MAMBM '06

Early this summer, Rand McNally came down from the tip-o-the-mit, spent the night, and the next morning we headed south for west Tennessee and MAMBM. "Me And My Big Mouth is Roger's" annual NetScum IRL and it's been growing bigger every year. This the first MAMBM for both Rand and myself.

For those who require need an explanation, there's a few hundred motorcycle-riding NetScum out there using the net's resources  to talk about Harleys, politics and life, and to arrange in-real-life parties all over the country.

The Man Cave

Our new Michigan home had an old, two-story carriage house. It was built back when 2x4s were 2" by 4", there wasn't a square corner on it, it was dark, drafty, uninsulated, the roof leaked, and it was freakin' cold when winter winds started to blow. But, the downstairs had plenty of room for bikes, a shop for me, a potting area for Mary, and the upstairs had lots of room for storage.

The house needed a new roof and siding, and we decided to give the garage the same treatment. So, we sided it with vinyl over blue-board, and replaced all the old-broken-down windows. That keeps the rain out and cuts down on the drafts.

Over the summer, my Dad and I will finish insulating upstairs and down.

Wrench Report - Installing Cruise Control:

Come on out to the barn and fish a cold one outta the bottom. Picked up a Cruise Control Kit for 2004 FLHT/C/CI (p/n 77196-04) yesterday. Planned to install it the next day, but figured I'd saunter out to the barn just to, you know, check out all that's involved. A few hours later she was buttoned back up with another black box in her belly.

I guess this is pretty specific as it's for the 2004 model year only, but it might give you an idea of how relatively simple of an install it is. As always, IMNSHO, YMMV, and FYYFF.

The install has three basic elements - installing the Cruise control module, replacing the right handlebar control & harness, and installing the switch/lamp, but they are mostly simple bolt on and plug in procedures.

Installing the module involves pulling the battery, removing the air breather, pulling the left side cover, and moving the fuse box and cable bundles out of the way. The module bolts to the outside of the battery box after snaking the throttle cable to the throttle assy where it clips right on. An existing 10-place receptacle plugs into the module.

The instructions are pretty specific about routing the cable - Right up to the point it says "between the cylinders" Lots of stuff between those cylinders, and I found myself poking around a bit till I figured out where it had to end up.

Replacing the handlebar control and harness was easier by skipping ahead and removing the fairing cap to make room to route the 10-place connector. Again, it just plugs in. The instructions say to use the friction shoe from the old unit, and to slip it onto the point of the adjuster

screw ... There is no adjuster screw, the old one doesn't fit, the owners manual implies that models w/ cruise don't have em, and the current crop of Ultras don't have em. [shrug]
Installing the switch/lamp on the fairing cap involved getting the ignition switch off and slipping a few pin terminals into the fairing switch connector.

Three hours later, I was buttoning her up. The next morning, I took her out to perform the "Cable Lash Initialization." Basically, an electronic cable adjustment, and one of those hold this button whilst starting the bike, pat yer head, rub yer belly, and wait for the computer to go through a few cycles kinda things. A couple of seconds later, revs increased a bit, backed down, the indicator light on the speedo changed from green to red and I was done.

I hopped back on and headed north on US 31. Played with setting speed, increasing & decreasing speed, tested foot brakes & hand brakes, reduced throttle manually, hit resume ... Everything worked as advertised.

Oughta facilitate putting some miles on her this summer.

Chilly BS#226 W MI GLANS MANS SENS
82 FXR "Tennessee Stud"
04 FLHTCi (Conv) "Night" (Redux)
http://webpages.charter.net/bghouse/Chilly/

Harley Davidson FXR

An ode to the Ugly Glide culled from the r.m.h archives and various historical accounts.

Author's 1982 FXR. Photo by W.J. Garlinghouse, all rights reserved.

Designed with a lot of input by Eric Buell, the FXR had the lightest weight and stiffest frame of any big twin. The computer-designed, all-welded frame had a massive box-section backbone, thicker diameter tubing, and massive gusseting around the steering head. The result was the stiffest frame Harley had ever produced.

81.6 ci, reduced compression to burn anything you might put in the tank and an oil consumption package. This was coupled to a new five-speed tranny w/shorter shift linkage for more agressive shifting. All mounted to the frame utilizing Harley's Tri-mount system - an adaptation of the FLT's rubber mounts.

The 19" front wheel was mounted between a narrow-glide front end and suspended on stiff 35mm Showa forks with a 32 degree of rake. Stiff rear shocks were mounted to the end of the swing arm, vice in the middle as was done on other FX models. Total wheelbase was 64.7". Dual 10" disk brakes on the front, and a single 11.5" rear disk provided stopping power. New master cylinders improved braking performance.

