Found this on CL. Said it came off of an old FLH shovelhead. Looks in pretty decent shape. What do you think? Should fit my 89 FLHS, right? Maybe minor mods?

 

I think one if the British chaps gbbrown is running a shovelhead batwing but for 80 bucks It worth a shot

 

I cannot lie! Had one on my 1990 FLHS for most of it's life.

I actually made up new mounting brackets for mine (well, my metalworking brother did!) as the original mounts wouldn't work very well and with his skills it was easier to start from scratch. The FLHS headlamp nacelle is bulkier than the older FLH one and set higher up the bike, so while the batwing will snug up to it nicely, the studs on the back of it were a long way away from where they were supposed to fit on the main mounts. It also has to be juggled to fit around the spot-lamps and I set it up to lie back rather more than stock.

Yours looks fine and with a lick of paint.....

 

I bought the whole set (4 pieces w/brackets) in 1985 from the obsolete/new bin at Phill Petersons HD on 77th St. in Miami. They were called King of the Road. I had purchased a new 1985 Softail Super Custom that had the first EVO motors, 5 speed, and the chrome package. Cost me $8,600 and was only available in burgundy or blue (two tone). Because of the rainy season we have here along with monsoons & hurricanes I soon learned the value of a bat wing & tall windshield to keep the rain off of you. I am sure GR Brown has a lot of experience with rain way over there.

I liked the appearance/sportiness of the Softail but the practicability of a full dresser was something I explored.

• I purchased the King of the Road 80 CI saddle bags (they were re-purposed & now reside on my FXR) and welded up the included brackets to fit the struts.
• Installed a 7" headlight and mounted my King of the Road batwing and made quick disconnect fittings (there were none in 1985), I drilled & taped the top and bottom triple tree.
• I had in the purchase a brand new a spring loaded King of the Road tour pack (rattling drove me nuts). & made a SS rack.
• I added a used FLT crash bar & extended the bottom tabs (re-purposed) and made mounting tabs off of the forward control/frame brackets.
• I added a set of lowers to keep my feet dry with storage. There were no vents at that time. The whole assembly would disconnect with 5 bolts and come off as a unit.

When traveling and I was planning to stay for a few days, I would get one of those luggage carts and place the tour pack & bat wing on it and bring it up to the room. I still have everything except the motorcycle which I sold with 85K miles and purchased another Softail with 16" tires.


The Batwing needed the mounts re-fiberglassed in from new. If I ever ned a tour pack & bat wing, I have one. Maybe on the RoadKing I am building?

 

I put an aftermarket batwing on my wife's sporty and I had to fabricate my own hardware. It was pretty easy. I bought everything I needed at the local hardware store. If you can cut, grind, drill and bend you can make some slick mounts. I also mounted a 300 watt stereo in there. You can hear her coming a mile away..

 

Not really 'worthless' but it might help. (This is more for comic relief)

I am a better than average shade tree mechanic, so it's great to hear this is a case of using some ingenuity and some common sense.

Phil Peterson's HD in Miami...I've got a story about my dad's '73 XL1000, his fatality, Hurricane Andrew, and how I purchased a brand new '96 883 for $3,500 in June of '96 in Fargo, ND. Thanks to Phil Peterson's HD and lack of communication.

 

*****I had purchased a new 1985 Softail Super Custom that had the first EVO motors, 5 speed, and the chrome package. Cost me $8,600 and was only available in burgundy or blue (two tone).*****


In 1985 there was only the basic Softail, and it had a 4 speed kick start with a chain final drive. They didn't come out with the Softail Custom until 1986. It had the 5 speed, no kicker, and belt drive, and was available in the blue 2 tone or burgandy 2 tone.

I know this because I looked closely at the 1985 Softail, but went with my 1985 Wide Glide instead. 4 speed, kickstart, belt drive. The belt drive on the Wide Glide was the deciding factor for me, and I still have the bike today. And no, it is not a Dyna Wide Glide. Even the guys that work at the HD dealership make that mistake all the time when they go to the parts books.

 

I went to Cement City Michigan in November of 1985 and bought that bike. Does it not make it a 2005? Mine had what the new Evo's had, belt drive, 6 speed(WRONG & I know better) It is a 5 speed which was a first at that time. et Al. Phil Peterson wanted full OEM price as always, never bought a bike from him again. For that matter, I do not & have never worn the Cement City free T-Shirt either. I Paid $8,600 for it which was a few thousand (I think I remember around $2,500) under MSRP. This is a fix editing.

 

the bike you describe would be a 1986, but not a 6 speed. it would be a 5 speed like you originally posted.

around that time all dealers were getting full MSRP, and most were even adding markups.

 

**sort of off topic, but to fill in the blanks**

Dad and his girlfriend killed in a wreck in Miami 12/1991. Fatality investigation...bike stored at Phil Peterson's HD throughout the investigaion. I was stationed in So. Dakota at the time and religiously called the dealer to check the status of the bike. "It's still here..." was the standing response I got for a long time.

Years later, Hurricane Andrew arrives, wipes out the area. I had moved to Minot, ND by now.

Hadn't called to check on the bike for a while and finally in spring of 1996 the investigation and the lawsuit was going to be wrapped up.

Called the dealer and their response this time was " What bike?" After going through the story to remind then of "what bike" the reply was "Well, you know we moved, don't you? We built a new store after the hurricane. All the used inventory in the back was repaired and/or sold as is."

I said "You owe me some material or $4500 to replace what wasn't yours to sell. (I have/had the title in hand).

"Oh, no, we can offer you $2000." to which I replied "You can't replace it for less than $4500."

They took 2 months to find me a replacement. Had a couple of '70s XL's come and go but they didn't close the sales deals.

Finally they offered a new machine. 1996 XL883, hadn't been shipped from the factory, yet. $3500 cost to me for a $7000 machine. EVO, 5-spd, elec start, NEW.

Dell Hoffer HD dealership in Fargo, ND (used to work for Peterson's) I only had to drive 5 hours out and a longer 6-7 hours back on the bike.

1 hour out from Fargo and there was oil spewed all over the right side of the cases, belt, and tire. One factory clamp from the oil tank came loose...or wasn't clamped at all.

Iron Stallion Cycles (Brian something) on a Saturday afternoon hooked me up! Repaired the oil line with a worm clamp, fresh oil, NO CHARGE, and on my way. The rest is history.

Thanks for reading.
McK66
1989 FLHS (Road King's father)