Well I've done it!

longdog

longdog

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Yes, yesterday I bought a Harley :eek:

Well it was about time, I have been procrastinating for a couple of years, looking at bikes, wondering if a Harley could become my sole bike or not, well you know how it is!

Anyway, some time ago the weapon of choice became a FXDX or Super Glide Sport as they are called. I wanted as close to stock as I could get and now I have a 2003 100 year anniversary model in black, the last of the carburettor bikes with the Squeeking Sparrow "stage one" air cleaner and short shot pipes so it looks like a stock bike but has a nice mellow sound, not too loud but it still sounds like a proper bike.

I had a 200 mile ride home in totally shite conditions, the bike is filthy today and I am knackered! How do people ride big mileages on these with a screen? Still, the bike never missed a beat and it rides really nicely with a stonking motor.

Now I have 2 options, do I SORN for a few months or ride it? Whatever I need to clean! I'll pop a few photos on when it looks a bit nicer!

One thing I am pretty sure of is that I will be keeping my Versys 1000 if I want to do big mileages or any kind of touring and still be fit afterwards!
 
Pictures, we need pictures.... Not of your bike, of your badass mofo harley riding gear and bandana.
 
Sorry to disappoint Neil, but it's my old 'Stitch with matching Schubert and Daytona Gore Tex boots for me, none of your open crotch leather chaps and wife-beaters for me, no Sir!

(You'll have to be nice to me to see what I have on underneath though....;) )
 
Congratulations Mike- I thought you were never going to commit. Now you realise you should have been committed! I still hav'nt had chance to go for a decent long ride on mine yet, but it is a pleasure to be able to look at Melch's work of art all day in the studio. Enjoy the cleaning- it's all metal.
 
Thanks Jonathan, it was bloody hard work on the M4 yesterday though! I'll have to get a screen unless I'm posing or simply take the Versys! lol I do like the lovely torquey motor though!
 
Good man, I use the term 'man' loosely if you feel you need a screen, or perhaps you are just old:D

Ride it through the winter if it is a dry day, I have been so far and it is great to be out on a plodder in the cold, even put my screen on today:thumb Put some wind in the tyres too and it now feels as though it wants to get through the corners and not chuck me off:beerjug:
 
Yeah, that's just what I thought I would do :beerjug:

So far, I have never SORNed a bike in winter, but full marks for the observations on the screen, and yes, I am old! lol

By the way, didn't you used to be on the UK Buell site???
 
Do a Johnny boxer.. buy a bike for thousands of pounds, sorn it for 6 months of the year and miss riding on those wonderful sunny clear winter days all to save yourself £30 a year. :D
 
I bought an FXDX new in 1999, at first just had stage 1 kit on it, was reasonably quick. A year or so later I came into some money so HOG fever started. I fitted Koni dial a ride shocks, progressive fork springs, fork brace, a pair of Billet front brake calipers and a few assorted bits of bling, some very sexy billet aluminium wheels, a big Mikuni carb, and a 1550 big bore kit with high comp pistons and heads, an S+S high lift camshaft. The bike now handled reasonably well and stopped better, and fair stormed along. :D
I added as Sundowner touring seat, a luggage rack, highway pegs and set bout touring the Alps for several summers. I sold the bike after six years and 26,000 miles, wished I hadn't. The bike was a very comfortable tourer, and great fun to ride.
A few years back I happened to come across the bike in an independent Harley bike shop, I got talking to the bloke in charge who told me it was the fastest Harley he'd ever ridden, when I told him of the mods that had been done he could understand why, but he couldn't quite explain why the bike was being sold with a genuine 18,000miles on the clock! :)
 
Well the deed is done, bike is taxed and insured, bring on Winter and the ACF50! :beerjug:

Harley riders, hard as f@ck! lol
 
I'm glad you found an FXDX Longdog, congratulations and looking forward to pics!

As far as a screen I'm not clear if you have one, or don't and are considering one? I bought a HD quick release screen for my FXDX early on but only used it for one ride because it created a lot of buffeting and noise. I think due to the angle of the forks it mounted to and in order to clear the headlight and instruments it was too vertical.
Here’s a pic of it with the screen and you can see how upright it mounts, after that ride it never went back on the bike. There may be other sources like National Cycle that make a better one.




My FXDXI finally sold last week, actually I hadn’t expected that considering the time of year. It was a nice bike for me and never let me down in the 24,000 miles I rode it.

Some random thoughts on owning it; Harley’s service manual was probably the best accessory I bought for mine, followed closely by the Corbin seat and LeatherPro removable saddlebags. S100 Engine Brightener used twice a year kept the black engine/drivetrain black. Note it uses only DOT 5 brake fluid which is incompatible with DOT 3, 4, and 5.1. Have the cam chain tensioners inspected by 25,000 miles or so. Whenever they need replaced the replacements will last longer, or upgrade to the hydraulic tensioner system which HD offers and pretty much be done with them.
 
Hi Clifton, I did look at the costs of importing from USA with a view to buying yours, but the shipping costs and the import duty and taxes at this end pushed things up considerably. Mine has just over 10,000 miles on it with a pile of old MoTs to confirm mileage. It's not perfect, but it is in lovely condition and it rides really nicely.

I have looked at National Cycle screens because I think they make some really good screens and I have used them in the past on other bikes, there are quite a few to choose from. I am considering replacing the handlebars with a lower rise set, maybe 1.75" rise Biltwell bars? I think I will ride it a bit more and see how things evolve......... Anyhow, I have it now and I am looking forward to riding it, I'm not much of a polisher!!!
 
With only 10k yours is just getting broken in longdog! Lowering the bars you may have to change the clutch cable and brake line else they'll be puffed up above the bars. I don't think lower bars would work for me w/o moving the pegs more rearward as well, and that would involve more modification not to mention less knee room. But that's what's nice with HD's, there is a ton of factory and aftermarket stuff for these bikes to make them into whatever you want.
 
Any screen set bolt upright will be causing head battering turbulence above 50 mph. Lie it well back and it might get better.
See if Givi have a universal mount Airflow.
 
Bendy toy said:
Any screen set bolt upright will be causing head battering turbulence above 50 mph. Lie it well back and it might get better.
See if Givi have a universal mount Airflow.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the suggestion :beerjug:

I have a GIVI Airflow on my Versys 1000, it will never win a beauty competition but it's a bloody efficient screen!
 
There are plenty of alternative screens that HD make to fit the quick release mounts. A more sporty lower screen may well sort the issue.
 
Nippy Normans supply Touratech, Wunderlich, Desert Fox and many other makes of accessories.
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