new Rider..to Harleys anyway..
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Stage IV
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 4
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new Rider..to Harleys anyway..
Hello all, just thought I'd introduce myself. My story, in a nutshell; I inherited a '99 FLSTC from my dad about a year ago (before offering your sympathies, he's still alive, just never rode it
) and have been trying to get it road worthy ever since. Though new to Harleys, I've been riding for over 20 years, all on Japanese sportbikes. My dad bought it brand new,rode his soft tail for all of 2 years and then let the poor thing sit in his garage, covered with rags, wood and whatever else got thrown on top of it. Last time my wife and I went back east to visit my folks, I asked him what the hell he was going to do with it. He said "Want it?" I said "hell yeah!" and a few months and $700 later it was in my garage in Cali. Now the fun started. yeah, he parked in his garage. But left it full of fluids. I probably don't tell you the mess that the gas tanks, gas tank filter, petcock and carb were in. I tried to rebuild the carb but all the rubber gaskets from the petcock back were rotted. The floatbowl gasket let gas leak like a sive and I had big chunks of God-Know-What coming out of the tank. Well got her somewhat cleaned up, rode it for a while, caught the carb on fire (another story unto itself) bought another one off eBay, come to find out that if oil is left too long in the crank, it can turn acidic (well, that's what a Harley mechanic told me anyway) and come to find out that the stator is shot.
wow..now it's sitting in pieces in my garage, I'm halfway done prepping my tanks with Por-15 and am eyeballing a stator/ rectifier combo off eBay.
As I've stated, this is a brand new style of riding with me. I'm a pretty aggressive rider on my sportbike and spend a lot of time doing trackdays. But in the last few years, getting on the S/bike, I feel like it's work. always having to go fast. First time I got on the Harley (when it was running briefly), it was like ridng for the first time. I got to sit back and enjoy the view and the ride. I got to actually see the scenery and didn't worry so much about getting to a destination as fast as possible.
Anyway, sorry for being so long winded
) and have been trying to get it road worthy ever since. Though new to Harleys, I've been riding for over 20 years, all on Japanese sportbikes. My dad bought it brand new,rode his soft tail for all of 2 years and then let the poor thing sit in his garage, covered with rags, wood and whatever else got thrown on top of it. Last time my wife and I went back east to visit my folks, I asked him what the hell he was going to do with it. He said "Want it?" I said "hell yeah!" and a few months and $700 later it was in my garage in Cali. Now the fun started. yeah, he parked in his garage. But left it full of fluids. I probably don't tell you the mess that the gas tanks, gas tank filter, petcock and carb were in. I tried to rebuild the carb but all the rubber gaskets from the petcock back were rotted. The floatbowl gasket let gas leak like a sive and I had big chunks of God-Know-What coming out of the tank. Well got her somewhat cleaned up, rode it for a while, caught the carb on fire (another story unto itself) bought another one off eBay, come to find out that if oil is left too long in the crank, it can turn acidic (well, that's what a Harley mechanic told me anyway) and come to find out that the stator is shot.wow..now it's sitting in pieces in my garage, I'm halfway done prepping my tanks with Por-15 and am eyeballing a stator/ rectifier combo off eBay.
As I've stated, this is a brand new style of riding with me. I'm a pretty aggressive rider on my sportbike and spend a lot of time doing trackdays. But in the last few years, getting on the S/bike, I feel like it's work. always having to go fast. First time I got on the Harley (when it was running briefly), it was like ridng for the first time. I got to sit back and enjoy the view and the ride. I got to actually see the scenery and didn't worry so much about getting to a destination as fast as possible.
Anyway, sorry for being so long winded
Elite HDF Member
Joined: Aug 2008
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From: Suriname
welcome and have fun
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