A relatively raked out front end, combined with a long wheelbase is usually a recipe for straight line stability and resistance to turning. However, the low seating and engine positions place the center of gravity low and centered. This results in a bike that turns easily and predictably. With it's high ground clearance, it's capable of some aggressive cornering.

It was the fastest, best handling bike Harley ever built, and it dripped less oil and vibrated less intensly than previous shovels. However, it was shunned by function-follows-form poseurs who dismissed the exposed frame, side panels and exposed shocks as "too Japanese." It has been said that the FXR was designed to appeal to the rider, not to appease the bean counters ... or Willie G's design department - which ultimately led to its demise.

TIMELINE:

1981 Harley buys the company back from AMF. Facing huge debt and a reputation for poor quality, they embark on quality improvement, employ just-in-time inventory, petition for tariff protection, layoff ~50% of their staff, freeze salaries, design an evolutionary new engine, and conduct a $3m PR campaign - to both the Harley community and to their own employees. And, they prepare to launch production of a new class of bike - The FXR.

1982 The FXR/FXRS Super Glide® II debuts sporting the improved 80CI Shovelhead engine, a new five-speed tranny, improved suspension, wire-spoked wheels and dual front brakes. Also debuting is the FXRS Low Glide with cast wheels, contrasting tank panels, stepped seat, sissy bar and polished covers. Total production = 6255 units.

1983 FXRs were treated to belt drive.

• FXRT Sport Glide Debuts - A sport tourer, based on FXRS, with a frame-mounted fairing, frame-mounted panniers, anti-dive front suspension, adjustable air rear suspension, enclosed rear chain, duel-disk brakes and 4.2 gal tank.
• A story goes that the Motor Company was testing the yet to be released Evo in the FXR chassis, and that a snafu at the factory allowed some of them be sold to the general public as 83's.
• 1984 Harley-Davidson unveils the 1340cc V² Evolution engine on five models. The result of seven years of development, the Evolution engine produces more power at every speed,across the band, runs cooler, cleaner and is nearly oil-tight. '84 was the official year that the FXR went from the 5-speed shovel to a 5-speed Evo with a belt drive and diaphragm clutch. However, there were a lot of parts left-over after the late-84 transition resulting in 'Early' and 'Late' model revisions, (like EVO vs Shovel, wet vs dry clutch, wiring differences, chain vs belt finals...etc).
• FXRS "Low Glide" Debuts with shorter fork, lowered shocks and a single disc front brake.
• FXRDG Disc Glide is launched as a limited edition with solid spun aluminum back wheel and spoked front; tank emblazed with "Genuine Harley Davidson" in ornate script; and chromed engine, primary and gear box covers. It had a chain final drive, and a diaphragm spring clutch. The early model was dry clutch, later versions had a wet clutch.
• FXR was dropped from lineup.
• FXRP Police Model debuts based on FXRT. 
• H-D brand beer is sold.

1985 By now, *most* FXRs have an Evo motor, a 5-speed tranny, a belt and diaphragm clutches. But early in the model year, the factory shipped any combination of engine/ tranny/ final drive. The differences between these "transition" 85s and later FXRs can be annoying. They still have tapered drive shafts, a dry clutch with a shovel-style clutch actuating fork, and may even have a chain drive - Plus a fair amount of cosmetic stuff that doesn't "transition".

• FXRC Low Glide Custom launched as one-year limited edition based on FXRS in Candy Orange w/ Root Beer trim, chrome engine covers and wire spoked wheels, and a skinny XR-1000 style front fender.

1986 The first year one might consider the Evo-powered FXR a mature product, though later years bring further refinements. Federal noise statutes drove new exhaust systems for all models. New turn signals debut. HD goes public with sale of 2 million company stock shares, and purchases Holiday Rambler RVs. Colorado's American Society of Quality Controls awards HD the Corporate Quality Award.

• Stripped-down Superglide resurfaces as the FXR
• FXRS Low Glide renamed FXRS Low Rider. Optional Sport Package with longer-travel suspension and dual front brakes.
• FXRD Sport Glide Grand Touring based on FXRT with rubber-mounted bars, premium stereo, full luggage, 2=>1 exhaust, and special trim package released as a revival of the original - the last Big Twin with a chain final drive.

1987 First year with the ball & ramp clutch actuator, & the "sport" front fender. The ball & ramp is a better clutch actuator system, but some feel it lacks the aesthetic appeal of the old "clutch arm". Lubing, or changing the cable is a PITA, but over all, it's still a better system. The "sport" front fender is a design change of which you may, or may not approve. HD asked that tarrifs be rescinded. HD stock valued at $11/share.

