So what value ($$) do you put on your '03 softtail? $10-12K.
Off the top of my head, it might be worth more than a '72 FLH. That was the AMF days!
I'd look for a late model kick start Panhead. A lot less electrical problems without starters and all the associated electrical **** that go with starters.

 

This was my only ride for about 10 years(and its been all over), went to a Street Bob in 06, sold it and bought a Street Glide in 09 because the wife wanted to ride more. She ain't riding so the SG is for sale now and I'm getting another Shovel (something with shocks though, getting older is a bitch)

I do still have the Chopper and it does find its way out every now and then.

 

Jesus that took me on a way back trip , had an old rat panhead like that but nowhere near that clean .

Nice scooter man .

 

Look at the front ends in the second picture , we where animals

 

them old aftermarket springers were scary.. i had a 69 ironhead with a 10" over springer. it sprung every direction but up and down.. unfortunately this picture was taken after i put a wide glide on it

 

i keep forgetting how good this bike looked.. someday i am going to build another one just like it but maybe with a shovel or pan this time..

 

My bike's a '79 FXE Shovel. Wide Glide front end, 5 gal Fat Bobs, and a kick only 4-speed with a 3" BDL open primary. It's a mess. Vibrates like a helicopter and there's always something broken or that's fallen off. It's kinda homely looking with its chipped paint and oil leaks. I have to kick the damn thing into submission every time we need to go somewhere. I can out cuss most pirates and Marines as a direct result of owning this witch. Can't tell you how tired I am of working on this piece of junk, wearing oil-soaked jeans, and waking up in the middle of the night crying out part numbers and torque specs. There are always open wounds on my hands and/or head from fooling with this thing. I hate it with every last fiber of my godforsaken soul and want to douse it in diesel fuel and...

...and then it starts.

I shove all 255 lbs of my big *** down on that kicker and she coughs to life with a rattle akin to breaching the gates of Hell. It's a deep, thundering sound that brings neighbors outside, and then drives them back indoors. This bitch has a deep, otherworldly cackle just like a big-block Chevy. You know you can mess with it, but it's gonna hurt and leave you looking the fool. Ease up into any bike-night parking lot on a Shovel like this and the guys will try to ignore you. Soon as you kill it, the girls will be drifting your way 'cause you don't sound ANYTHING like all the Evos and Twinkies. They're nice. This is nasty. They're attorneys. You're a **** star. Shovels are nowhere nearly as common as they once were and they raise quite a commotion when the they surface nowadays.

Is this what you're looking for? Your trade is a hella-wise choice if that's the case. If you're a hipster looking for the next "hood solid" thang, a Shovel will prison rape your punk ***. It will break you down like a shotgun and leave you crumpled in the corner, whimpering like a four-year-old after a bad dream and fantasizing about suicide. If you pass her tests and manage to nuance her into cooperation, you will be akin to the gods. No woman will resist you. No parts manager will question you. No pig will impede your progress...

 

I'd have to see some pictures to give an idea of real worth very clean stock FLH bikes with all the trim are getting rare . Very true! ... and as others have stated you don't have to be a rocket scientist to keep a Shovel running and giving great service to you ... A little bit of TLC goes a long way ... Also one of the more rewarding factors is that sound bitchin' and are always turning heads at any get together.

 

OK, reviving a dead thread here, so apologies first up.

In the mid '90's I bought an '82 FXRS, first of the rubber mounts with the shovel, great bike, ended up selling before I moved back to Australia and now I totally regret it. I'll be visiting my wifes family in central Ohio in the spring and have found a few '82 FXRS around and I plan on buying one, but, I'll then need to ride it out to the west coast to chuck it on a ship back to Australia. Well, I don't have to, but want to.

What do people think I should be looking at to get a shop to service to make sure it will get from OH/PA/IL/IN to Los Angeles? What tool kit should I be putting together before I leave (I am capable of most engine stuff except the real detailed parts).

I also plan on getting a bunch of new parts and putting them on before departing such as new pipes, air filter, clutch plates, brake pads and the like, consumables mostly. Maybe add a clip on windshield for the trip too.

But really, the gist of the question is what should I be looking for to make sure I make it from East to West?

Cheers
John
'87 FXRS

 

Look for good local indie.