I recently inherited a 1978.5 fxs lowrider was told it was a stock 1340 cc but vin starts with 2f thanks for any help

 

no, 2f was fxs1200. but it could have been changed like my 79 was. stock fxs 80 vin started with 7g

how about a picture or two?

 

It's a dice roll with those regardless what the vin says, late 78 & early 79 they did some serious mixing and matching of stuff engines wise. I've seen some real odd ducks straight from the factory. Seen motors that were numbered to be 80" opened to find they were 74s and visa versa. One engine had an early head on the front and a later on the rear.

 

Tim, welcome to the forum.

How high is the engine number? Is it below 60000 or above it? Can you post a partial photo please. Thanks.

What is the first portion of the left crankcase production number? Is it 178? Code number 1 indicates 1200cc.
Or is it 1478? Code number 14 indicates 1340cc.
Eric

 

No... The Previous owners did...FL was 80" before the FX, 1978 1/2] and an FL can Look Like an FX in an afternoon... or vice verse.
1979 FXS was 1200 for Part year..and an 80" was available in the FX in 1979 as well...Cannot... ever deny what the VIN says... it is what it Says it is... Only the owner is different.
Just discussed this elsewhere... 40 Years is a very long time... and If you are Not the original owner... you buy the Bike... Not the Story!!!!

Finally... the Dealers from the Day [yea I know a couple of them old timers as well] did Whatever it took to get some of the Early Cone motors sale-able...some were Not.
My Dear friend In Louisiana can tell some stories I tell ya that...Our Local Dealer used to have some Doozies also God rest his soul!!

These ain't Jap Bikes... they have a Colorful History... But... If you didn't buy it New...and maintain it yourself... again... Don't buy No Stories... AMF was Not the Enemy!

 

I worked at Kansas City 40 hwy Harley Davidson mid 78 through 79, I beg to differ some of the **** we got off the truck was a real mixed bag.

 

Huh... toward the "end" I was under the impression they had their **** together... wondering aloud if you were seeing the Result of the "Leverage" part of the Buy-Out...

Do you still own one bought new at that time?? What malady's did it Suffer??

 

Think part of the problem those daya was what dealers were in favor with the moco and who wasn't as to who got pick of the litter so to speak. Place I was at closed end of 79. Other big name in town is still rolling with 3 stores now.

Didn't buy my first and only new bike till New year's Eve 2016, always used or built my own. What got me the job there , head mechanic knew me.

 

Here's something to think on the most commonly up for sale shovels tend to be 78 & 79 models, other years are much less frequent and tend to be less molested. Just something I've noticed over the years.

 

Has Not been my experience... but may be a regional thing... like the FXS and/or FXB/FXSB.... Hard to come by anywhere... any Year... nice ones anyway...
SuperGlides [FXE or FX] easy come... easy go...
FLH????? Since Fakes abound [actually FX's, dressed as H's] those seem really the most typical... and Now that ya mention it... late '70's is the most prevalent..

My take is... Since H-D production was at an All Time High... naturally there were Many more [in most cases over twice as many] units Produced...and Therefore available to this day.
I also feel it is Not the Worst era of the Quality...as by this time Vaughn Beals was in charge of quality control, and the MoCo was making a [slow] turn around.
As well as spearheading Improvements Like the Rubbermount chassis and the New [EVO] engine, development.

No... I think you will find that the worst Quality control was between about 1972 to 1975... luckily... not nearly as many models ware produced... at first anyway..by '74 -'75... production outstripped Quality...

No... I think we are seeing a simple matter of More Models Produced... therefore.... Available.

BTW It seems there is an overabundance of people proclaiming that the bike they Bought is Stock... The seller told 'em so... this leads to an abundance of misinformation... Naturally...I get it all the time... till I ask the owner how the hell their Stock pride and joy, got Chiwanese parts onto it!!!!


Oh and
Rant Over... now back to our regularly scheduled Bull session....