• FXRS-SP Sport Edition Low Rider debuts with longer suspension and duel-disc brakes.
• FXLR Low Rider Custom debuts with a solid rear wheel, 21" front wheel, an XR1000 front fender, a small XL type headlight, 2 piece high handlebars w/2 cross-braces, speedo mounted between bars, one filler tank with no center console, black cylinders and crankcases w/chrome rocker, gearcase, primary covers, highway pegs, belt final, single rear/front brakes.

1988 FXR line gets 39mm front forks.

• 85th Anniversary Edition FXRS in Black & Gold. 850 numbered bikes produced.

1989 FXR line gets new starter, one piece pinion shaft and right fly wheel.

• FXRS-Conv based on FXRS is launched with quickly removable windscreen and panniers.

1990 FXR line is treated to 40mm Kehein CV carbs, one-piece right-hand flywheels, and redesigned diaphragm clutches.

1991 The Dyna line of motorcycles debuts with the 1991 FXDB Dyna Glide Sturgis®. Evos get Kevlar base gaskets, graphite head gaskets, new gas cap gasket, self canceling turn signals, extra hole in transmission access door, two dowels on transmission end cover, air/oil separator in air duct tube, four sided fuel inlet valve, transmission sprocket lock plate, locating dowel pins for the transmission support blocks, and black and chrome engine treatment. HD has 80% of the > 800 cc market. Stock price hits $56/share and is split 2:1.

1993 FXRS Low Rider and FXRT Sport Glide dropped. FXR now priced at $9950.

1994 FXRS-SP dropped. Between 91 and 94, FXR's and Dyna's were both produced and 1994 was the FXR's last model year.

1995 Remaining FXR models dropped.

Depending on who you ask, Harley discontinued the FXR either because the frame was too expensive to make (a hand-assembled frame with many components and many welds), because it was too expensive to assemble the drivetrain, or because it was unpopular.

1999 The new CVO produced the FXR2 & 3 as their first offerings. The FXR3 was a poseur's FXR2 with a flame paint job, new chromed H-D wheels, and a load of chrome. HD built ~900 of each model. The well-debated myth, denied by HD, is that Harley used up remaining FXR inventory to reissue the FXR.

2000 FXR4 goes further than the previous CVO versions. The chassis and 1340cc Evolution powertrain, and most of the mods that were made to the FXR2 and FXR3 are carried over, but the FXR4 boasts more goodies. Tear-drop-shape floating brake rotors, laced 19-inch front wheel, chrome drag bars, a solid FLSTF rear chrome wheel, a chrome rear sprocket cover, billet mirrors, a chrome lower guard, wide-band billet footpegs, grips and shifter peg, electronic speedo, a new seat, dual four-piston calipers, P&A rear shocks, sealed wheel bearings and a sealed battery. The production run was set for 970 units, and were available in either Screaming Yellow Pearl or Candy Tangerine paint schemes with new Eclipse graphics.

FXR V FXRS:

In early models, the FXR & FXRS Lowrider have the same seat height and differ only in Paint, trim and wheels. The Lowrider Sport is an inch higher due to 2" longer front forks. It has a longer jiffy stand and speedo cable as well as dual front disc brakes. The exclusive Sport parts are located in the back of the Parts Manual in the "High Performance" section <go figger!> along with parts exclusive to the FXRC.

FXR V DYNA:

It's been said that the FXR was designed by Eric Buell, the Dyna was designed by HD accountants.

The original Dyna was an EVO and flexed excessively if pushed hard while cornering. When HD bolted the stiffer Twinkie drivetrain to the frame, the chassis flexing diminished somewhat.

The FXR had a "3-point" engine mounting system considered by many to be superior to the "2-point" design used by the Dynas.

However, the FXDX has a higher and more compliant suspension compared with the "regular" FXR models which have shorter forks and shocks. And, the FXDX comes with the TC88 engine and the fuel injection option. You can easily go to 95", add a cam, a Power Commander ...

FXR WOES:

Some feel the FXR battery location is a PITA. Others disagree. If you still have a seat with a hinge, it's quite easy to get to. One Asshole ™ suggests you find an old inner tube, cut a strip out of it the width of the battery & long enough to wrap completely around, and you'll have a sling to raise and lower the battery into the holder. Lengthen the battery cables by 1 or 2 inches & the sling will allow you to lift the battery enough to access the bolts. The sling simply folds over the battery & rests under the seat adding a little wear protection & vibration isolation. Further, switch to an AGM, or gell cell battery, and eliminate the overflow tube.

