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Hello, HD Forum!
I need some help identifying the bike in this photo. I apologize for the quality. This is a photo of a photo. I was unable to scan it at the time.
This photo dates from probably around 1975, and is of my dad and his first Harley motorcycle, an FX Super Glide. He would have been about 31 years old here. I think he hated this bike as much as he loved it. Haha... According to him, more times than not, he had to bump start it, as firing her up with the kicker was always an issue. I am trying to nail down the model year of this bike, as dad can't recall exactly. A key bit of evidence is the fact that this bike has rear disc brakes, which from what I have read were installed beginning in the 1974 model year, which is also the first year that the FXE model with electric start also appeared. That was also the year the fat bob FL tank was replaced with the smaller one-piece tank, which I believe this to be. This would have to be at least a 1974 model then.
Dad's life-long love of riding is what inspired me to get my first bike over 30 years ago. In the near future, I intend to track down one of these classics to add to my own garage as a testament to my dad. I just need to figure out exactly what he had! I could use some help identifying the actual Harley name for this paint too!
Thanks, guys! Dad and his FX Super Glide, circa 1975(?)
I can't help with IDing the bike but man I remember being a kid in the 70's and those Windjammer fairings were everywhere, that pic really jogged my memory.
I can't help with IDing the bike but man I remember being a kid in the 70's and those Windjammer fairings were everywhere, that pic really jogged my memory.
Haha...yes! One of my earliest childhood memories is paying a visit to the shed where Dad parked this bike and opening all of the snaps on the storage compartments to see what was in them. He would not have been happy if he would have caught me at it though! :-)
75 has the style on your dads tank unless of course HD had more than one style each year.
Originally Posted by sharkey
1975 paint scheme on my tank, my XLCH is actually a 1974 but I prefer this style...and I have the matching Tee HD sold years ago. Your Dad's is a 1975
Thanks, guys! I believe you have nailed down the year of his bike. Almost every photo I find when searching for 1975 FX Super Glides shows his paint scheme. His bike was very much a kick start-only FX. Just last night when I was talking to him about it, he said once again how he, "hated that thing". Haha... He bought it new, and obviously added the sissy bar and fairing along the way. I do believe the mystery is solved!
My first Harley at 18 years old was a 1975 FX. That is what your dad has here in the picture. The FX battery is smaller than the FXE. The instrument cluster in flat, wrinkle black is hanging from the bolts of the top handle bar clamp. The passenger foot pegs attached to a lug on the bottom of the swing arm (who ever came up with that idea), the ham can air cleaner cover, solo gas tank with 1975 paint scheme and the stock, OEM banana seat. It's a 75 FX. Don't know why he would have put the Vetter, windjammer fairing on but his choice. Interesting thing is, the kicker arm appears to be at the 3 o'clock position, resting on the right mid control foot peg. May have had a broken kicker arm coil spring. My 75 was very easy to start. These were point and condenser bikes and if adjusted properly and one knew the procedure for kicking it, they would start without much issue. The electronic ignitions changed that as they wouldn't fire right away. That's a good looking bike, brings back a lot of memories. I wish I still had mine. Tracked it down to a guy in New Mexico but he won't part with it.
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Help Identifying FX Super Glide Model Year!!
