* New Bike? or Mod Mine?? *
Road Master
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 1,231
Likes: 0
From: Nor-Kal
Do you like your bike? Does it ride good for you? If so, upgrade what you got... If you think it handles like crap and you are unhappy with the way it rides then maybe you should check out one of the newer scoots.
I have an '07 Street Glide, I put progressive 940 shocks / monotubes on it and will have a glide-pro setup on it shortly.. The difference with the new shocks / forks is night and day, the glide-pro should help my bike SURPASS the handling of the newer scoots. I OWN IT, I know where I stand with it and the thought of starting over on a new bike makes me sick.
That's my take on it.
If you do the 95" kit call up Dan Baisley and get his suggestions on a build. He will set you straight on heads / pistons / cams...
I have an '07 Street Glide, I put progressive 940 shocks / monotubes on it and will have a glide-pro setup on it shortly.. The difference with the new shocks / forks is night and day, the glide-pro should help my bike SURPASS the handling of the newer scoots. I OWN IT, I know where I stand with it and the thought of starting over on a new bike makes me sick.
That's my take on it.
If you do the 95" kit call up Dan Baisley and get his suggestions on a build. He will set you straight on heads / pistons / cams...
Thread Starter
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Road Captain
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 583
Likes: 2
From: South Florida
Does 2200 for s&s cam/gearshift kit, bored out cylinders, new pistons installed sound too low to you? Just asked a mechanic friend and he said it's not too possible to do it for the cheap with labor. 10 hours of labor + parts.
Club Member
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 45,429
Likes: 2,898
From: Bedford UK
Some of you are missing something here! Owning a bike is more than just an economics excercise, it involves what some may know as man-math. The arithmetic of what spend is justified can be adjusted to match the circumstances, with very little effort.
OP Jeff seems to have bought a bargain with his bike, so he has more room to manoeuvre with his man-math. If he is a motorcyclist, rather than a boutique rider, he doesn't need to make the sums add up. If I were to do that my bike has cost me a fortune over the last 20 years (I do know how much!).
If Jeff is of a mind to do so he could keep his bike and steadily adapt it over time, improving this then that, improve brakes, handling, ride comfort, performance, etc. There are two choices: buy a different bike at regular intervals and spend money every time, or develop the same bike at steady intervals, making it more personal at every step.
The cost of the engine mods you mention Jeff are not great and fit neatly into man-math. I suggest you can justify a significant increase on that and get even more performance for your money! There are great engine builders here on HDF who can help out....
OP Jeff seems to have bought a bargain with his bike, so he has more room to manoeuvre with his man-math. If he is a motorcyclist, rather than a boutique rider, he doesn't need to make the sums add up. If I were to do that my bike has cost me a fortune over the last 20 years (I do know how much!).
If Jeff is of a mind to do so he could keep his bike and steadily adapt it over time, improving this then that, improve brakes, handling, ride comfort, performance, etc. There are two choices: buy a different bike at regular intervals and spend money every time, or develop the same bike at steady intervals, making it more personal at every step.
The cost of the engine mods you mention Jeff are not great and fit neatly into man-math. I suggest you can justify a significant increase on that and get even more performance for your money! There are great engine builders here on HDF who can help out....
Road Warrior
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 1,616
Likes: 17
From: Mid West
A guy I work with looked at new '05 and '06 bikes back then, he did not like them as they did not have carb option, that ended with the '05's as far as I am aware. His 'Big Plan' was to buy a new FI bike and have it converted back to carb as he knew(or at least considered he knew) how to work on them to get super economy. He never went down that road as he found he would have to convert the ignition system, the fuel system and swap the fuel tank as the internal pump set up for FI wouldn't work for carb very well, way too many dollars even if he had gone cheap and done the least to just make it run he would have never made the economy he bragged of. He still won't buy a new ride as they can't be easily carbed out.
My '03 gets the same economy as the late 90's FI bikes if not better, I added a FuelPak to it which varies the timing as well the fuel delivery generating good power from the 88, his Fat Boy gets 3mpg better than my RK but he has less drag with no hard bags and he is 100lbs lighter than me. Proof was in the pudding last fall, his bike flooded during a ride into Kentucky, took all of a hour to get it cleared and the bike running fair, the other three of us were started, running and ready to go in minutes after we got out of the motel room, all ours FI. I gotta face it though, FI made me lazier as it is easier to start and get on the road.
