Rode my buddy's Harley

[kerrfunk]

Rusty and I were able to take a 75-mile ride on this gorgeous fall day. Bright sky, 70 degrees, windy, it was b-e-a-utiful.

We take a rest stop and he asks if I want to give his 86 HD Electra Glide a spin around the parking lot.

Sure, why not.

I take a few laps. It's a little lower, wider, heavier than my 1100. I wasn't used to the heel shifter and the placement of the rear brake lever, but it was just an empty parking lot. A few figure eights, got up into 2nd or 3rd (I really missed the gear indicator!!!) and I parked it.

I asked if he wanted to take my 1100 around a bit, but he didn't want to get Suzuki on his boots.

:lol:

Seriously, because of his heel shifter he has "nice" boots that he doesn't want to scuff, I guess. I'd probly be the same way.


I like my zuk!

 

[Redman]

I dont know if the heel-toe shifter or just the general cadence of the shifting the H-D was harder for me.
BY cadence I mean:
Roll off throttle, wait 1 - 2, pull clutch, wait 1 - 2, shift lever, release lever, release clutch & roll on throttle.

Thanks for posting story and picture. Looks like a couple shiney well kept bikes.

Interesting about his concern for shifter smudge on his boots.
.

 

[madjack57754]

86 civilian slabside. That is actually a very rare bike! Slab sides are one piece tanks with no gauges in the tank. Only see slabbies in cop bikes anymore. Harley only made 50 per year for the general public and most were sold with sidecars. 86 was the first belt drive, 5 speed evo and the last of the slabsides.
I really like the heel/toe shifter. On a FLH it seems natural with that seating position.
No gear indicator? My old 86 FLHTC had one.

 

[kerrfunk]

86 civilian slabside. That is actually a very rare bike! Slab sides are one piece tanks with no gauges in the tank. Only see slabbies in cop bikes anymore. Harley only made 50 per year for the general public and most were sold with sidecars. 86 was the first belt drive, 5 speed evo and the last of the slabsides.
I really like the heel/toe shifter. On a FLH it seems natural with that seating position.
No gear indicator? My old 86 FLHTC had one.

I think he bought it new back in 86. I'll mention your post to him. He keeps asking when I'm gonna get a bike with a rubber band

Rusty's a good guy. When I have bike trouble he's right over to help me out. I think he kinda thinks of me as his riding son (he has a grown son who doesn't ride). He's mostly deaf (some kind of advanced progressive loss) and he loves to gab, which is always a little awkward, especially when you roll up next to him at a traffic light, especially since my full face helmet obscures my lips so he can't read 'em. Thank God for texting

 

[kerrfunk]

by the way, madjack, Rusty is well impressed with your knowledge, especially from looking at that one picture. And no, he never had a sidecar, but if you have one to sell...

He wanted to tell the forum that he had an old Suzi, a 72 two-stroke six-speed 380cc, and he smoked all the 750 Hondas! He also used to have a mid-70s Yammie, maybe 750 or so.

 

[Road_Clam]

Rusty and I were able to take a 75-mile ride on this gorgeous fall day. Bright sky, 70 degrees, windy, it was b-e-a-utiful.

We take a rest stop and he asks if I want to give his 86 HD Electra Glide a spin around the parking lot.

Sure, why not.

I take a few laps. It's a little lower, wider, heavier than my 1100. I wasn't used to the heel shifter and the placement of the rear brake lever, but it was just an empty parking lot. A few figure eights, got up into 2nd or 3rd (I really missed the gear indicator!!!) and I parked it.

I asked if he wanted to take my 1100 around a bit, but he didn't want to get Suzuki on his boots.

:lol:

Seriously, because of his heel shifter he has "nice" boots that he doesn't want to scuff, I guess. I'd probly be the same way.


I like my zuk!

A "spin around the parking lot" is NOT a fair accessment for any bike..... trust me, take an FL for a ride for a few hours, then you will enjoy the "other" half of motorcycle cruising enjoyment... Also FL's have come a LONG way since the EVO engines of '86...

FYI, I agree heel/toe shifters are absolutely useless IMO, I threw the H/T shifter off my Fatboy in the trash the second hour after I purchesed my bike ! LOL

 

[kerrfunk]

A "spin around the parking lot" is NOT a fair accessment for any bike.....

Of course it isn't. A toe in the water, tops. And I don't know whether I'd like the HT shifter or not. Certainly I'm not used to it but people can adapt... I'd be happy to ride Rusty's bike for reals someday, but neither Harley nor the hard bags are for me at this point in my life.

 

[fnkvn]

86 civilian slabside. That is actually a very rare bike! Slab sides are one piece tanks with no gauges in the tank. Only see slabbies in cop bikes anymore. Harley only made 50 per year for the general public and most were sold with sidecars. 86 was the first belt drive, 5 speed evo and the last of the slabsides.
I really like the heel/toe shifter. On a FLH it seems natural with that seating position.
No gear indicator? My old 86 FLHTC had one.

Respectfully, not sure what you mean?

Every single FLHT from 1983 on up was a one piece tank, without guages? The fuel tanks all looked like the one in the picture, until maybe 1987?

When a "slab side" is refered to, on an HD, it is usually refering to the right side case on a Shovelhead, from '65 to '69, when it was generator equipped. A '70 through '84 Shovelhead motor is sometimes refered to as a "cone shovel".

 

[Guest]

Im not sure about an FL of any year. The look too much like an "oldwang" to me. And as for the hear toe shifter, I ditched mine as well. Also remove the boards(cause I like to turn) and replaced em with some OE type forwards.
The boards and the toe shifter are collecting dust in my basment.

How many miles does that Geezer have on it?

 

[kerrfunk]

How many miles does that Geezer have on it?

Rusty's bike is a 1986 (only 24 years old, compared to my 28 year old GS) has roundabouts 64,000 miles on it, IIRC

 

[Rover]

Love the floorboards on my Roadstar.

Im not sure about an FL of any year. The look too much like an "oldwang" to me. And as for the hear toe shifter, I ditched mine as well. Also remove the boards(cause I like to turn) and replaced em with some OE type forwards.
The boards and the toe shifter are collecting dust in my basment.

How many miles does that Geezer have on it?

 

[Guest]

Love the floorboards on my Roadstar.

Oh I liked em fine, as long as I didnt wanna turn

 

[Road_Clam]

I dragged the boards frequently, then after I added floorboard extension brackets for added leg room, now drag the boards just backing my bike out of the shed..