I own a 2003 Fatboy. It has at least 65K on it (when the speedo last worked), has been down, fixed, engine rebuilt but it is now looking pretty tired and worn out. I've been considering a new bike but I really enjoy every mile I put on the Fatboy. I've decided with a bonus check I'm getting to put a few bucks into her and get things back into shape. I'm hoping to get some advice here in the forum as things progress. I won't do any work myself - I strip bolts, ding fenders and generally make a mess of any work I try to do myself.

Looks have never been a major interest for me. Attitude is important. When someone sees the bike now they get the general impression that it's been rode hard and put away wet. I don't own a car so this is the vehicle I use for commuting, groceries, vacations and getting around. It will never have the show bike look and I'm OK with that. But it does need to look respectable and I don't think it is there now.

The most important issues are that the bike is reliable, runs well, everything functions and it is comfortable on long and short trips. Beyond that, some personal touches may slip in but they are secondary. There are other details about the bike which may come out as time goes on. I don't want to get too long winded.

With that in mind I've come up with a list that I'm working on prioritizing. I don't know what brands or models are best nor do I really have a feel for best practices. I look over the pictures and discussion on the web and really, a lot of it is over my head. I could get silly, go to a shop, give them money and tell them to do what they want. I'm hoping advice from the group here will help me make smarter decisions.

Here's the current list in order of priority:

1. Front and rear suspension components - never replaced, seems mushy
2. Check / replace transmission (maybe 6-speed?) - thinking this might be the source of the rattles
3. Check / replace clutch - maybe rattles here
4. Hunt down rattles - could be anything, hope it doesn't fall off
5. Replace most of front cabling - after a few handlebar changes, I've had to splice wires
6. Fix the speedometer - my GPS tells me the speed but this should get fixed
7. Replace floorboards - just about worn these out
8. Brighter headlight - I'm getting old or cars are getting more invisible
9. Beach bars, 1.25", internal wiring - used to have wide bars and miss them
10. Replace mirrors and front turn signals - don't like the Kuryakin mirrors I have now
11. Remove rust - downright embarrassing
12. Replace or repair rear fender - bumped a curb, might be able to bang it out
13. Repaint - used to look pretty good, needs to be subtle
14. Good saddlebags - I hate throw-overs
15. Replace highway pegs - attached to the floorboards, maybe add an engine guard with pegs?
16. Clean or replace wheels - these look ugly gray and can't clean them
17. Replace exhaust - scratched up but the V&H pro pipes have been good to me

That's the list so far. I'll do what I can until the money runs out. My first step is to get advice from others that know better. Then I'll be looking for a shop to do the work. I'm thinking of going to an Independent instead of a Harley dealer. I'll be looking for a reputable shop in the Falls Church, VA area. I'll be looking through the J&P catalog for ideas. I hope to have the bike in the shop around the beginning of March and pray it doesn't take 30 days to get the work done.

I'm open to any advice!

 

Looks like you have an idea of what needs to get done with your list. I am pretty new at the replace/rebuild stage myself, so I will let the guys here jump in with the what to buy and where. I ask a bunch of questions here myself.

When I looked at your pics at the bottom of your post, I lust had to laugh....in that middle pic you look like you have "been rode hard and put away wet".....lol. The first pic of your bike in black and white looks very nice! Good Luck in your quest!

 

Update:

We have a local shop (Brooks Cycle Center) that actually comes to the bike. I've not used them yet but I've read some positive reviews. Jason will be down tomorrow (though we are expecting snow) to take a look at the bike, diagnose the rattles and work out a plan for getting her back up to par. We'll go over the list, prioritize and schedule.

After a few email exchanges, he seems to understand what I want done and also understands this isn't a one-shot project but will probably be done over time. He also mentioned that I can purchase parts via the catalogs for him to install. I like this idea because it leaves the options wide open.

I've been reading most of the posts in the softail section of this forum looking for ideas. The first step is to get rid of the rattles. I've already went through one engine rebuild because I ignored some noises. Right now I'm taking the attitude that if it ain't broke, don't fix it. If it is broke, upgrade it.

