I bought a set of 1988 "FLT" front end for my 1987 FLHS. The previous owner installed 2000+ Wide Glide front end on it, and I'm trying to get the stock forks look back because the WG forks are hideous.

Here's my issue. I'm trying to figure out what headlight nacelle I need to get for this front end. The other thing I'm a little confused about is.... Is the "FLT" the same thing as an FLHT?

It appears that a lot of these front ends take different nacelles. Does anyone know which years, models will cross reference with them? I'm sure the fairing is going to make it fit differently (which I do not have, trying to decide if I want a fairing or not.)

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

I don't have a direct answer to your question, however for what you are doing, you need a parts manual covering 1987 and 1988 Touring bikes. All your parts and cross referencing questions will be answered there. Anything else is just a guess, as not many people have taken all those bikes apart and compared the pieces side by side. If you want a guess, then I'll guess that the front ends (forks, etc.) should be the same. And no, a FLT and a FLHT are different bikes, but it is my understanding that the main difference is just the faring.

 

FLT had a frame mounted fairing,like todays Road Glide and the FLHT had a Batwing...
Like Dr.Hess says a Parts Catalog for the touring models is what you're going to need.


Here's some info from Wiki:

The FLT Tour Glide was introduced in 1979. Sold alongside the existing FLH Electra Glide, the FLT had a larger frame with rubber engine mounts, a five-speed transmission, the 80 cu in (1,300 cc) engine, and a frame-mounted fairing. In order that the FLT frame, which was larger and heavier than the large and heavy FLH frame, would handle acceptably, the front forks were given radical steering geometry which had them mounted behind the steering head, with the frame behind the steering head being recessed to allow adequate steering lock.[14]

The FLHT was introduced in 1983. This was an Electra Glide based on the FLT Tour Glide frame, but using the Electra Glide "batwing" fairing instead of the Tour Glide frame-mounted fairing.[14]

 

Gotcha, Thank you on straightening me out regarding the two. I thought that may have been the case (one was a road glide) but wasn't 100% positive.

I'm in the process of ordering a Parts manual and a service manual for the FLHS. I'm a firm believer in them. I'm just trying to figure out if I can get one from the local stealership for the same price as some of the online dealers are selling them for. Hopefully I'll have one by this weekend.

Now I'm wondering if the FLT front end is going to work on the FLHS... crap...

 

I'm going to attempt this with the FLT forks.. I've ordered a pair of progressive springs (found them on sale pretty cheap) and I want to do away with the anti-dive system. Can anyone tell me what size fork caps work on the FLT\FLH forks? Is it 39mm? Wonder if I could pull them off of my wide glide forks.

 

As far as I can tell from my manual, all the front ends are the same basic unit. Its whats done to cover the triple trees thats different. You will need the lower and upper guage pod for the flhs and the headlight plastic pieces for the flhs. Along with the all the passing light stuff and the right electrical stuff. There is a couple of bike wreckers that have flhs stuff at auction on ebay.

 

There's the trick... My bike has a 2000+ 41mm WideGlide front end on it. No nacelle, guaged, etc. Just an aftermarket headlight and speedo. I have a 88 FLT front end for it.. I'm wanting to do away with the anti-dive setup, go straight fork springs and oil and hopefully run a Road King nacelle if possible. Haven't found a well documented conversion of an anti-dive to standard spring setup, nor a Road King nacelle conversion although I have found decent info regarding that conversion, but wonder if I could get the FLT top triple tree to work with the nacelle. I have such a hodge podged mess... Should have just bought new Road King forks and been done... But what fun would that be? lol

 

The anti-dive is a simple system, however leaving it off should give you no problems. I recommend replacing the fork springs with say RaceTech springs, to get the correct rate for you and your passenger, if you carry one. You could also put in emulators from RaceTech and end up with a superior set-up to stock.

This is a stock FLHS instrument binnacle, mounted on top of a glass-fibre headlight nacelle. I also have an early 80s glass-fibre batwing as you can see. I bought a late 80s batwing, with integral instruments (first of the current style) but the effort of wiring it all up was too much for my liking. The wiring harness for those bikes was quite different to our FLHS.

I have read of people changing from the FLHS binnacle to RK, but that also involves changing the gas tank, to mount a speedo and you lose the tacho. So swings and roundabouts!

I recently wrote that the FLHS instruments are so beautiful Harley couldn't bear to keep on making them, so cobbled up the RK!

 

I have an aftermarket speedo that is mounted to the bar clamps and no tach at all, so that is really the least of my worries honestly. Just have to figure out what to do about the wiring stuff that's in a bag behind the WG triple trees. It's hideous. I'm thinking about just extending the wires under the seat and calling it a day.