My twin cam is a nice ride, after pumping some power in her, no more making plans to pass a car, handles nice with AlloyArt stabilizer, Ohlins and Avons.

The M8 , I'm not doing anything to it engine wise(except the external crankcase vent), runs pretty strong for a stocker, it being a Road Glide, it handles awesome, front feels tight and solid, rear (premium?)suspension is better than the air shocks, but still sucks, guess I'm spoiled.
The transmission on this bike really shifts well, rarely makes a sound dropping it into gear, I guess that scissor gear is doing something after all, although the hydraulic clutch is way different, grabbing towards the end of the lever travel and a short friction zone.
Generic, quiet, whirs along with that George Jetson sound.

I LOVE my EVO, although there's not much left of the original '90 running gear.
Loud, rude and crude.

 

Yeah, I notice the 'whirl' too. Different. Salesguy said it was the internal balancers. Sounded to me like an anemic supercharger.

Yep. Mine was considerably quieter when I rode it off the dealer's lot in 1993. The crude comment is spot on. My 5 speed has all the characteristics of a dump truck.

But I love it.

 

I still like my '94 FLSTN as much as ever. To me, it's the epitome of what a Harley-Davidson should be, and every ride puts a smile on my face. I'd keep it forever if I could.


That said, the old bike is over 23 years old, with 208,000 miles on it. Though I've done my best, I must acknowledge that nothing lasts forever. The bike has been in two accidents now, and some repair parts and OEM sheet metal parts are getting hard to come by. I've been lucky so far, in that I have been able to find what I needed, but it's getting tougher to source some things. As a result, I've become a bit more cautious about risking the old machine. It may be time to consider a newer bike to take some of the load off my old bike.

 

Lots of low-mile Evos still out there, just waiting for the right guy to take them home!

 

I ride a 1999 Fatboy. It's got a thunderheader, screaming Eagle ignition box and air cleaner. Stock other than that. Bought it a
Few months ago with 15000 miles on it to replace a VRod with no personality. Now I fire up and thunder off remembering the good old days with my 1990 FXRT and my 1982 FXS shovelhead lowrider. I rented a 2017 street glide a few weeks back. It's nice but I too found it to be a bit soulless. I know it's much more refined and powerful than my Fatboy, but no where near that of the VRod. If I wanted power I'd still have the 9000 RPm rush of the VRod. The M8 has neither the character of the Evo or the power of the VRod. I do believe that I will enjoy my Evo.... unless I can find a clean Shovel.

 

Nice read guys!

Just about everyone I ride with has updated there scooters.

My best friend just showed up with his new Indian Roadmaster. He had it done up with motor mods and all the comforts. It is a torque monster. Pretty impressive.

But, the 97 Ultra Classic still gets its fair share of comments. I, like TD, keep her clean and shiny!

I like the ole girl! 👍😎🇺🇸

 

Well, if there's anyone who might get a half million miles out of an Evo Softail, it just might be me. And, I'm only an hour drive away from Hillside Cycles, so, there's that, too (even though I've never dealt with them).


The old bike still turns heads, still rides and looks as good as it ever did. The other day, some friends invited me to ride to Colorado with them this summer. I'm just not sure I'd trust such an old machine so far from home. Of course, it could be the old RIDER I don't trust.

 

LUCKY! Scott really seems like he knows his stuff, and he is very generous with his time.

If you decide to go and find yourself coming through this way, let me know and I'll buy you lunch (or breakfast, or beers, or whatever the time of day suggests...)

I don't have near the miles on my Evo as you do on yours, so it's sort of apples and oranges, but I'm heading out to Texas next month for the meetup and then out to tour Southern Utah in June. No hesitation at all. I'd ride that thing anywhere.

By the end of this season I'll probably have around 40k on her. Probably finally get around to putting in a cam and new lifters this winter. So far my motor has never been opened (AFAIK, anyway), and it runs like a top.

 

Your 1990 EVO has a 'better' cam in it than the later ones. IIRC, The MoCo changed the cam profile with the 1992 model year.

 

I owned a 2014 Street Glide for 20K miles. Some of Howard's Ohlins on the rear. 4 Speaker stereo w/ an amp. It was a nice bike. I sold it and bought a '91 Evo.

If I frequently rode long distances, say 150+ miles (that's a long ways for me these days) I'd probably never have gotten rid of the SG. The M8 if anything is another level of refinement beyond that.

To me the newer bikes are a little too 'refined'. Or, as Omaha says: They don't have 'it'. If your primary concern is turning out the miles (in the manner of a bus driver) you should probably consider one. But for everyday use, around town, to/from work, short weekend day-trips...the Evo is 'real'.

My M8 aspirations, if any, lay with a Softail Slim with an M8 in it...

Alan