&S Shorty carb was added as a fuel feeder and Dynatek ignition lights the fire. Exhaust gases are

then expelled through a custom Shadley Brothers exhaust.

With a roller and a power plant in order it was time to get the sheet metal going and all the accessories on. Once again Mark Shadley stepped up and built an oil tank, chain guard, and motor mounts. He also modified the gas tank that was used. An Arlen Ness front fender was mounted and a Kawasaki KZ 1000 rear fender that had been collecting dust in the Shadley collection was grafted on out back. Stopping power is provided by Performance Machine calipers. These are actuated by Performance Machine hand controls mounted to Todd Cycle handlebars.

With everything together, it was time to tear it apart. The sheet metal went off to Ronnie Abercrombie for the Black and Pagan Gold paint. After that, Johnny Hartnett took care of the graphics. To keep the

Owner: Bobby Shadley City/State: Whitman, MA Builder: Shadley Bros. Year: 1972 Model: XLCH Value: Unknown Time: 2 Years

Engine Year: 1972 Model: XLCH Builder: Shadley Bros. Ignition: Dynatek Displacement: 1,000cc Pistons: Wiseco Heads: Shadley Bros, Ported By Jim Dorgan Carb: S&S Shorty Cam: Harley P Cams Air Cleaner: Drag Specialties Exhaust: Shadley Bros Primary: Stock

Transmission Year: 1972 Make: Harley Davidson Shifting: Stock

Frame Year: 1972 Model: H-D /Shadley Bros Rake: 32 Degrees Stretch: 2” Stretch

Forks: 39mm Builder: Shadley Bros Type: Harley Davidson Triple Trees: Harley Davidson Extension: None

Wheels Front Wheel: Morris Mag Size: 19” Tire: Dunlop Elite 4 Front Brake: Dual Disk/PM Calipers/ Russel Rotors Rear Wheel: Morris Mag Size: 16” Tire: Dunlop Elite 4 Rear Brake: PM/Disk Brake Design By Shadley Bros. Paint Painter: Shadley Bros/Ronnie Abercrombie Color: Black And Pagan Gold Type: PPG Graphics: Johnny Hartnett Chroming: Meclec

Accessories Bars: Todd’s Cycle Risers: Roland Sands Hand Controls: Performance Machine Foot Controls: Biltwell/ Arlen Ness Gas Tank(S): Modified By Shadley Bros. Oil Tank: Shadley Bros Front Fender: Arlen Ness Rear Fender: Kawasaki KZ 1000/Shadley Bros Seat: Big Red Headlight: Stock Taillight: Arlen Ness/Shadley Bros Speedo: Shadley Bros Gauge Mounts Photographer: Heather Callen shiny stuff going Meclec worked their magic with the chrome plating. With everything back, it was time to put it back together and take in the beauty that is this Ironhead.

During this build, Bobby decided to return home to Massachusetts from California to work in the family business. There, is where the bike turned into a father son project. So, when you’re looking for that project bike don’t forget to check with family. Just remember, sometimes family projects get a little out of control. But, hey, what better way to spend your time than with the family building bad ass bikes.