The early FXR oil filter location under the transmission is difficult to get at, but at least it never dumps oil on the bike while being changed. OTOH oil changes are much easier with the FXR's drain tube than the damned bolt-holes other bikes provide. The location of the oil filter base meant having to remove the rear end to tighten it up when it loosened (Which it always did). That same Asshole (Its Jinks) suggests that the first time your filter mount gets a little loose pull the starter (yep, you heard right) & locktite the nut with at least Red, if not Purple.

92 and 93 FXRs had INA camshaft bearings vice the Torringtons used in earlier models. The INAs had half the number of rollers in the bearing, and would fail after 10-20k Miles - taking the right crankcase and cam with them and leaving bearing chunks and metal case fragments throughout the engine. Not much info came forth from the MoCo on this issue, but most believe Torringtons were used again in 94 and later models. The consensus among riders was to replace INAs with Torringtons asap.

If you find yourself in possession of an early model with the tapered shaft, there's a steel ring you can press on the back of the clutch basket. It'll prevent cracking. That & a little care & common sense whenever you install the basket, & the clutch will last indefinitely. Jink's '86 is still runnin' the tapered shaft on an 89" stroker.

The FXR horn was a POS and located in an absolutely wretched location. According to another Asshole (TM), changing the horn every time you change the rear tire is normal preventive maintenance. Jinks suggests FIAM as louder & lasts longer. LESDL disconnected the old horn and replaced same with a new '04 sporty horn, mounted in the bolt hole of the plate in the frame at the top of the downtubes, at the front of the bike. The new location means you can actually HEAR it.

BUYING AN FXR

82-83 gets you a Shovel. After that, you're looking at EVOs. 82s have chain final drive, 83s have belts. '82s embody the spirit of a reenergized, post-AMF, "The Eagle Flys Alone" workforce.

84-85 buys you any number of hard-to-support variants. However, as of this writing, the MoCo still stocks lots of parts for 84 and later FXRs.

FXRs built in model years 88-94 can be considered a "mature" product, as most of the bugs/upgrades are worked out by then.

When looking at 93 & 94 models, be sure to ask whether original IMA camshaft bearings were ever changed.

If you've got a silver engine, chances are any chrome is aftermarket. The silver engines were trimmed with polished aluminum, with exception of the limited edition FXRC. Dunno what year the black n chrome engine became available.

Secret to telling exactly what you've got is in the VIN. The 5th & 6th position tells you the model:

EA - FXR Rubber Mount Super Glide EB - FXRS FXR Sport EC - FXRT FXR Touring ED - FXRP Police windshield EE - FXRDG FXR Disc Glide EF - FXRP Police Fairing EG - FXRS-SP Low Rider Sport Edition EH - FXRD 5 Sp Low Rider EJ - FXRC FXR Custom EK - FXRP Police C.H.P. California Highway Patrol EL - FXLR Low Rider EM - FXR Conv

The 7th digit tells you the engine type. "K" is a shovel, L is an Evo. The 10th digit gives you the year with "B" starting in 1981. So, 1HD1EBK1XCY115880 would be a 1982 FXRS Shovel.

Owner's Manuals are still available through dealers, or from http://www.cyclemanual.com/

MSRP for an FXRS in 1982 was $6990, and evidence shows they've retained their value. Here's a number of common valuations compiled in Fall of 2005:

	Blue Book	Retail	8250
		Trade in	5720
	NADA	Lo Retail	3545
		Avg Retail	4665
	eBay*	Low	4050
		High	8800
		Avg	6537

* (8 Completed Auctions)

When buying the FXR, remind the seller that it *is* the "ugly" Harley, that they are NOT popular and that the seller is lucky that you're even interested in looking at the bike.

There are two types of people who own FXRs...The type who doesn't know what the heck they are (in which case, the above tactics may work), and the kind who *do* know what they are...In which case they're usually not for sale ...

Topics FXR owners discuss:

• My horn quit working and I can't find it! 
• I found my horn but I can't reach it to fix it! 
• How come nobody sells a chrome plated battery case and cover for my FXR? 
• How to keep from losing it to m/c clubbers. 
• Does your seat flip up like that?? 
• It doesn't really look like a Brit bike, does it? 
• Why do Swedish people think it's a Dyna? 
• If it's so much better than a softail, why is it only worth $8500? 
• Why the fxr is too pretty for a Thunderheader but a softail is just right. 
• Why doesn't HD stock more parts for my FX***? 
• On what day of the week did God make the first FXR? 
• Will the new FXR 2's, 3's, and 4's make mine worth more $$$?

Jesus rides an FXR …

My "New" FXR

Just won an auction on a bike I've been wanting for a long time. A 1982 FXR. Yup, a shovel with a final chain drive ... I know I'm gonna take some shit from those who provided sage advice to the contrary, and I coulda found a late eighties/ early nineties Evo, or looked for 83 shovels with belt drives, but I believe this bike embodies the soul that of a newly energized "The Eagle Flys Alone" MoCo. And, I'm pretty sure God rides a shovelhead FXR. Or did he just design it? I forget ...

