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I have been wnting to add a kick bike to my garage. Right now I am looking at 3 bikes
1984 FXST, first year Evo, first year Softail, a little rough around the edges but priced accordingly
1985 FXST (yes it's a 4 spd kick) doesn't have the wow factor of being first year but it looks very clean, asking price is almost 4K more than the 84
1979 FXE Superglide looks to be in pretty decent shape, priced slighly more than the 84
My evrery day ride is an 08 Hesitage. This is just one to add to the garage. I also have a 82 FXRS, so I already have a shovelhead to play with. Never had an Evo which is whay I am leaning toward the 84. I'm thinking maybe the money I save not buying the "cleaner" 85 can be spent cleaning up the 84. It's vivid black so matching the paint should be easy enough lol. Any thoughts?
Only original once, sometimes you have to pay up to get it. For me, I prefer to buy something that needs work and love so I can say it is MY bike. Even if that work is getting her back to be more original. Last thing I want is to buy a bike and go somewhere and everyone is saying "isn't that Joe's bike?". You gotta make them yours, a return to stock will be a fun project. Evo's are good solid motors, I have two and they do not give me any grief.
1984 with the 4 speed would be a cool thing to have in the shop, and old enough for an AMCA meet. 1985, you will always be wishing she was one year older.
1. 1984 Softail, a little rough but priced accordingly
2,3 another 84 for sale at a cycle shop, looks original, new tires and battery but there is some rust spots that scare me, friend says it looks like a flood bike in the pictures
4,5. 85 Softail looks really clean, wants a lot more than the others
6, 8 79 FXE
7,9 77 FXE with a 96" S&S motor and lots of custom parts
Rusty 84 Clean 85 Clean 85 79 FXE
77 FXR 96 79 FXE (out of order, it is another pic of the silver 79 FXE) 77 FXE 96
77 FXE 96 77 FXR 96
Last edited by vicsponjr; Nov 16, 2022 at 07:55 AM.
It's hard shoping for older bikes online. Sometimes the pictures don't tell the whole story. I took a trailer to go get my 82 FXRS that was 3 hours away. when I got there there was some nasty scratches that were not shown in pictures or talked about over the phone. Other little things like oil leaks, handle bar bushings, pulled button on the original seat. A lot of little stuff that adds up and when you travel 3 hours its hard to just turn away. The scrathes in the paint bug me the most because it is original paint and I don't know how to get it fixed. I tried going to a paint shop for a paint match but they couldn't do it.
1979 is nice but U still vote for 1984, since you already have a Shovel.
Yes I think it is 84 Softail or bust right now. Just sold the 09 softail last night and immediately started thinking how nice it will be to have room in the garage again. I have to resist the urge to just go get something, anything. I'm liking the 85, but like i said, can't always trust the pictures. The The 84 with the rusty parts is only 1/2 away from my house at a bike shop. I plan on going to check it out Friday. This is the one I'm leaning towards. I will call them today and ask if I can test ride the bike and try to get more info on it without trying to sound like a tire kicker. I would also like to do a compression test but don't know how that would go over with them. I understand a shop has overhead and I don't mind paying if it's worth the money.
It's hard shoping for older bikes online. Sometimes the pictures don't tell the whole story. I took a trailer to go get my 82 FXRS that was 3 hours away. when I got there there was some nasty scratches that were not shown in pictures or talked about over the phone. Other little things like oil leaks, handle bar bushings, pulled button on the original seat. A lot of little stuff that adds up and when you travel 3 hours its hard to just turn away. The scrathes in the paint bug me the most because it is original paint and I don't know how to get it fixed. I tried going to a paint shop for a paint match but they couldn't do it.
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Superglide or Softail?
