My new/old Harley copsickle!

mkk41

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Well , after 20-some years of wheeling my reliable old 1968 Harley Davidson Electra-Glide , I came to the sad truth that it was time to semi-retire my faithful old steed.

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The old 4-speed Shovelhead just wasn't making it with my fat butt , G/Fs not so fat butt , luggage for two and 85 mph highway traffic. Plus sitting in hot , humid NE gridlock , lack of effective front brakes (I call em anti-stop) , todays bad gas , etc. A few months back , heading to a gun show , she overheated a few times sitting in a long construction zone backup and then after too many miles at full throttle , she started puffing some smoke. Had to repeat the ordeal on the way home. It was time for a new 'traveling' bike , something for the long haul..

So after brief search , I found this. It needed a bit of TLC , but the price was right.

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A 1997 ex-Police Road King. Only 34,000mi , it don't look like much now , needs some TLC after sitting awhile and some 'fixing' by someone who should not handle tools. But she runs and rides great and with air-adjustable front & rear suspension and air-ride seat , it's all day comfortable. It's fuel injected , so it's eerily smooth compared to my other Harleys. Has great front and rear brakes. Lot's of room for 'stuff' , even got the trunk or 'Tour-Pak' as Harley calls it , that hooks on the rack in back of the passenger seat. 80 cu.in. Evo motor and 5 speed trans make for easy highway running. We'll give it some attention over the winter , maybe a paint job in the next year or so.

As for my beloved '68 , she'll get another freshening up over this winter. Maybe put the original hand shift-foot clutch set-up back on. She'll still get rode often , but the Road King will get called on for highway duty and long trips.
 
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always nice to secure a new ride.....where's the Old Dawg gonna stay 'semi-retired'????
 
Tried out for motors about 25 or so years ago. Fell over the first day. Day two, back in a Plymouth.
 
been thinking about a newer horse myself. not selling my flh just adding a newer model. those cop bikes are all low mileage with a pretty friendly price tag & nice drivable manners
 
been thinking about a newer horse myself. not selling my flh just adding a newer model. those cop bikes are all low mileage with a pretty friendly price tag & nice drivable manners

Actually , they're very reasonable in todays economy. Most PDs lease them from dealerships. Dealer maintained , they get cleaned up and sold to the public when the lease is up. New bikes ain't selling. Harley's stock is in the sewer. They laid off 3500 workers. They're talking about closing the York PA assembly plant. Dealers still have 2008 and 2009 , but they don't seem to want to deal/discount them. The suckers that paid $5000 above MSRP to get on a 2 year waiting list during the Harley craze 10 years ago , and are hurting now , seem to think they're gonna get they're money out of them. They're asking 15-18G for 7-10 years old bikes. Watch on Ebay. Low milage bikes ain't selling or meeting reserve.
 
The suckers that paid $5000 above MSRP to get on a 2 year waiting list during the Harley craze 10 years ago , and are hurting now , seem to think they're gonna get they're money out of them. They're asking 15-18G for 7-10 years old bikes. Watch on Ebay. Low milage bikes ain't selling or meeting reserve.

Perfect assessment of today's market. The bottom fell out of the Harley market like the oil drip on an AMF.
 
1974 XLXH

Say what you will about AMF bikes, there are still a lot on the road. Leakers? Yeah, production goofs.
My early '74 XLCH "last of the right-foot shifters" and a AMF decal on the tank. Always left it's mark. I fixed it, folded corner gasket on the oil pump. Oh, I still have it after 34 years. And it still runs like a raped-ape.
XLCH. NOT XLXH although that would be a cool designation.
CH=Competition HOT
XH= eXtra HOT
 
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I have many miles long ago on harleys. I havent had one for many years. I am wanting one again, however I cant justify one. My wife and I are both huge. She has a bad back and it would kill her plus we would be jammed up. We do everything together and it just wouldnt do to go by myself. At one time in my life I would have bet I would own a harley up untill I died.
Now, of all times, I ran into a deal. I have a friend that owns a 2006 harley heritage softail classic. It only has less then 600 miles on it! It does need bags, windsheld and crashbars and a large saddle before I would seriously ride it. About another 3 to 4K of equipment, however it is like brand new and he will take 13 K for it!
I am fighting with myself over it!
 
Rode a HD police bike years ago.. 1953 vintage. They put a car battery on one side to run the radios and sirens and such.

Had to put an 50 cal ammo can with an equal weight of lead on the other side to maintain the balance.
Only rear suspension was the seat springs.

Had the hand shift/foot clutch and a heel activated siren that was spun by the rear tire.

That sucker was a killer to ride and I loved every second of it.
 
My brother has a 200? ex-KCPD Road King, as well as a '76 Liberty Edition 'Glide and a '47 (sumthin' head). The Road King looks good. My kid bought a Sportster a few years back. I rode it once and that was enough...least friendly bike I ever rode. My 63 year old self will stick with my 63 year old airplane.
 
cwspook, what kind of plane? That figures to 1946. I soloed in a 1946 luscombe 8A. That was 65 HP, no starter or radio.
 
I soloed in a Luscombe 8F back in '81. Here's the plane I own...a 1946 Aeronca Chief, first registered with the CAA on the day I was born.

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Thats great! I havent been active for a long time but I still own this 1972 citaberia GCBC. It`s on a long term rebuild right now.

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Pretty! I've had an hour or so in a Champ and one aerobatic ride in a Citabria with one of the guys from the Marion Cole airshow bunch. I bought the Chief because it qualifies as an LSA so I can fly again without having to pass a medical.
 
I am pushing 69. I am on warfarin, a blood thinner and had to fight for my last physical, now its good for only one year at a time. My flying is a long sad story. Started and stopped a few times since mid 60s. A buddys daughter ground looped it, I moved while he has been rebuilding it. Hopefully I will be flying sometime this comeing year. It wont make the sport catagory. I also used to own a tri-pacer.
 
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