It's black. Relatively stock with an S&S Super E on it. Owner lives in Kingsport, TN (east, near Bristol) and I took a long bus ride down to Kingsport, TN to close the deal. Looked her over real good, could tell she needed some love. I took her for a ride, closed the deal and headed north on US 23 for the 800 mi trip home. WX was outstanding, trees in the mountains were in full color and the bike ran pretty damned well. Stayed overnight in Hillsboro, OH and enjoyed a steak dinner, a few beers, some whiskey and some lies with BoboTWG and his family. Got almost all the way home before I lost any parts!
Some initial observations:
Battery's weak. Fluid is good. Need to troubleshoot that system to make sure it's getting a good charge, but I suspect it needs replacing. On the positive side, She starts even when the battery is sluggish.

Got home to find a fine mist of oil all over the back fender and sissy bar. No oil on the pavement night before last, but this morning there was a fair drizzlin' under the chain. I ran a lot longer and harder yesterday than the day before, and I suspect the chain oiler needs to be adjusted. I cleaned the underside good to see where any other oil might be originating. Oil was caked on the back side of the oil tank inside the rear wheel well. Chain has way too much play, so I'll be adjusting that... Assuming there's any adjusting left! Else I'll be looking for one of them sealed O ring chains - and turning off the oiler. She idles kinda rough, and the idle speed varies. I'd

stop at a light and she' idle at ~1500, other times 1000 ... At one point, she wanted to die at idle. I pulled the plug wires and found the nipples on the plugs loose. I'll be pulling the plugs to see what they look like ...
The front exhaust doesn't appear to be seated very well ... Gotta check it for leaks.
Gas guage doesn't work. Stuck on E. I pulled the console, and all the wires appear to be connected well, so that will take a bit deeper investigation.
Brakes suck. I hold the front lever tightly at a stop and the bike can still roll. There's a new braided line leading to the front - the result of a handlebar swap. I suspect it wasn't bled well, and I'll check/replace the shoes.
He swapped the buckhorns for some mini-apes ... Ugh! I'm thinking something lower and flatter - not drag bars eggsactly, but close.
Got all the way to my hometown, went to downshift going into the second to the last turn before my driveway, and the shifter peg had fallen off. I might have a better chance of finding it than I did finding TL's axle nut in the mountains ...
2.5 of the three brackets holding the rear exhaust heat shield have broken. Not sure what they are ... Looks like cycle shack. Will post pics across the street ...
The turn signals have to be held to operate. Is that right? It's like the handlebar switches are momentary contact, cause as soon as I let them go, the signal is off. PITA.
The horn, as is widely documented, is a POS.
Guess I have plenty to do this winter ... Got the manual. Definately need to find the parts breakdown!
Pictures across the street and on Kodak Gallery: http://tinyurl.com/cbv7c

Knees Back In Da Breeze

Rebuilding the Bagger...

Shirley! Line em up .... It's a great day!

Got the phone call on my way to work - "Yer bike's ready!" Yee-haw! Just meant turning right instead of left after gettin' across the Potomac ... It was a warm, sunny morning, I'd been getting around w/o that cane for almost a week, I had ridin' gear in the Jeep just for such a contingency, and work could wait!

I may be getting ahead of myself ... For those who havn't been listening, My bagger was all but totalled down in Daytona. Click [here] for that story.

When I got to Harley of Washington, their detailin' guy was soaping her up, so I settled up and loaded the jeep with all the damaged parts - fender, tank, fairing, handlebars, saddlebags (one's in better shape than the other), mufflers ... It filled the Jeep.

They did a great job, every little thing that might have been forgotten, left off or lost had been transferred to the new frame or replaced. Even my old throttle rocker made it! I shirley didn't make it easy for them. Since damaged parts were gonna be replaced anyway, might as while replace them with, er, more functional stuff. So, I worked with Matt to modify the parts list more than a just little bit. V&H true dual headers, extended reach brake pedal, swept wing passenger footrests w/streamliner inserts (sure to raise the brows of the "chrome don't get you home" crowd), braided stainless brake, throttle and clutch cables ... Since she was gonna be in there waiting on parts anyway, I figured I might as well punch her out to 95ci, put in a pair of cast flat-top pistons, SE 204 cams, a skinny head gasket, and a brandy-new PCIII ...

Just to help me get over my pain & suffering don't you know?

