The ongoing saga of my motorcycle builds....

[Handsome Rob]

I'm looking at buying myself a very used bike, specifically a Road Kind, Fatboy/bob or Heritage. One of the fat front end jobs. 

It's going to get a complete strip down & do away with all of the unnecessary bits (fenders, turn signals, shiny bits, any freaking HINT of tassels....) & I'm on a super low budget. I'm not concerned about a title, even. I've titled bikes before & the hassle, to me, is worth the money saving.

Anyway, aside from all that, what I'm wanting to know is, in my price range I'm looking at late Evo & early Twin Cam bikes, probably with pretty high mileage & multiple (I would assume, knowing "Harley Types") clueless previous owners. Which would be the better motor to go with? 

My knowledge of big twins is pretty much limited to sidevalve 45s & later Shovels.

Edited October 4 by Handsome Rob

[Handsome Rob]

Also, if anyone has or knows of a battered, tatty, unloved, cosmetically challenged bike in the 'very sub-4 grand' range, hit a brother up! 

[Handsome Rob]

Out of interest, it's going to end up not dissimilar to this.....

[res308]

The last I had were the late twin cams - 2016 Street Glide Special which I got rid of and got a 2016 Heritage. Loved both, but I needed a new 4wheeler, so, 'tis what 'tis. 

I didn't have any problems out of those, but I always wished I had gone retro and got a late model Evo. 

If you get an early twin cam, if I remember right, you'll need to go in and replace the cam chain tensioners. They can be a good engine but probably need a few things done. 

[aknifemaker]

Evo and Twin Cam are both good motors, but Evo motor parts are getting harder to find, Harley doesn't make them any more so its new old stock or used. I would go with early Twin Cam, can get them with a carb, so they are easier to work on. Only issue I can think of with the early motors is the cam chain tensioner which did not work properly, buy there are replacements for it. I currently have a 2010 road Glide with 40k+ miles and no issues with it at all.

PM me with any questions you may have.

[res308]

I've been out of the game for a bit. Good point on the parts. What about the aftermarket companies like S&S?

[jpx2rk]

I had a 2000 RK, did the big bore kit on it (cam, pistons, exhaust & tuner), and it was a hoss in terms of low end grunt/torque.  I never had a problem with the engine or the bike, but you were almost required to do some mods to the engine as the factory detuned all the power out to meet EPA crap.  GLW the search.

[Darrell]

I expect you've looked at Facebook Marketplace. That's my go-to when I'm looking for a "new" bike.  I've owned a lot of HD's, but I'm done with them. But one great thing about HD is that you can ALWAYS find repro parts. There are a lot of businesses out there to service the obsolete HD market. GL!

[Alleycat72]

Just get an Indian scout bobber and save 10k.

[Handsome Rob]

Just now, Alleycat72 said:

Just get an Indian scout bobber and save 10k.

I'm only planning on spending 4, tops! Fingies crossed I can claw a little bit of that back by selling off everything that doesn't make it start, stop or go around corners. 

[Tom B]

Evo was a good motor

The twin cams were good also, and not every year had the cam chain issue. My "02 didnt, so maybe it was the later years? Plus, most of mine were fuel injected, but never had a issue with the FI system.

In 2017 I sold a '10 Ultra Classic that I put 72,000 on and it still ran great. Never  had anything but maybe 2 minor issues. My '02 Deuce went 40,000 without any issues at all.

Bought a used bike this time instead of new ('12 Road Glide Ultra) and I let the other guy take the hit in cash-lol

My point is I'm a fan of the twin cams

Edited May 1 by Tom B

[WillyK]

I put 93,000 miles on my Evo before I sold it, it still ran fine, never an issue. 

The twin cam cam chain tensioner issue- the tensioner shoes were made of an inferior material that tends to wear out. I checked mine (2004 Deuce) the other day at 49,000 miles and they still look good but I have heard of them failing at 30K. Harley mechanic told me that regular oil changes with synthetic oil keeps them alive longer. The cheapest fix is to replace the shoes with an aftermarket shoe eg: Cyco brand. Can also go with gear drive cams which eliminate the chain and tensioners or install the Harley upgrade which is an upgraded oil pump with hydraulic tensioners that supposedly last much longer. There may be other options that I'm unaware of.

Harley changed the setup in some late 2006 models and all 2007 models so any 2007 + won't have the issue. 

[Handsome Rob]

UPDATE:

Well, I couldn't pass it up. 5 grand, 23k on the clock & a full, detailed, dealer service history & the engine is completely stock. She runs like a sewing machine too. An absolutely perfect example of a tart's handbag.

