Power Age

Sometimes you just shake your head in amazement …

- Doc

Mechanicalness. One dictionary describes it as ‘the state or quality of being mechanical’. But I prefer the way in which the late Indian Larry used it. As he once said, it means “Everything hanging out in all its guts and glory,” and that is certainly what you get with this balls out, blown Shovelhead. And I reckon Larry would give it a big tick of approval.

It is, in many ways, quite an amazing bike that Luke Crampton has painstakingly built, a labour of love that took five years to complete. It is owned by his brother Ben who states that during the build he was just the apprentice. But what a result! Of course, when you take the road less travelled you find many obstacles along the way, obstacles that must be either gone around or blasted through and that’s what the boys found on their journey.

Starting with a rigid 1949 FL frame they added five degrees of rake, fitted a 1996 Wide Glide front end and slipped in a 1976 1200cc Shovelhead engine bored out to 1380cc (84ci). They then added – what the Frogs call the pièce de résistance – the cherry on top of the cake – a Garrett T25/28 hybrid turbo.

Now, back in the ’90s, the good old carburettor days, when EFI was just beginning to gain in popularity as a performance modification, a popular slogan was “Injection is nice, but I’d rather be blown,” and even today you can buy stickers and t-shirts online featuring it. There is also a Facebook page by the same name – essentially for drag racers – which requires that “Members should have a strong faith in Our Sainted and Benevolent Mother of Blessed Acceleration.” Amen to that.