I got back to the shop as she was being buffed out. Beautiful. My heart was fluttering. John (the wrench) had executed it all flawlessly! I slapped on my lid, fired her up and headed for work ... the long way, of course. With the new engine work, I gotta break her in all over again so I resisted the almost overwhelming temptation to get on her. But it was a warm, beautiful spring morning, rush hour was over and I had the roads damned near to myself.

God it felt good to have my knees back in the breeze!

Couldn't get a lick of meaningful work done that day. When knock-off time finally came, I hopped on and headed the wrong way home - down a long parkway, into the country, through rolling hills and farm country till it was time to head home.

I took a bottle of Jack back to John as a token of my appreciation ...

Oh, just about a year later, I took her to Al's American Iron outside of Grand Rapids - an offishul Power Commander Tuning Center. Al got me 91 ft/lbs of torque right at 3200 rpm - an improvement of 12.58 ft/lbs. I was concerned that eliminating the crossover was gonna cause a dip in the tq curve, but it comes on quick, there's a very slight dip around 3800 and then she slowly looses steam from 4000 on. Air/fuel is a little lean at cruising rpms, and is richer from 3200 on. The tuning provided a noticable seat of the pants improvement, and we'll see what kinda milage I get on the road to MAMBM.

Wrench Reports - Snarl's Heavy Breather

Openin' her up, lettin' her breath ...

Got one of Snarl's Heavy Breather air cleaners, and bolted her on today. This thing is suave. Cast aluminum, with a highly polished venturi for pulling air in. The biggest air filter you've ever seen to minimize restriction. An internal sump to take the blow-by oil and gasses from the heads, and plenty of options for dealing with that stuff.

Pull one plug and route it back into the venturi, or pull one of two plugs on the back, and run a hose down to the ground. I opted for the latter.

That choice meant a trip to Ace Hardware. I needed a few feet of oil line, some standard plumbing fittings, and three cap head screws. I also needed a new gasket from the local dealer. Wrapped a little teflon tape around the L fitting, screwed it into the bottom of the sump, attached the oil hose, and ran it down between the tranny and the frame, with nylon ties to hold it in place.

Mounted the breather to the heads loosely, put a drop of Loctite on each of the three screws which hold the HB onto the throttle body, lined the venturi up, and cranked everything down. Perfect fit! I capped her off with an eight inch round, black air filter cover I scored off eBay, and a suave chromed billet insert.

This finished my stage one upgrade. I had strapped on a pair of Khrome Werks HP+ slip-ons, Harley of Washington had installed the Stage-One flash to set a base map and to increase the rev limiter, and I installed a PCIII USB with the appropriate map.

Yee haw! Finally got m' bagger breathing and she just opened up! The throttle's more responsive, she pulls harder, the pipes sound better, my dick gets harder, my acne cleaned up, young girls swoon when they see us, other men step out of my way, and my boss gave me a raise.

I get her dyno-tuned and there'll be no livin' with me!

Wrench Report: Removable Tour Pak

Mounting a Detachable Tour Pak Rack to a Late Model FLHTCI Tour Pak

This is my attempt at documenting lessons learned from mounting a detachable Tour Pak Rack on my 2004 Electra Glide Classic. I imagine there're similar issues (and more) with Ultra Barges, and some of this should apply to EG Standards and Road Glides, but I converted an FLHTCI, and so that's my focus.

Bear in mind that HD P&A catalog and other documentation is slanted towards those mounting a newly purchased Tour Pak on Road Glides and Electra Glide Standards - bikes without Tour Paks.

So, the catalog and information sheets don't tell you all the parts you'll need, instruction sheets say they're for other kits, or for other bikes - then there're typos, wrong part numbers, and generally misleading info. [more on that...]

Hey, it's an adventure! Don't want to mess with it? Pay the dealer!

Parts I used:

Touring Detachable Tour-Pak Rack (P/N 53276-04)
Detachable Lock (optional) (P/N 46063-98)
Rear Docking Point Kit (P/N 53127-96C)
Front Docking Point Kit (P/N 53746-97B
Antenna Relocation Kit (P/N 76326-00)
HD PHD Tab Terminal (3ea) (P/N 20-166A )
HD PHD Recpt Contact (3ea) (P/N 20-166)
HD PHD Tab Housing, 3-Posit (P/N 73103-96BK )
HD PHD (P/N 73153-96BK) Recpt Housing 3-Posit)
Conduit 10FT (P/N 70554-69)
Layback License Plate Mounting Kit for Touring Models (P/N 53385-00)

There's no single install guide for the entire process. So, if you install each component separately, you'll find yourself frequently undoing something you just did to do the next step. Install the rear docking point first, but read ahead because the front docking point replaces one of the front bolts, and the new antenna mount bolts inside the left rear docking point.


