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Hi everyone! Been "laid up" with heart issues on and off.... but I'm back!
Got a question I'm hoping for some of you have had experience in! My restored 1973 FLH police bike is pictured in this query for reference. I would like to convert it to kick start, leaving the electric start functional. I figure I will need to run "tru duels" for clearance. All very doable but my question is 1) What brand Kickstarter conversion is not junk...Between the big dealers and the auction retailers the prices are all over the place. 2) Are all the tru duels the same and will most of the common "dresser" shields work for them.
Lastly, I don't actually plan to use the kick starter....my knees are not great for this. I just want the nostalgia looks of it. So, do y'all think I'm being a fool and I ought to just leave the bike alone?????
All input would be appreciated!
Used OEM stuff will fix you up fat . My 75 has single exhaust and OEM kicker and works fine , I use it daily when I ride it . It has a ratchet top . My 84 has a kicker also with a cow pie , it works fine with drag pipes .
But...Not for that Cutout (O.E.) cover...
anymore...I leave em alone..Kick Starting is just not necessary on That Bike...if ya wanna Play "Biker" just buy a SuperGlide and Chop it...like the rest of the world.. None of My Business, and I'm not gonna hang out for the Inevitable Abuse...But..I Personally would leave that Beautiful Machine Pretty Much Stock!!! At Least as is..
But...Not for that Cutout (O.E.) cover...
anymore...I leave em alone..Kick Starting is just not necessary on That Bike...if ya wanna Play "Biker" just buy a SuperGlide and Chop it...like the rest of the world.. None of My Business, and I'm not gonna hang out for the Inevitable Abuse...But..I Personally would leave that Beautiful Machine Pretty Much Stock!!! At Least as is..
Hi,
Thanks, no abuse here!
I was an MC cop in '73 and found and bought/ restored this particular bike "because" ....no playing biker here, btw...first Harley was a '48 pan when I was 16. This bike makes the third and last one currently sitting in my garage! My "other " pets! the FXDR is 123 inches.
I have been leaning, heavily, on just what you said.... leaving it just where I have it up to now!
Happy New Year, also.
True duals will give you the needed space. I sourced an OEM transmission cover at a swap, JIMS kick shaft and offset kicker arm from W&W to clear exhaust and Baker internal gears. You could save the money and buy V-Twin gears if you have no intention on using it. My bike came with true duals so it was an easy thing for me to do, I went with Baker because A- Shovels look naked without a kicker B- I wanted to be able to use it in a pinch. Funny how the pinch came around soon after install and I was glad I had a kicker.
PS I have a set of V-Twin gears that I used for a minute, we could make a deal if you want to send me a PM.
Only advice I’ll add is if you do a kicker spend the extra and get the Jim’s 1” longer shaft instead of the stock. It will save all kinda headaches with pipes and clearance issues down the road and it doesn’t wear or bend like a lot do under use.
Only advice Ill add is if you do a kicker spend the extra and get the Jims 1 longer shaft instead of the stock. It will save all kinda headaches with pipes and clearance issues down the road and it doesnt wear or bend like a lot do under use.
I went with the stock length JIMS thinking I would be fine, nope stock kicker arm hit the pipe. Since it was all together, I did the W&W offset arm, so far it has been perfect. To do it again I would get the 1" longer shaft. But now I have an OEM kicker arm for the Pan project.
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Kick starter / exhaust conversion question
