Why the Evo?
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Road Warrior
Joined: Jun 2011
Posts: 1,391
Likes: 351
From: MO
Why the Evo?
I'm not being a smart ***. I've read on this forum that many guys have either fond memories of their Evo or still have it and will never get rid of it. Myself, I've only had one. It was a used police bike that I got hosed on thru eBay, and I didn't keep it long at all. So I don't remember much about it other than the bad parts. Since then, every Harley I've had has been a Twin Cam. So you Evo guys, what makes the Evo so special?
Road Warrior
Joined: Apr 2018
Posts: 1,347
Likes: 820
From: Moneta, Virginia
I like the twin cams, I think the look of the engine is a bit different with the larger cam cone and raised deck.
The only knock on the TCs that I know of is the amount of heat they throw off.
My 97 Evo does everything I need it to do and does it well, I know it, parts are available when needed... I dont have a reason to change, yet anyway.
The only knock on the TCs that I know of is the amount of heat they throw off.
My 97 Evo does everything I need it to do and does it well, I know it, parts are available when needed... I dont have a reason to change, yet anyway.
Outstanding HDF Member
Joined: Oct 2016
Posts: 2,530
Likes: 546
From: Wayne County, PA
For me its old enough to be a classic(im a 1990, bikes a 1996) yet its new enough that i could put more miles without worrying about failure like if i had a shovel. The evo still sounds to me like what a Harley should. Parts are plentyful and its cheaper to keep going 100k miles than a shovel or pan would be. Ive had my superglide just under a decade and its not going anywhere. For me i like having something newer like the tiger but then having my old carbed evo for all the memories of riding with brothers who arent alive still... there have been friends who helped me work on it and i will always cherish those memories.
Grand HDF Member
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 3,714
Likes: 3,033
From: Brighton, MI
Easy to work on, plentiful in the parts department, inexpensive to repair and maintain, infinitely rebuild-able, good solid reliable platform.
Not a tire shredder, but can be if you want it to, usually a cam, carb rejet, air cleaner, and pipes is all it takes to make it run and feel "respectable".
Something about the sound also. I like the sound of the evo's better than the twinkies. YD
Not a tire shredder, but can be if you want it to, usually a cam, carb rejet, air cleaner, and pipes is all it takes to make it run and feel "respectable".
Something about the sound also. I like the sound of the evo's better than the twinkies. YD
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Jun 2015
Posts: 8,054
Likes: 8,079
From: Canada
For me its the sound and the reputation for it being a solid engine. I had a 2011 RK which I loved but felt I would eventually end up with a tensioner issue, crank runout and a transmission problem not to mention an ABS HCU failure that would be almost inevitable. Those cons combined with depreciation it was an easy decision to dump it and get an Evo but I grabbed an FXR Evo because they handle great. I think its the best all around bike Ive had.
Tourer
Joined: Sep 2017
Posts: 280
Likes: 96
From: DFW Texas
I look at Evos as kinda the Small Block Chevy of the Harley world.
You can get parts for the other series but you can get everything for the Evos.
Hot rod mods are pretty well known.
You won't make a ton of power, but you can have a lot of fun with them.
They came with carbs and simple ignition systems.
Strong stable bottom ends.
They are that old 70's camaro. Fun, easy to wrench on, You can run it pretty good. Very few weak links (primary is the cam bearing, a $8 part).
I bought mine because I used to wrench/tinker with old muscle cars. Well, I can't afford an old muscle car nor do I really have room for one. So I got 1992 FLH and I get to tinker again without breaking the bank. And when I'm done, I get to rip around on it as well.......
You can get parts for the other series but you can get everything for the Evos.
Hot rod mods are pretty well known.
You won't make a ton of power, but you can have a lot of fun with them.
They came with carbs and simple ignition systems.
Strong stable bottom ends.
They are that old 70's camaro. Fun, easy to wrench on, You can run it pretty good. Very few weak links (primary is the cam bearing, a $8 part).
I bought mine because I used to wrench/tinker with old muscle cars. Well, I can't afford an old muscle car nor do I really have room for one. So I got 1992 FLH and I get to tinker again without breaking the bank. And when I'm done, I get to rip around on it as well.......
Last edited by TexNorth; Sep 9, 2019 at 05:24 PM.
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Grand HDF Member
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 4,201
Likes: 1,188
From: Anywhere we stop
As others have said...parts are EVERYWHERE and they're easy to work on. They still sound like a HD
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Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 9,324
Likes: 3,869
From: Upstate New York
I had mine for 25 years and 223,000 miles and it still ran like a fine watch to the day a careless driver wrecked it.
Ive moved on to an M8 Softail, but, to me, the Evo will always remind me of what a Harley-Davidson should be, solid, dependable, simple to work on, classic style and endlessly rebuildable. The M8, while arguably a better motorcycle in every respect (faster, better handling, more features and technology), feels and looks more like a generic Asian cruiser than it does a Harley-Davidson.
Ive moved on to an M8 Softail, but, to me, the Evo will always remind me of what a Harley-Davidson should be, solid, dependable, simple to work on, classic style and endlessly rebuildable. The M8, while arguably a better motorcycle in every respect (faster, better handling, more features and technology), feels and looks more like a generic Asian cruiser than it does a Harley-Davidson.
Cruiser
Joined: Jul 2019
Posts: 186
Likes: 86
From: Pennsylvania
everything stated before me. also the Evo is a better performance platform to start from, bolt together cranks instead of pressed on crank that fail with any kind of power added to it.. one cam is all you need, less moving parts to fix and cheaper to replace. when looking for a performance engine "most" are based on the Evo style, very few are Twin cam builds... yes you can build a Twinky to perform and last but it takes much more machine work and that means money! ......
you can find a late 90's Evo bike of just about any style for 5-8K, sometimes less...
you can find a late 90's Evo bike of just about any style for 5-8K, sometimes less...