When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
Entertaining how far we've come and really dates me when you look around and people are talking about evo's in the same way us old schoolers used to talk knucks & panheads. Like they are taking on that aged mystical aura or something
LOL, I remember when I was a teenager just starting to hang around and the Evo first came out. The old schoolers of those days said they'd never be caught on an Evo and the Shovel was the last real Harley. Funny how things change.
Some will argue the point that the Last Real Harley Davidson motorcycle was made in 1969. That after AMF bought them out the original MOCO was dead. Which it would have been if AMF had not bought the company. Thus I see that as the demarcation line between the old MOCO and the new MOCO. Giving HD a second life. Then again in 1981, maybe a third life, when AMF sold to Vaughn Beals and Willie G. Take that info and $15.00 and buy a 12 pack of Bud..
I bought my EVO, (FXRS) new in 1985. Shortly thereafter....I started riding with a 1% club. I had the only EVO. Most of my Brothers were riding Shovels, Pan-Shovels and even the occasional Panhead. My EVO was the topic of a bit of ridicule whenever the least little thing went bad. I've seen EVO's go from being sort of a "joke", to becoming a mandatory ride in clubs (when the leadership got tired of too many breakdowns happening with the "homemade Shovels"), to "vintage", and now...something of a Cult. I'm still riding that '85 FXRS, albeit with a couple of changes to make her a bit more "road-trip friendly". The Windvest up front, Ironbags on the back and a Mustang touring seat have proven to be all I need for multiple cross country runs, making 700 mi days go by without misery and keeping up with about anyone out there. 80-90 mph all day long, when I need to get somewhere quickly is no problem.
We're on the second motor now and coming up on 310,000 mi. ( total)
Friends and neighbors...I give you The Moonraker:
I bought my EVO, (FXRS) new in 1985. Shortly thereafter....I started riding with a 1% club. I had the only EVO. Most of my Brothers were riding Shovels, Pan-Shovels and even the occasional Panhead. My EVO was the topic of a bit of ridicule whenever the least little thing went bad. I've seen EVO's go from being sort of a "joke", to becoming a mandatory ride in clubs (when the leadership got tired of too many breakdowns happening with the "homemade Shovels"), to "vintage", and now...something of a Cult. I'm still riding that '85 FXRS, albeit with a couple of changes to make her a bit more "road-trip friendly". The Windvest up front, Ironbags on the back and a Mustang touring seat have proven to be all I need for multiple cross country runs, making 700 mi days go by without misery and keeping up with about anyone out there. 80-90 mph all day long, when I need to get somewhere quickly is no problem.
We're on the second motor now and coming up on 310,000 mi. ( total)
Friends and neighbors...I give you The Moonraker:
Great post and a real life testimony to the longevity, reliability, and durability of these awesome machines.
I acquired my Evo after a lot of research. Both of my brothers were Harley-Davidson men since their early 20s. They rode dozens of them. My younger brother still rides an old shovel. My older brother passed in 2019. I always wanted a Harley-Davidson since I was 12 years old but college, marriage, children, and career prohibited my indulgence in the luxury of riding.
At the age of 70 my wife and I decided to empty our bucket lists. So, I purchased many books on Harley-Davidson and started studying the bikes. The Evolution era of bikes seemed to be a pinnacle for the bike. The engine solved many problems which plagued previous engineering and only ceased production because of government regulations (which are never advantageous). I wanted a fully mature Evo engine so I concentrated on the last few years of production as my candidates.
These bikes still had lots of chrome and very little plastic. Intercom communication. Beautiful two-color schemes. And the engines had the reputation of long life, power, and torque. The 82 cu in displacement has all the power and speed which we require for touring. The 790 dry weight is about all that we will be able to handle.
We looked at new bikes, but their weight was too formidable for me and the engines offered no advantage over the Evo. We even looked at new Indian touring bikes.
So, we finally found a low mileage 1998 FLHTCUI.
The only regret is that it does not have laced wheels. But I would have had to go to a Road King or such to get the laced wheels but my wife and I need the luxury of the loaded touring bike. And with our bike you cannot see the spokes anyway.
Because of our ages I had installed a Motor Trike manual reverse gear.
True, the heads do not have a knarly appearance, but, what the hey, we're in the modern age. If I were a single man, I would be sitting on an Evo Road King.
Slideshow: From the troubled AMF years to modern misfires, these bikes earned reputations for reliability issues, questionable engineering, or disappointing performance.
Crazy Bunderbike Build Looks Amazing, But Is It Impossible to Ride?
Slideshow: The Swiss custom shop has taken a Harley Softail and stretched it into something so long and low that it looks closer to a rolling sculpture than a conventional motorcycle.
Engraved Rebellion: Inside Bundnerbike's Glam Rock II
Slideshow: A standard cruiser becomes an intricate metal canvas in the hands of a Swiss custom house known for pushing Harley-Davidson platforms far beyond their factory brief.
Slideshow: Harley-Davidson's challenges aren't abstract; they show up in dropping shipments, shrinking dealer traffic, and strategic decisions that aren't yet translating into growth.
