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Thanks everyone.
They are not common around here, many have high miles, neglect. etc. so the tendency is to look at any that come up for sale.
Want to eliminate the ones to avoid if possible.
90 and up had the CV carb and the splined transmission shaft, I think and better starter. Not sure when the front ends went from 35mm to 39mm, but it was right around then. 94 had a higher (lower numeric) final drive ratio so highway cruising is better. Of course, standing starts suffer a bit. FXRS-SP and FXRP have 2" longer front forks and a more upright rear shock mounting, which will give you more ground clearance than you should probably try to use. All of these things can be considered desirable.
I concur. I like the '90-94 FXR as a starting point. The FXR went to the 39mm front end in the late 80's.
IMHO, the number one most important thing when buying a FXR is an unmolested frame. Basically anything else can be repaired or replaced/modernized.
I took my '93 FXR down to the frame, and started to build it back up to my more modern specifications. The 1993 hockey puck brakes are grossly inadequate for how I ride my FXR...so is the standard suspension. The stock engine and tranny wasn't going to cut it either. It's still a Harley now, just a better Harley.
Makes me appreciate all the more what I have. 90 fxrs-sp bone stock, far as I know, mini-apes f/c. Pulls like a tractor, runs down the road like a Ferrari. 50k miles. I take that back, after market hooker pipes. P.S., I'm far from being an expert. jmho.
Last edited by 1skrewsloose; Dec 23, 2015 at 09:19 PM.
I've never actually seen anyone ride with broomhandle bars like that. How did the design develop, from someone without a tube bender just welding 3 straights together? Remembering how unergonomic straight drag bars were, even on mountain bikes, I can't imagine choosing them. Looks a real mess with exposed cables and wires.
It reminds me of the old screw in slug fork extender fad. Someone someday's is going to sheer the mounting bolts on braking, lose their teeth or lose control at speed.
Look out for corrosion around the swing arm mounts, in the wellments where the mounts bolt to the frame. Or buy one from a dry State. There are holes for cable clips where the water goes in but none to let it out. They can rot right out.
Pop the seat and look for any more blistering of the paint around the frame welds and front end of swing arm which again will mean corrosion. Also for cracks in the swing arm at the pivot. Ditto, inspect the ends of brake lines, underneath protective plastic, see if they are all swollen up (rust again).
What's your budget and when do you plan on buying? Either go for one that's been restored, or add another 20% for fixing/upgrading it. It is a 25/30 year old bike after all.
Buy one that's already got an EV27 cam or equivalent in it but try to find one from someone who knows what's be done to the engine otherwise you'll be faced with back engineering it. Later ones are better in this case, likely less done so you know what you're starting with.
What do you want it to do ... what are you going to do with it? Is it a keeper/collectible/investment, an all purpose rider's bike, or are you into the so called "club" or stunt rider style scenes?
Personally, I'd prefer one with double front brake and then, like Bronson, to upgrade them. I'd also try and pick one up with mid-footplates, like the -P models. Not necessarily because they are "better", you can fit any style of peg on the frames, but they are difficult to find/expensive if you feel like them at a later date. It's still really a touring bike.
I appreciate it is a heresy to do to "the best handling" H-D, but a few guys made half decent 'Harley Davidson and the Marlboro Man' style copies. It's amazing to think that movie's 25 years old now, probably as old as half of the FXR riders these days. However, the style has held up well. Better than most customs. Probably responsible for a generation's worth of cloned Harleys in the 90s.
(The movie's pretty bad by any standard ... but whenever did they make a really good biker movie? Note the PM double piston brakes and the dubbed in click on the Pingel fuel tap. Got to be crazy not to use rear shocks).
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All of these things can be considered desirable.