My '03 gets the same economy as the late 90's FI bikes if not better, I added a FuelPak to it which varies the timing as well the fuel delivery generating good power from the 88, his Fat Boy gets 3mpg better than my RK but he has less drag with no hard bags and he is 100lbs lighter than me. Proof was in the pudding last fall, his bike flooded during a ride into Kentucky, took all of a hour to get it cleared and the bike running fair, the other three of us were started, running and ready to go in minutes after we got out of the motel room, all ours FI. I gotta face it though, FI made me lazier as it is easier to start and get on the road.
Club Member
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 45,429
Likes: 2,898
From: Bedford UK
A guy I work with looked at new '05 and '06 bikes back then, he did not like them as they did not have carb option, that ended with the '05's as far as I am aware. His 'Big Plan' was to buy a new FI bike and have it converted back to carb as he knew(or at least considered he knew) how to work on them to get super economy. He never went down that road as he found he would have to convert the ignition system, the fuel system and swap the fuel tank as the internal pump set up for FI wouldn't work for carb very well, way too many dollars even if he had gone cheap and done the least to just make it run he would have never made the economy he bragged of. He still won't buy a new ride as they can't be easily carbed out.
My '03 gets the same economy as the late 90's FI bikes if not better, I added a FuelPak to it which varies the timing as well the fuel delivery generating good power from the 88, his Fat Boy gets 3mpg better than my RK but he has less drag with no hard bags and he is 100lbs lighter than me. Proof was in the pudding last fall, his bike flooded during a ride into Kentucky, took all of a hour to get it cleared and the bike running fair, the other three of us were started, running and ready to go in minutes after we got out of the motel room, all ours FI. I gotta face it though, FI made me lazier as it is easier to start and get on the road.
My '03 gets the same economy as the late 90's FI bikes if not better, I added a FuelPak to it which varies the timing as well the fuel delivery generating good power from the 88, his Fat Boy gets 3mpg better than my RK but he has less drag with no hard bags and he is 100lbs lighter than me. Proof was in the pudding last fall, his bike flooded during a ride into Kentucky, took all of a hour to get it cleared and the bike running fair, the other three of us were started, running and ready to go in minutes after we got out of the motel room, all ours FI. I gotta face it though, FI made me lazier as it is easier to start and get on the road.
There just isn't the thrill, at the start of the day in a strange and distant place, of pressing the button and wondering if it will fire - or the relief when it roars into life! That experience is priceless and I doubt if an EFI bike will give it.
My sig pic is of my bike at rest in France, filthy from our trip to Poland from our home in the UK. The sunshine you see is the first we enjoyed last May in two weeks! Slovenia in a few weeks time, all being well....
Outstanding HDF Member
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 2,826
Likes: 1
From: Lynchburg, Va
grbrown,
I like the way you think, man!
There is absolutely no need to trade up bikes every few years when you can make the one you already own what YOU want and not lose your *** every time you trade/sell. Good points indeed.
Shakey
I like the way you think, man!
There is absolutely no need to trade up bikes every few years when you can make the one you already own what YOU want and not lose your *** every time you trade/sell. Good points indeed.
Shakey
Club Member
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 45,429
Likes: 2,898
From: Bedford UK
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The problem is not the frame, it's the swingarm and rubber motor/trans mounts. Run progressive shocks or equivalent, glide-pro or sta-bo swingarm bushings, glide pro front motor mount and upgrade the tires to E3 or Metz, and the handling will be as good as it gets with the harley touring frame.
Old frame/new frame, it doesn't matter all that much anyway. We're still talking about a big, old-technology touring platform, and any handling upgrades will only be incremental at best.
If you really wanted a good handling Harley, you'd be riding a dyna or older FXRS.
If handling was the most important consideration in your choice of motorcycles, you'd probably be riding another brand.
Keep the older bikes and make them your own. A really well thought out, personalized older bike is much more interesting than another cookie-cutter new bike.
I'll be keeping my floppy framed 07. Any money that would have gone into buying a newer bike will be going into performance upgrades.
Road Warrior
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 1,788
Likes: 5
From: Tennessee
KEEP WHAT YOU GOT!!! You will not benefit from buying an 07 08 09 10 11 for more power. A well built 95 will wax the floor with a 96. I have an 05 punched out to 95" with SE parts and i run away from even 110's. Now don't get me wrong, there are 103's and 110's out there that are faster but not 12000 bikes. In my opinion if you like your carb, build that sucker to 100hp/100tq and ride that baby! Oh and that new frame everyone is talkin about, not worth the money!!!!!!!!!!!