Hey Guys, I am looking at a 1980 flt shovelhead the owner has had a topend done and has all original parts from what I can tell the enclosed chain has been replaced with an o-ring chain. All it needs is the saddlebags, fairing and dash put back on. Been several years since I owned a harley is there anything I need to look for I am wanting to put back together as close to stock as possible and run it as a daily driver.

 

Flt is a thing to move around have you tried to park it and push it back and forth they are very clumsy

 

Guess it depends on the price...i have one, currently a dismembered elephant, that got dropped in my lap for next to nothing...so i'm ahead if i can keep reassembly costs down. The particular model doesn't have huge resale value and from what i've learned here the flt is not exactly desirable except as a tourer...its original function. On top of that it's going to require a lot more attention being 30+ years old in materials and technology.

But...it's still a shovel and i'm looking forward to resurrecting it.

 

No different than the newest Ultra or SG on the showroom floor....as far as clumsiness. Parts can be difficult, but in most cases you can "upgrade" to better parts off bikes up 98 or so...and as said, they have no great resale value...so keeping it "as close to stock as possible" is not an issue...installing newer bags or a killer stereo...would only help resale.

 

Well I am not to worried about resale or the fact it is 30+ years old. Its a shovel that has almost no miles since rebuild and the price is dirt cheap. As far as clumsies cant be any worse then the jap bike i am running right now. Use to have a 73 sportster when i was younger with the 3 speed on right foot. and only reason I would keep stock is that all the stock pieces and parts are there. thanks for the input

 

if it anything like my '79 FXEF, its very,very heavy. best thing going for it is the enclosed primary belt & barnett wet/dry clutch and the S&S super E carb.
don't try pushing it!! uphill or downhill.

 

the other day we had around 8 bikes stop by most were dresser types and newer - soo i pulled the FLT out and the bunch of riders look at what one is easer and what one is a barge to move around the only guy who could not make up his mind was Cement Head < well you get the idea anyway everyone agreed the the oversize big fixed fairing even if it dident feel heaver the size of it made the bike feel clumsyer than the rest - it was just a feeling not a pound kind of thing -- jz

 

Stock FLT's are clumsiest most blocky feeling bike I've ever ridden at slow speeds , once they are rolling it's not bad as long as you've got room . That beast I rode in Europe was a royal bitch in some of those cities with the winding tight cobblestone streets .