2005 Nighttrain or 2007 Nighttrain
Road Captain
Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 570
Likes: 2
mine's a 07 train...
main complaint would be heat...i run syn oil and aftermarket ecm and still can get nasty hot while on heavy traffic....
there's a recall regarding the battery terminals touching the oil bag causing fire and exploding oil lines, i had fixed it myself without knowing of the recall by putting rubber cushions between the batt post and oil bag
not an issue, but while the motor is idle it revs too high and supposedly you could do some damage if you lower it to +/-600 rpm....just doesn't have what i consider the classic harley sound whie idling
with all said, i love my ride, black motor, 200mm rear tire, skinny 21" up front...both years should be plenty fast for what they are for, as well as the gearbox
main complaint would be heat...i run syn oil and aftermarket ecm and still can get nasty hot while on heavy traffic....
there's a recall regarding the battery terminals touching the oil bag causing fire and exploding oil lines, i had fixed it myself without knowing of the recall by putting rubber cushions between the batt post and oil bag
not an issue, but while the motor is idle it revs too high and supposedly you could do some damage if you lower it to +/-600 rpm....just doesn't have what i consider the classic harley sound whie idling
with all said, i love my ride, black motor, 200mm rear tire, skinny 21" up front...both years should be plenty fast for what they are for, as well as the gearbox
Ultimate HDF Member
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 7,439
Likes: 884
From: 'Noke, VA
I've got an '05, and I'd vote for the '05. Make sure the valve guide seals were taken care of. The 88 is a good motor, the 5 speed's a better transmission than the CruiseDrive 6 speed, and I think the big rear tire looks all wrong (and it hurts handling).
Thread Starter
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Advanced
Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 82
Likes: 0
From: Oregon
Alright... the hot exploding oil thing kinda worries me... Not a deal breaker though! What are the Pro's and Cons of owning a carb'd bike over a EFI one and vice versa? I like the EFI bikes cause I can relate to them better, never really knew much about carbs and the couple motorcross bikes I've had I wasnt a fan of their carbs... Dealers have told me that carb bikes take a bit longer to warm up on a cold morning but, so does my diesel truck, so thats not a big deal... Any easier/cheaper to tune a Carb'd bike over an EFI with a tuner module?
New to harleys soo bunch of questions, thought I knew what I wanted but new doors have been opened!
New to harleys soo bunch of questions, thought I knew what I wanted but new doors have been opened!
Road Captain
Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 570
Likes: 2
lol...no need to worry about exploding oil...the dealer has a fix for it, or simply isolate the battery leads with rubber or plastic...i run a 210 metz and she handles great, it has a rounder profile than the stock 200 dunlop so she leans easier
Outstanding HDF Member
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 2,035
Likes: 5
From: near Buffalo, NY
I've got an 06'.
I prefer EFI because I hate messing with the enrichener on cold weather starts. No way I would go back to a carb.
The 200mm makes the bike from the rear, but probably does affect handling in a negative way.
The heads flow better on the 06' and above right from MoCo, but the 05' heads are a better head to rework if you choose..
I like the shift feel of the 6 speed better, but I prefer the gear spacing of the 5 speed for lighter bikes like the FX.
Did that help?
Myself, I would buy the 07.
I prefer EFI because I hate messing with the enrichener on cold weather starts. No way I would go back to a carb.
The 200mm makes the bike from the rear, but probably does affect handling in a negative way.
The heads flow better on the 06' and above right from MoCo, but the 05' heads are a better head to rework if you choose..
I like the shift feel of the 6 speed better, but I prefer the gear spacing of the 5 speed for lighter bikes like the FX.
Did that help?
Myself, I would buy the 07.
Last edited by George C; Mar 4, 2011 at 07:42 AM.
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Road Master
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 845
Likes: 0
From: Just south of Chicago, Illinois
I have an '05 carbed standard. I was happy I bought my bike when I saw the 200 rear..I think it looks bad. My .02. You may think it is 'only' 1.9" but when you look at each one from behind it makes a huge difference. It's something with the way the bobtail fender looks.
Carbs are easier cause you change the slow jet when you want to change exhaust. For FI bikes you need to get SERTs or reflashes of computer parts...or something that costs way more than a slow jet. I will say that the FI bikes run better, I've been on rides with friends that have fuel injected baggers with passengers and I need to get get gas before they do. Either way you're getting a Harley Softail and it's a blank slate for how you want to customize it. You're not getting something that's never going to need any maintenance. Pick one and get ready for spring!!!!
Carbs are easier cause you change the slow jet when you want to change exhaust. For FI bikes you need to get SERTs or reflashes of computer parts...or something that costs way more than a slow jet. I will say that the FI bikes run better, I've been on rides with friends that have fuel injected baggers with passengers and I need to get get gas before they do. Either way you're getting a Harley Softail and it's a blank slate for how you want to customize it. You're not getting something that's never going to need any maintenance. Pick one and get ready for spring!!!!