Fifty something UK biker who is currently on my 6th Harley. Gone through some pain with them along the way (every painful one was injection), but my current ride a '96 Fatboy looks like it's here to stay.

Been riding since I was 18, finally in the '80s managed to get my first Harley a 883 Sportster, which I quickly got 'bored' with and had re-bored as a 1200, but then I hated the peanut tank and the 70 miles or so range it gave me.

Moved on to a Wide Glide, and went a bit crazy with the customising, to the point I didn't want to take it out and get it dirty.

By this time I had enough for my first brand new bike and went for an Electra Glide standard with injection - this time I made the mistake of a stage II tune which was totally wrong thing for the bike and me (why would you want the revs that high to get anywhere?), and even though it was less then a year old I changed it for a 95th Anniversary FLHTCUi - this time a stage 1 tune from the dealer. This, lasted less than a year, with major problems with the poor injection system that put of these EVOs, and it had a habit of cutting out when you closed the throttle. After the sixth time in the dealership when I went down to pick it up as 'fixed again', they wheeled it out, I pressed the starter and it started, I opened the throttle and it rev.ed I let go of the throttle and it died! I wasn't impressed.

Two day's later after conversations with Harley UK, they offered a replacement with a new Twin Cam engined bike - but again it was injection which was only version available in Europe. Ten days or so later I picked up the new FLHTCUi twin cam (one of the first in the country) and rode off.... less than a week later I came of the thing - wasn't my fault - the armature bolts had broken, ripped cables through the front of the engine casing and that then leaked primary fluid all over the rear wheel. The dealer offered a replacement engine since they couldn't find the remains of the bolts, repair the damage and pay for the damaged clothes of my passenger and myself. At this point I threw in the towel with regards to the Electra Glides or ANY Harley with fuel injection, and instead went for an 18 month old EVO Fatboy which had a good old fashioned Carb (all be it a Mikuni HS42)

It's not quite the same bike now - the carb. has been replaced with an S&S Super E (mikuni HS42 and OEM CV carbs really don't like English winters with cold damp air - carb icing is common here), the pipes replaced with 2 into 1 Supertrapp, Head Quarters Cam and it now has a Cranes Cams Fireball single fire ignition, HDI headlight, LED Spots and turn signals - the horrid yellow paintwork ben replaced with ghost Grey paintwork and several other cosmetic changes. The extra lights thing having the spots isn't really my thing - but they help Audi drivers and other idiot drivers see me and they're better than day-glow jackets and also explains the replacement of the indicators in the last 5 years for larger brighter ones instead of the previous Ness Mirrors with LED flashers.

Since the I've had the fatboy, over 20 years now (wow! think it's the longest relationship I've had with anyone/anything), it's only let me down three times - the main breaker went at 2am coming home from London (it really is in a stupid place), the Crane Single fire module went once and had to be replaced, and I forgot to leave the trickle charge on and the Fox alarm drained the battery - OK, maybe the last one wasn't the bikes fault. Other than that it's been a joy and I can't see me giving it up any time soon - so it also has a GPS tracker just to make sure it doesn't 'disappear' without a trace

 

 

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