need your expert advice!
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Tourer
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 326
Likes: 0
From: Salt Lake City, UT
need your expert advice!
I'm looking for a little advice on this bike...
http://www.ksl.com/index.php?nid=218...at=144&lpid=34
I would be buying it to ride on a few trips this year as is and then this winter I would be using the engine, trans, etc... for a custom bike I want to build.
I guess my question is... how reliable can this year of bike be on long rides and is there any specific challenges that tend to come up?
I've never owned a more "vintage" bike before and I'm pretty decent "shade tree" wrench.
Thanks in advance for your help.
http://www.ksl.com/index.php?nid=218...at=144&lpid=34
I would be buying it to ride on a few trips this year as is and then this winter I would be using the engine, trans, etc... for a custom bike I want to build.
I guess my question is... how reliable can this year of bike be on long rides and is there any specific challenges that tend to come up?
I've never owned a more "vintage" bike before and I'm pretty decent "shade tree" wrench.
Thanks in advance for your help.
Road Master
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 1,078
Likes: 39
From: NW Florida
I had a 1976 FXE and rode it from S. FL to Mexico. Other than the factory recall for the rear brakes that I didn't know about, I had very little trouble with it mechanically. Buy the factory service manual and the factory parts manual. Shovel heads are not hard to work on. If you use the motor and transmission for a project you will have to apply for a builders title for the new frame. The FXE title goes with the frame. As for touring on a Shovelhead bring your own spare parts because the dealerships will be of absolutely no help at all.
Outstanding HDF Member
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 3,450
Likes: 4
From: El Cajon Ca.
That's a pretty clean Shovel. And a good price too. If you keep it up it would be a good runner. I know guys that still ride older iron everyday. It looks like it needs some updating in a few areas to me.
Banned
Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 27
Likes: 0
It's just shaking out the bugs. I rode my old FX down to FL from NY right after I bought her and thought I had her pretty well buttoned up. Everything that could go wrong did. I had my indy overnighting me parts so they'd be waiting for me at my next destination stop. On the bright side I don't think we've ever fixed the same thing twice so eventually you end up on top. It's like winning a war of attrition, although I think I've spent more than the purchase price of the bike on repair and rebuilding her.
Novice
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 22
Likes: 0
Stock shovels will go qute a ways as built. Or you can spend between 7 and 10 grand and upgrade engine and trans and drive and brakes into a bike that will keep up and go the miles of evos and twinkies. It's up to you
Two main things in my mind are very soft top ends that don't last for crap, and 76 is geared for 55 speed limit. (oh sure, it'll go faster, but as factory geared, modern superslab speeds will shake pretty bad)
These are just my thoughts.
I've been working on a 76 FXE for three years. I've pretty much turned it into a bagger, and love the heck out it, but it still needs a Baker 6 sp overdrive and evo top end oiling to be right. I ride the pee out it when it aint snowing anyhow.
Oh, if it's got the sock Kehein carb, you'll wanna upgrade that for sure. Lots to do, lots of ways to do it, for sure. Depends on what direction you wanna go with it.
Good luck and have fun.
Hope this helps.
Two main things in my mind are very soft top ends that don't last for crap, and 76 is geared for 55 speed limit. (oh sure, it'll go faster, but as factory geared, modern superslab speeds will shake pretty bad)
These are just my thoughts.
I've been working on a 76 FXE for three years. I've pretty much turned it into a bagger, and love the heck out it, but it still needs a Baker 6 sp overdrive and evo top end oiling to be right. I ride the pee out it when it aint snowing anyhow.
Oh, if it's got the sock Kehein carb, you'll wanna upgrade that for sure. Lots to do, lots of ways to do it, for sure. Depends on what direction you wanna go with it.
Good luck and have fun.
Hope this helps.
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