It helped me to understand how the antenna relocation kit works. When installed, the antenna lead from the radio will be relocated to the bottom of a new antenna mount on the rear docking point. When the Tour Pak is off, the antenna screws into this mount. A jumper cable is permently wired from the Tour Pak mount and routed out a grommet in the front of the Tour Pak.

When you mount the Tour Pak, you take the antenna off the rear mount, screw the jumper cable into an adaptor on the rear mount, and screw the antenna into the Tour Pak mount.

At that point, the rear mount is basically a connector extending the antenna cable from the radio to the tour pak. Both mounts are included in the kit, though the one for the Tour Pak is unnecessary in this scenario. Don't loose the adaptor!

You'll need a license plate mounting kit. The original installation uses the license plate holder as a rear support to the Tour Pak. It's not usable in the final install unless you trim hell out of it. I used HD's Layback License Plate Mounting Kit for Touring Models p/n 53385-00 which barely fits. A less spendy alternative might be to find the stock unit on the FLHT.
Nothing tells you that you have to remove the upper chromed rail from the bike (the one the license plate holder holds up). But you do. Of course you do. (You probably already figured that out.)

Mounting the rack to the Tour Pak is straight forward. There appears to be a few options for shifting the Tour Pak fore and aft a few inches, but the available holes only provide for status quo or forward. Mr drill might provide a few more options. But think about what shifting that much weight aft might do to your balance. As the MofoMoCo might say "serious death or injury, yada, yada, yada ...

I found mounting it to be tough at first. The front mounts and rear mounts did not align properly. I double checked all the instructions to make sure I used appropriate spacers, etc. I'm probably going live with it and see if it loosens up in time. Else I might use a thinner spacer on the front docking points, or flex the rear docking points outward.

In order to make this slick, you'll need to provide a way to unplug power leads to the Tour Pak. Then, you'll be able to unscrew the antenna from the Tour Pak, disconnect the antenna lead from the rear mount, unplug the power, pull the Tour Pak off, and screw the antenna into the rear mount.

As it is, there's a plug just inside the Tour Pak you'll need to unplug, then pull the grommet out of the front of the Tour Pak and pull the cables out. A better option is to cut the power cables under the left side of the seat, and install an interlocking connector at a point you can access w/o removing the seat. The parts labeled "HD PHD" in the parts list were available from the dealer. I cut the existing conduit off in order to separate the power leads and the antenna cable. I ran the three power leads back thru the thinner conduit listed in the parts list.


This whole concept opens up lots of options. With two additional mounting points, you can clip on a removable backrest, or backrest/luggage rack combo for the SO. Mount a solo seat for extra poseur points! Or, mount the Tour Pak in just a minute or three.

Riding w/o the Tour Pak is noticeably different. The lower center of gravity makes for considerably less squirrelly slow speed riding, stopping is easier, and it generally makes blasting around corners more fun.

CW


ADDENDUM

Typos, wrong p/ns and other generally misleading info:

The instructions enclosed with Touring Detachable Tour-Pak Rack (p/n) 53276-04 stated they are for Kit Number 53260-02 (Detachable Solo Tour-Pak Rack) , although the enclosed service parts list was for 53276-04.

The catalog calls for "…appropriate Docking Hardware Kit P/N 53746-97B and P/N 53127-96C." The Tour Pak Rack instruction sheet calls for: "Rear Docking Point Kit (P/N 53127-97C), and Front Docking Point Kit (P/N 53746-97B)." (Note difference in rear docking point P/N). The catalog is correct.


The catalog says "FLTR models require Antenna Relocation Kit P/N 76326-00." The enclosed instruction sheet says "This kit is designed for relocating a fender mounted antenna to a detachable Tour Pak on 1998 and later Road Glide Models." But it works just fine on FLHT models.

Parts needed for Detachable Backrest:

Detachable Short Passenger Sissy Bar Upright 52935-04
Low-Profile Backrest Pad P/N 52697-04
Front Docking Kit P/N 53104-97A
Detachable Docking Hardware Kit P/N 53450-97C.

EKIII Rides w/ Me

I had to make this run. Eddie, a founding member of r.m.h, was injured in March of 1994 in a motorcycle crash. His friends used the net to raise funds for a conversion van, and the EKIII trust fund continues to provide Eddie support through online auctions and various fund-raisers. See Eddie's story here. In my mind, r.m.h's support to Eddie is a noble story of a group's effort to take care of their own. I had to meet Eddie, and the fine folks who surround him, in real life. I decided to bring my 13yo, Joey, along for the ride and create some memories. He was all for it.

