Ok so I picked up a 1999 FXST earlier this year and since then I have been trying to figure out what I want to do. I have a laundry list of things that need to be done as this bike was a neglected project before I got it and had some gremlins. Im not going to worry about the wants yet but some of the needs will effect the wants. Here I go

Taillight - the housing is loose and not in good shape and the light socket is full of corrosion so I am thinking of just swapping the whole unit but the rear fender on the bike is confusing to me. Is the taillight housing the same as the other HD taillights except upside down? I can't find an aftermarket taillight that actually lists my year and model for compatibility. Here is where it crosses into the wants, would it just be easier to swap out the rear fender to a different style, there seems to be plenty of options of the fender that wraps around the tire more.

Turn signals - again the housings and sockets are pooped and they straight need replacing. I know LED is far more light with less draw but I think I read somewhere that I need to add some sort of box or controller to be able to use them properly. Any thoughts?

Air Intake - Currently it has an Ultima round air filter and housing, I wanted to add a different style high flow intake but I can't find a listing for my model, I wish there was a compatibility chart that would list what models will fit each other.

Exhaust - RN I have V&H Big Shots and they are LOUD. I would love to sway to a Thunderheader but I can't find any. I found what I think is the part number but I can't find anything on ebay, facebook marketplace and sadly there are pretty much no Thunderheader dealers that I can find in Canada.

Spark Plug Wires - would mine be 8.8 or 10 + mm? would either work?

Body - I was thinking of adding a fairing not sure what its called but OG-T is a model that I found of the style I like but I am waiting to hear from the manufacturer whether it will fit or not.

Bars - Ive been trying to decide between apes and tbars. I ve had mini apes onmany bikes but they all had a fairing and I think the look of the tbars but Im not sure how confortable the seating position would be on long runs. My buddies and I would routinely ride 500 - 700 miles for a day ride and Im not sure which set up will be better for that.

I havent actually had any seat time on this bike yet due to it not being road worthy yet but once I get her cleaned up with some new meats and finish the repairs which I plan to have done by spring Im hoping next year to rack up the miles.

Help from people more experienced than I would be appreciated.

Thanks

 

Start here, with factory part numbers, that you can cross reference if you do need to go after market parts.
https://partsfinder.onlinemicrofiche...davidsonmc/311

As for bike, how far have you pulled it down to make sure it's ready to go/roadworthy without breaking down on trips to begin with?
Until this is done ,would not start to throw money into other parts yet.

Tail light and turn signals should just be a easy clean up/fix on the cheap,
Would leave air filter system alone for now,
Plug Wires may be fine, and if cracking or problems, standard plug wires are fine without breaking the bank
Mufflers, would look into some baffles, verse dropping huge bank on complete new exhaust system.

As for bars, really need to get some road time on the current seat to see if you like it, or if it need to be replaced with something else.
Once you figure the seat and pedal reach to get them out of the way, then you can get into bars. How far down the rabbit hole that is going to be to get a set that fits you correctly from the start, can be spendy or cheap instead. Hence different bars may require new cables and brake line, and what you thought was going to be a few hundred for just bars and grips, may be closer to a grand by the time you add in everything else to get them to work istead.

 

Vance & Hines make Baffles and Quiet Baffles for their pipes. I put Quiet Baffles in V&H Long Shots and they quieted the bike with no loss of power that I can perceive. The Dynamometer might show loss or gain but I can't tell. Also, I didn't need to retune the bike, a 1998 WideGlide.

Clean up your existing light sockets and rewire if necessary, to include sockets if necessary. As far as replacement taillights, there are aftermarket available and some need to be custom fit, i.e. holes drilled.

 

So far here is where I plan to go before I take it for a ride:
I am going to replace:
tires
wheel bearings
handlebar bushings
brake pads
all fluids (oil change completed just to get it running)
Battery (already done to get it started)
needs a regulator (cooks batteries)
signals don't blink they just come one but rear were LED skulls with broken wires, fronts were OG lights
taillight isnt working and housing is hanging off
headlight highbeams dont work
foot pegs are crap, no grip for footwear
primary cover leaks oil at the gasket
While the primary cover is off I am going to assess the clutch plates and replace if necessary

Im also going to assess as I go through the whole process.

I have sat on the seat but not on a ride and it puts a lot of pressure on the "taint" so I have been thinking of having it repadded and have the shape adjusted slightly. the bars are not going to be comfortable so they are a for sure toss. Ive had enough Apes to know I don't like my wrists cocked at a 45 degree angle, I prefer less pull back on my bars hence me looking into the idea of Tbars. Im not looking to go much taller so cables should be fine with what I have.

My Background, I rebuilt my first bike which was a 1981 HondaCX500 barn find and it was a complete tear down, then I did some easier mods like pipes and bars, cables, lines on my 05 C50, then I did bars and pipes my 05 Yamaha Venture. I had a shop do the work on my 13 Victory XC because it was in the shop for a stage 2 so why not and now Im here. Ive put enough miles in the saddle to know what arm height I feel comfortable with and what pull back I enjoy and whether or not a seat will be comfortable based on pressure points. I would agree with the putting lots of miles in if this was my first go round with taller bars or this style of bike.

I know from my experience that forums like these are treasure troves of info about specific models of bike and Im hoping that that holds true here. Lol thanks for the stock part numbers that will help lots I couldnt find that either. Im not sure if the FXST was an odd model but I can't seem to find resources for it easily.