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So to get this story a little more full circle, I rode this bike over to my buddies house today. It was his Dads bike (long since passed) as I have previously mentioned. He allowed me to refurb this bike.
He was beside himself, pretty darn happy and in disbelief his Dads bike is back on the road. It was a good moment. His Moms is still alive so she ought to get a kick out of it (not sure of her age or health).
My friend is the only one I will let ride this bike, and he did today. He enjoyed the result and thought it is smoother than his '05 first year rubbermount Sporty lol.
We almost did shots today lol but resisted.
So anyway some rides will come up, and I'll keep a trailer at the ready. But so far so good riding this old Shovel around my hood.
Last edited by Maxacceleration; Mar 21, 2024 at 11:09 PM.
From the build to the ride. ...It is riding time. Got caught out in a drizzle today. Nice.
It really is showing to be a good rider. Riding position is great for my 5'10" height.
The dry clutch is engaging really smooth, smoother than I thought it would. Still a heavy-ish clutch pull. Got a little bit of the dry clutch sound but not really much at all. All stock BDL belt and clutch setup.
Oh that rear juice brake... Not much there! I will bleed it soon as there may be some air in there. The front brake is grabbing well - I'm not even using the rear brake.
The bike banks very well, side to side comes very easy. I was surprised. Maybe not abundant ground clearance but I wont charge into corners too much.
We'll see how the seat works out, no issues yet. Just short local rides so far.
So I am surprised and impressed how easy the bike is working.
Just for the helluvit, here is a pic of my seating on this bike. A great place to sit! Pretty darn comfortable. Stiff throttle spring has been the most noticeable thing.
I have about 200 miles on the bike, with a 75 miler in there... Time to go through my bolts, keeping an eye on them.
Yes the restaurant hopper. I have gotten a few rides in. 130 miles last Sunday, and 180 miles coming up on Sunday. Lunches.
Nothing but a jacket, helmet & gloves. Rather sparse.
I'd like to carry a few essentials... rain shell, second set of gloves (depending on if its hot or cold), water and basic tools.
This FLH ain't no touring bike, a stripped bike for sure... So I just picked up a luggage rack to carry a small tail pack or roll.
I want to keep it very basic but I'll concede this rack & bag. I have seen the rack mounted in either direction, angled forward or back. I have it mounted angled forward to keep it all close in. The rack will be black soon.
Not open face helmet weather yet... and I do miss my Street Glide's fairing and punch. But this shovel is quite rewarding... In looks, feel and decent torque.
Bring on warmer weather!
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