Builder Spotlight: Chris Kong's '75 Shovelhead Chopper

Photos courtesy of Chris Kong

Chris Kong built this 1975 FLH Shovelhead the way good bikes should be built. A clear vision, a pile of parts he’d been sitting on, and the patience to make things fit that were never meant to. A barebones tough-guy chopper with retro heart, built entirely by one person in a small personal workshop in Perth, Western Australia.

Builder Profile

Chris Kong is 35 years old out of Perth, Western Australia, where he runs a small personal workshop capable of handling just about everything a build throws at him. His history with customs goes back to the day he got his motorcycle license. He was already modifying bikes before the ink was dry.

Back then it was sportbikes, but everything changed in 2009 when he picked up his first Harley, a Nightster. He credits Discovery Channel’s Biker Build Off for pointing him toward the deep end, and he went all in. He hardtailed it, converted it to carb, stripped all the OEM stuff, and built his own jockey shift setup.

After living overseas for a stretch, Chris came back to Australia around 2014–15 and landed on FXRs, which is where most of his focus sits today. But choppers never lost their pull. This Shovelhead build proves that.

The Bike

The foundation is a 1975 FLH Shovelhead, a bike that was mostly stock when Chris got it but seriously worn out and in need of attention. Rather than restoring it back to factory spec, he used it as a blank canvas for a modern chopper with a retro edge.

The goal was tight, minimal, and mean. No unnecessary weight, no fluff. Just the things the bike actually needed to function and look right.

Parts & Build Breakdown

The parts list is a mix of eBay finds, Australian chopper businesses, and quality US parts, most of which Chris already had sitting in his stash before the build started.

• Gasbox 4-speed swingarm frame oil tank
• MidUSA adjustable shock mount swingarm
• Prism Supply foot controls
• Retro Arlen Ness Digger rear fender and chopped Sumax front fender
• GMA black hand controls
• BDL 1.5 open belt drive with Sugarbaby Cycles Super Clutch
• New old stock Suspension Technologies USA shocks
• Performance Machine front fender-mounted dual 2-piston calipers
• Jaybrake Sportster rear caliper flipped to run on the opposite side
• Paughco shotgun pipes
• The Cutrate 9-spoke matching sprocket
• Chopperware stainless steel fender struts
• Bar None Moto engine-mounted speedo and kicker pedal
• Exile Cycles internal throttle
• Motone Lucas LED taillight
• Super E carburetor

Support and parts came from Australian businesses like Chopperware and Bar None Moto alongside US suppliers including Prism Supply, Exile Cycles, Performance Machine, and BDL.

One of the standout custom touches is the internal throttle setup. Chris also significantly reworked the foot controls, bending the shift lever down to work with the mid-control setup and rebuilding the brake-side pedal after it contacted the front pipe.

Performance & Setup

This wasn’t a horsepower build. Chris fitted a Super E carb and upgraded the brakes, then focused on stripping weight. Everything that didn’t absolutely need to be on the bike came off.

Coming from big-inch FXRs, Chris says the lightness of the 4-speed frame was a genuine surprise. At 74 cubic inches, it rides more like a stock 80-inch FXR because there’s simply nothing extra dragging it down.

There’s something about a barebones bike that changes the way you ride it. No worrying about the machine, no second guessing anything. You just ride.

Built in the Workshop

Chris handled every bit of this build himself in his personal workshop. No outside fabrication and no farming out metalwork. The custom fab work on this bike is extensive, including shaved 35mm forks, a windowed and gusseted neck, heavily modified foot controls, and the internal throttle setup.

One of the more memorable moments came during the fork tube install. Chris bought a set of 4-over 35mm tubes without realizing there were two different styles. His new tubes had bushings while his lowers were designed for slip-fit tubes without them.

Instead of buying new parts, he put the tubes in the lathe, turned the bushing area down slightly, and cut additional clearance into the bushings until everything fit correctly.

Paint & Finish

The paint is leftover 2-pack black from previous builds that Chris sprayed himself. Powder coating was outsourced. Nothing flashy, just a clean no-nonsense finish that fits the bike perfectly.

The Process

Chris says his favorite part of any build is the puzzle of making weird parts work together. Mixing OEM parts with custom fabrication, blending old parts with new pieces, and making it all look intentional.

That philosophy shows up everywhere on this Shovelhead, from the Arlen Ness fender paired with the Bar None Moto speedo mount to the Performance Machine calipers working alongside a flipped Jaybrake rear setup.

The other thing that drives him is engine work. Splitting cases, rebuilding from the bottom up, and hearing it fire clean without leaks never gets old.

On The Road

Riding a bike this stripped down puts everything right in front of you. No distractions, no excess. Just the motor, the frame, and the road.

For a 74-inch Shovelhead on a 4-speed frame, it’s more bike than most people would expect. Light enough to hustle, connected enough to trust.

Chris has been building customs since the day he got his license, and this FLH is one of the cleaner examples of what happens when someone with a clear vision sits down and builds exactly what they want.