Daily Slideshow: Twin-Cam Harley FXR Is One Dirty Custom

Gettin' Dirty

It's been nearly two decades since the last Harley-Davidson FXR rolled off the assembly line. And obviously, a lot has changed over that time period. So what's a self-admitted FXR nut like Frank Vidal to do if he wants modern reliability and power with his favorite bike? Vidal has owned 10+ FXRs over the years, so he obviously knows what he likes and doesn't like. So with an idea in mind, he rang up Mark Dunn of Dirty Customz/DunnRite Bikes to do the "dirty" work for him.

>>Join the conversation about this FXR Twin-Cam right here in the Harley-Davidson Forum!

Perfect Candidate

Vidal didn't want to go the Evo route with his latest build. In fact, he wanted the very latest drivetrain technology that Harley had to offer in a package that was also easy to work on. So he began his search for a suitable swap candidate.  “All I found when I started this was a 2000 FXR4 frame in New York while surfing an online forum,” Vidal told Hot Bike. “It had been posted over a year, and I reached out to the guy and was lucky because he still had it.”

>>Join the conversation about this FXR Twin-Cam right here in the Harley-Davidson Forum!

Hard Work Pays Off

Of course, incorporating a modern twin-cam engine into this classic ride wasn't exactly going to be easy. It took countless hours, according to Vidal, just to make the new bagger wiring harness work on this frame. Not to mention a ton of fabrication. But obviously, that hard work paid off, as Vidal reports that his sweet new ride handles better than any new bike and is stone dead reliable, too.

>>Join the conversation about this FXR Twin-Cam right here in the Harley-Davidson Forum!

Building a Corner Carver

Instead of going with a Twin Cam 88, the crew decided to lump a punched out, 113ci Twin-Cam in this old FXR. Loaded with Screamin' Eagle bits, this ride is no longer a slouch. They didn't ignore the suspension, either, adding fully adjustable front and rear setup with GPR stabilizer to allow Vidal to fine tune the ride to his liking. Vidal even went with smallish 19-inch front and 16-inch rear wheels so as not to mess up the handling characteristics.

>>Join the conversation about this FXR Twin-Cam right here in the Harley-Davidson Forum!

Two-Wheeled Art

Of course, this FXR isn't just about performance. It looks every bit as good as it goes thanks to an incredible level of detail. The complex and downright gorgeous Red Candy and Orange paint were put down by Newstalgia Hot Rods & Custom Paint, with enough artwork to keep your eyes busy for hours. All-in-all, it's Vidal's idea of the perfect FXR. And considering how much experience he has with them, who are we to argue?

>>Join the conversation about this FXR Twin-Cam right here in the Harley-Davidson Forum!

For help with service and maintenance of your bike, check out the how to section of HDForums.com