Custom motorcycle builders come in all shapes and sizes. Some are full-time professionals, while others are hobbyists who wrench on bikes as an escape from their nine-to-fives. Graeme Billington is a bit of both.
Based in the town of Corfe Mullen in the coastal county of Dorset, England, Graeme is a habitual custom bike builder, even though it’s technically not his job. “I’m quite fortunate to be in a position where I can spend every day in my workshop,” he explains, “as I was medically pensioned out of the military after losing the use of one of my arms in Afghanistan.”
“I was on the lookout for another project after finishing two Sportster choppers. Working my way back through the Harley range, the next in line was an Ironhead; however, I came across a Shovelhead online and couldn’t resist enquiring. A few things were sold, and the Shovel was soon in my workshop.”
The bike in question was a 1979 Harley-Davidson FXE Super Glide. The Super Glide was one of the Motor Co.’s earliest factory customs, sporting slimmer bodywork than its stablemate, the full-dress Electra Glide.
The condition of the donor bike suited Graeme perfectly. It was complete, but in pieces, which saved him the trouble of stripping it down. The engine had already been rebuilt, too, with new bearings, pistons, rings, gaskets, and re-bored barrels, and the cases, heads, and rocker covers had been vapor-blasted.
“The plan was to get the bike hardtail-ed first and then go from there,” Graeme tells us. “Over to Craig House I went—he makes an outstanding hardtail for the Shovel using the cast axle plates from Hardtail Choppers Inc. in the States. I’ve done a couple of hardtails on Sportsters myself, but I wanted this one done by Craig himself.”
“As soon as the frame was back at mine, I went straight into the build. I had the dry build virtually done within 20 days of work.”
The newly modified frame was matched to a classic springer front-end, hooked up to a 19” wheel with a Lowbrow Customs four-piston brake caliper. A 16” wheel went onto the back, paired with a two-piston Brembo unit. The rear brake master cylinder is a Lockheed-Wagner part, while the brake lines are from HEL Performance.
Moving to the bodywork, Graeme fitted an 8-liter [2.1-gallon] peanut tank, a 6” rear fender, and a Lowbrow Customs oil tank. The seat uses a Lazyboy pan, upholstered by Holy Goat Custom Motorcycle Seats. A ginormous sissy bar adorns the tail, with a custom taillight from Craig House mounted lower down.
Even though the bike came with a freshly rebuilt motor, Graeme had a few specific mods in mind. He installed a 12-volt points ignition system, along with a Keihin CV carb with a handmade air filter.
“I wanted the bike to be kick only, so I removed the starter motor and solenoid,” he adds. “Although I kept the original inner and outer primary in case I wanted to go back to electric start, which meant the horseshoe oil tank I had had to be cut up and re-welded. Sat in the back of the oil tank are the battery and the electrics.”
Other details on this handsome chopper include a Lucas headlight, Jicaya Machine Shop foot pegs, and shotgun pipes from The Gasbox. The cockpit uses a set of 1” buckhorn bars, fitted with a unique control setup.
“The other thing I have to think about is trying to fit all my controls on one side of the bars due to my right arm being paralyzed,” Graeme explains. “Fortunately, I have a Kliktronic K-lever2, which incorporates the front brake and clutch lever. I then use a Biltwell throttle tube—you just have to switch the cable round on the throttle body for it pull the right way.”
“The bike was stripped down and sent to Skin at Airy Arts to paint. The gloss black with white flames smoked in at the edges was my choice, and it came out exactly as I wanted it. Assembly was pretty straightforward—and with a few tweaks, she fired up.”
Graeme Billington Instagram | Images by, and with our eternal thanks to, Del Hickey
