working on your first harley

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Apr 14, 2007 | 04:13 AM

baxter

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From: Detroit

working on your first harley

what was it like for you?

i never touched a harley with a wrench untill last year and now half the bike is apart in the garage as im customising and tearing tons of crap off it. love it .prolly cusso much easier and fun then working on cars doing the same thing,making it your own.thinking of pull the motor apart next winter.

Apr 14, 2007 | 06:21 AM

timdow

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From: Right of Center

RE: working on your first harley

I like working on the bike... but then again, I like working on every vehicle I own. I cannot imagine letting someone else do the work on the bikeand deprive myself of the enjoyment, much less PAY someone to work on it.

One note... have to much more careful that when working on bike compared to car. I could care less if I scratch the exaust on the car...

Apr 14, 2007 | 07:42 AM

disom007

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RE: working on your first harley

even though mines not back together yet cause im still waiting to get my cables, id rather do it myself also. like you, i'd never worked on one either, but in two hours we had it stripped down to the frame. it's a great experience and it saved me a small fortune...
here's what mine looked like a couple of days ago.....
http://www.geocities.com/disom007/di...struction.html

Apr 14, 2007 | 09:47 AM

dog155

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From: Windham,Maine

RE: working on your first harley

I have always worked on my own machinery,the bike is the hardest.You have to set it up so warm weather is only for riding,cool weather is for wrenching.That works for me.

Apr 14, 2007 | 08:32 PM

timdow

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From: Right of Center

RE: working on your first harley

Good idea... you probably have a fair amountof wrenchin' time up there!

Apr 14, 2007 | 11:56 PM

Hexhead1

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RE: working on your first harley

Ya it's fun until ya get to those little old specialty tools, that puts a little dent in the wallet. I do some machine work so I just find someone who got one, look it over and make my own. If no one has one (if they do they don't like to loan them out and I don't blame them) If not I just get my eyeball real close and start measuring.I made a clutch spocket socket that was selling for over a c note. (c=100. note= dollars) Took me about three hours to round up what I needed and make it, but now it's all mine. Cost around $3.75.

Apr 15, 2007 | 12:19 AM

sargek

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From: San Antonio, Texas

RE: working on your first harley

Always had bikes of one make or another and was always wrenching on them. My poor mother could never use our garage when I was a teenager because I always had a mechanical project going on which was spread out over the entire garage. I loved working on my first Harley: a '77 XLH Sporty, then again I love working on mechanical things. I feel bad that I've let my skill and motivation drop off as I've gotten older, but I'm trying to get back into it. I still have that good old "calibrated elbow" though

It amazes me to watch some folks snap off screws and bolts because they can't feel when it's tight. Know what I mean? Wrenching is a Zen thing.