I recently picked up a 1965 FLH. It is not stock, not even close. Frankly, the bike looks like it was assembled from a huge pile of take-off parts found in the back room of an aftermarket shop. The good part is that the engine, transmission, and frame are all genuine HD units. It is the rest of the bike that is questionable.

I will NOT be trying to restore this bike back to factory specs but instead make a reliable '65 Pan rider. Now that I have my first Panhead project, I am learning that there are a variety of breakerless ignition systems on the market for these older bikes. Does anybody out there know which model works well on this bike?

Thank you in advance for any information you can forward to me.

 

probably the best on the market (just my opinion) is this...

http://www.ebeyond2000.net/quickstart.html

Drop in unit, cannot tell with timer cover on that you have non-stock set up. have one installed on my 49 and intend to put one on the 65 when I get around to taking it apart and putting it back together.

 

Thank you for the recommendation. The QuickStart 2000 looks like a good solution. I’ve learned that Mallory makes a drop in distributor unit. Do you know anything about that one?

 

Mallory is a complete unit change, ebeyound is one that avoids the appearance of change (eliminates points and condesor in favor of sensor plate that is hidden under the cover). From outward appearance you cannot tell that you are running electronic on the ebeyound set up, the Mallory just on appearance says not stock.

Guess it might be personal preference with a machine that is other than original, but so far I have heard nothing but good about ebeyond. Ran a Mallory on a chpped pan years ago. Never had a problem with it. Was a bit of a pain to get dialed in but once set up it kicked over very well.

 

Thank you once again. My local dealership knows nothing about either one of the units mentioned. The aftermarket shops have seen them on customers' bikes but they too have no experience with them. I will do some more research before I make the plunge.

 

I just scored a front crash bar for my '65 Panhead project. I have not found any examples in my location to look at so I'd like to ask a question about how the crash bar mounts on its lower right side. Is the bar mounted inside of the master cylinder bracket or between the master cylinder and the bracket?

 

Why not just stick with points? There cheap and easy to replace every couple of years. I run them on my Indian and Pan. In the past 12 years of riding the Indian I have had a couple of instances where the points got dirty, I keep a small piece of 400 grit sandpaper in my tool box. Just pull over, pop the cap, run the sandpaper through the points and good to go. This is just one guys opinion of course but I would rather spend my money on a cool original parts (horn,speedo,lights, vintage gee-gaws)

Joe

 

Yes quite right...but the problem is that modern points and condensers are not made by Delco-Remy but by some poor schlep in some 3rd world country earning 3 bucks a day for his/her hard work.

 

Correct on the crash bars, outside bracket and inside master cylinder. Ran a lockheed wagner brake set up on mine for years, that's the only way it will go together. I'm with Panz4ever about the points. They're made in 3rd world city now. I still run points on mine but they aren't the same quality they were years ago. IMHO

 

Got a 64 that I have had for over 30 years, decided to give it some over due attention, new top end now 60 over, 10-1 wiseco pistons, had the heads flowed change out distributor to Mallory elctronic, changed stock H grind cam went back with A grind hoping to get it back together when I return home then to dynometer to see how she will act