 

Well just my luck. The snow's coming down hard here in Northern Virginia so no bike work today. Hopefully I can have it looked at on the weekend.

I've been looking through some frontend stuff. For handlebars I think I'll go with the Wild 1 Road King WO508. It is either that or the Burly Bikini Bar. The big difference seems to be the angle of the grips where the WO508 appears to be straighter back.

I mentioned I want to get rid of the Kuryakyn mirrors with turn signals. I'm thinking of going with the Arlen Ness Rad II tear drops along with the Battastini oval grips (rear pegs and shifter too). The grips have those bearing inserts so I don't know if that will interfere with putting the cabling in the handlebars. Small mirrors should be OK as I find I turn my head before making any lane shifts anyway. They are just there because they have to be.

For the turn signals, I'm considering going with some sort of light bar. That doesn't really go along with keeping things simple but it seems like an easy solution for getting the turn signals off the handlebars. Also, it would give me a little more light. Alternatively, I'm thinking of just mounting turn signals to the forks. I'm using the headlight cowl so I don't know if I can fit a light bar with that.

Of course, this comes after hunting down the rattles but I'm sitting at home, it's snowing out and I'm keeping busy going through the catalogs.

The attached picture is something I found on the web. I can't remember where. But I really like the look of this.

 

First, good idea checking here. There's a wealth in information here, but take it all (including mine) with a grain of salt. Most of us aren't experts, though we play one on the message board .

A quick word regarding the bars. I might suggest the Wild One 518 Road King II bars rather than the 508s. The 518s will keep your wrists straighter, eliminating the kind of "wheelbarrow effect" you might get from the 508s. I have found the 518s to be extremely comfortable. You can see them in my sig pic.

Also, if money is a factor, Wild One sells so-called "blemished" bars at a considerable discount -- and usually you can't find the blemish unless you look really hard. The ones I bought had a tiny black mark under where the grip goes. Look here. Unless you're going for show bike quality (which you're not), these are a smart choice.

Good luck.

 

Before you spend the money for new rear and front suspension, you might try changing the fork oil to SE weight oil and firming your rear shocks up by turning the body a few turns.
That might be enough, if not it wont cost much to find out.
Tom

 

Can you straighten out the fender good enough so you can cover the damage with a chrome rear fender tip? If the fender tip will cover the damage, you can rattle can spray paint under the tip area, to keep it from rusting.
Tom

 

Thanks for the advice on the bars. I just read some other posts on the 508s vs. the 518s. Someone mentioned the 518s might be better for taller riders. I'm 6'2" so maybe that's the direction I should be heading. I'm trying to envision what any handle bar would be like on the bike but of course that's impossible. Another bar I'm looking at is the Carlini Freeway Bar 1.50. They are wider (38.5" vs 35.5") but the pullback is only 8.5" vs. 14.4". That makes me think I'll be leaning forward quite a bit with the Carlinis. Something my old back won't appreciate.

As for the suspension, being safety related I'll discuss this with the mech and let him guide me. I've never had anything but stock components for suspension so I don't think I'd miss anything more fancy. I did the Tail of the Dragon once with the Fatboy but my speeds were so low I could have walked faster. I have considered lowering the bike because I think that looks great but I've rubbed the frame (actually the floorboard mounts) on turns a few times. It probably isn't a good idea for me. If I upgrade the rear suspension I'm thinking of the Progressive 422 series and maintaining the height.

The fender will be later than sooner. The picture of the black bike above was an inspiration of simplicity and a chrome tip would go against that. I'm thinking, if it can't be banged out, I might have it cut down. I even like the all-black paint over the ghost flames I have right now.

Thanks for the ideas! I hope they keep coming.

 

Hey I'm in Northern Virginia too. I've read reviews about Brooks Cycle Center, but I've never dealt with him. Do you know if he has a website? Do you know his price to do a small task such as tire replacement?

 

Hey Steve. I've not worked with him before but I heard good things. I'll be sure to let you know how the early work turns out. I'm going to try and get him down the house this weekend to do a "diagnostic." He charges $50 for the diagnostic. According to his quote, the $50 is refunded if the work quoted is completed by Brooks. That's a pretty good start.