Unfortunately, I have no idea how it rides because the seals blew out of the front master cylinder, unloading it from the trailer

But, silver lining, that's given me the time & opportunity to eighty-six all the tassels (there were soooo many tassels!) ditch the front fender & turn signals, & lower the rear end 2" I've got wider, flatter handlebars ordered, a pair of fishtails, air cleaner & carb jets & needles, along with a new rear fender, gas tanks, Le Pera Barebones seat (I sold the original for an obscene amount)  & about 4 gallons of black paint. I'd planned on chopping & painting the original tins, but then I saw how much they sold for on ebay (significantly more than half of what I paid for the bike! ) and mine are literally unmarked. Not a single blemish in the paint, at all. 

This is how she's sitting as of 5pm tonight (minus the seat) 

About an hour after I took that, the exhaust heat shields got the matte black treatment. 

[Capbyrd]

On 4/30/2024 at 8:53 AM, Handsome Rob said:

Out of interest, it's going to end up not dissimilar to this.....

 

This has an exile cycles look to it.   I love Russell's bikes. 

[gregintenn]

Not a bad looking bike. It's a shame you are about to destroy it. What year model is it?

 

Looks like an Evo engine. They are quite desirable now.

Edited May 15 by gregintenn

[Handsome Rob]

58 minutes ago, gregintenn said:

Not a bad looking bike. It's a shame you are about to destroy it. What year model is it?

 

Looks like an Evo engine. They are quite desirable now.

It's a '99 FLSTC (Heritage Classic) the last year of the Evo.

"Destroy" is very subjective. I don't like shiny. I like useable without worrying. Hence, selling the Model 70.... 

If I wanted a shiny bike to ogle, I'd have saved $4,990 & bought a poster

[Handsome Rob]

1 hour ago, gregintenn said:

Not a bad looking bike. It's a shame you are about to destroy it. What year model is it?

 

Looks like an Evo engine. They are quite desirable now.

Now, tell me these aren't as sexy as hell.

[gregintenn]

I don't care for it, Rob. My favorite color is chrome! By the way, you stole that bike!

Edited May 15 by gregintenn

[Garufa]

35 minutes ago, gregintenn said:

I don't care for it, Rob. My favorite color is chrome! By the way, you stole that bike!

I was at a Mardi Gras street party down in Baton Rouge many years ago and a guy pulled up on a big chrome Harley and I do mean CHROME.  Every inch of that bike was chrome plated...tank, fenders, all of it.  It was most impressive.

[Handsome Rob]

1 hour ago, gregintenn said:

I don't care for it, Rob. My favorite color is chrome! By the way, you stole that bike!

Hey, someone has to represent during Pride week, no judgment here!

[Smith]

I LOVE the black bobber builds. When I had my vstar 650 this was my dream. Just never had the nerve to cut up a my bike.

Edited May 15 by Smith

[KahrMan]

Great deal on a sweet ride.  Can't wait to see the finished pics. 

[gregintenn]

1 hour ago, Handsome Rob said:

Hey, someone has to represent during Pride week, no judgment here!

Well, I’m just a Harley guy. I reckon I overlooked the “knowledgeable” part of your request.

[Sinuous]

On 4/30/2024 at 8:44 AM, Handsome Rob said:

I'm looking at buying myself a very used bike, specifically a Road Kind, Fatboy/bob or Heritage. One of the fat front end jobs. 

It's going to get a complete strip down & do away with all of the unnecessary bits (fenders, turn signals, shiny bits, any freaking HINT of tassels....) & I'm on a super low budget. I'm not concerned about a title, even. I've titled bikes before & the hassle, to me, is worth the money saving.

Anyway, aside from all that, what I'm wanting to know is, in my price range I'm looking at late Evo & early Twin Cam bikes, probably with pretty high mileage & multiple (I would assume, knowing "Harley Types") clueless previous owners. Which would be the better motor to go with? 

My knowledge of big twins is pretty much limited to sidevalve 45s & later Shovels.

I'm quite fond of shovel heads myself. Solid lifters. Might sound like it's coming apart but they run awesome and are dependable. Plus, you can use Chevy points if you need to in a pinch.

[Darrell]

34 minutes ago, Sinuous said:

Solid lifters

Shovelheads came from the factory with hydraulic lifters, and I found they worked great. I never understood why anyone would switch to solid lifters with all their noise. But to each his own!