Our concept was to take US 50 well into West Virginia, cut NW on state highways through Maryland's panhandle and into Pennsylvania, skirt the SW side of Pittsburg, then run north along the Ohio River to the campsite. No slabs and lots of ice cream stops.
Most of that worked out.
Friday morning, I slugged down some coffee, packed the bagger with all the essentials, got Joey dressed for battle, and we were on the road by 0530. We hooked up with Ray Burns in Middleburg, just on the edges of the frontier, and the three of us headed into the mountains.
We had just had several days of brutally hot wx, but the front had gone offshore and a high pressure area dominated the mid-Atlantic. Translation: It was friggin' cold! None of us were ready for it. Bank signs reported mid-fifties, and it was colder at altitude. We donned everything we had and just shivered through it.
Ice cream was no longer on the agenda!
But, US 50 through WV is truly one of the GO2Ls. The homeland of the Shawnee Indians, giant hemlocks and great sweepers. It traverses across Appalachians, so it climbs over a ridge, descends into a valley and repeats. It runs through small towns with names like Capon Bridge and Gore which consist of a few homes, a gas station, a tavern, and a post office.
We headed north on WV42 through the Potomac State Forest, crossed the WV/MD state line at Kitzmiller and entered the Laurel Highlands. MD135, US219 and PA281 took us to the National Pike (US 40). Coming down out of the Highlands towards Uniontown, there's signs warning truckers of the long, sweeping, steep grade ahead "Dangerous Mountain!"
Right on!
From there, we heading north on PA18 to US 22 across the Ohio River into Steubenville. That suspension bridge is one hellofa sight. From a few miles out, it looks like a modern representation of a teepee. Going across I could not help but be mesmerized by the symmetry of the design. We followed the Ohio River on OH 7 north to OH 11 all the way north to OH 307 a few miles west of the campsite.
A few miles shy of 307, the skies opened up, sending us for the shelter of an overpass. Wildflower passed by in her cage with the heat on laughing at us. The rains stopped, the sun came out, and we pulled into the campgrounds around 5:00 having ridden ~400 miles.
One bourbon, one scotch, and one beer

That rain assured a muddy campground, but didn't dampen any spirits. The Enchanted Forest was filled with tents and folks kept pouring in. A truly international event as several Canucks showed up, along with one Kilifornicator. Fires were lit, Ann sprung for pizza, beer was iced down, we got to meet and greet Eddie and to check out his new suave van. Traci's bike needed emergent chrome repair, and a contingent of beer-swillers swooped in to supervise Hawgeye. The newest Asshole™ is admonished for shirking his shitter duties, and proceeds to set new standards for crapper cleanliness. The boys found cool ways to play with fire.

Bear passed around a fine bottle of single malt, which was followed shortly by a bottle of Knob Creek which came outa my saddlebags. Songs were sung, lies swapped, promises were made in the dark.
Run with Eddie
TL gets up early Saturday morning to make coffee and someone allegedly offers to perform unnatural acts as a show of appreciation. Wx was perfect, and round 'bout 11:00, we headed out to Broadfield Manor to pick up Eddie for the run to Geneva on the Lake.

Some 29 bikes rolled down the road in perfect staggered formation with Philly Hoodlums serving as menacing road guards at each intersection. At Eddie's place, many of the other residents came out to greet the group. Cheryl rolls Eddie out and begins to play "Spin the Eddie" to see who was gonna get to give him a big kiss on the lips. Roger Elmore won. Roach squeezed into Traci's sidecar for a photo op. Eddie got in his van and we were off to Eddie's Grill for burgers, fries and shakes.

That evening, as we settled down to another evening of debauchery, Joey and the boys were stripping bark off sticks to burn some weenies. Joey slips with the knife, and lays his wrist and palm open ... Deep too. Sunshine was an angel of mercy. She assisted with the first aid, and offered a ride to a hospital. Three hours and eight stitches later, we were back at the campsite. Joey is dubbed The Black Knight ("It's only a flesh wound").

Soon, only Roach, Sunshine, Oboe (ne Nemo) and myself were still stoking the campfire. A bottle of Woodfords was consumed while we tried to remember old Grateful Dead songs, and Roach proved that the blues could indeed be played on a ukulele.
Coffee, black - Stat!
Sunday morning we were all awakened way too early by the malodorous sounds of snoring coming from Oboe's (aka Nemo, aka Foghorn) tent. After coffee and donuts, the Black Knight and I struck camp, said our goodbyes, and hit the road.
It was another perfect day. Sun was shining, the sky was dotted with big puffy cumulus clouds, temperatures were in the mid 70s, and there was no rain in the forecast. Roach's directions to US 322 were spot on. Took OH 46 south out of Jefferson through rolling farmland. Jump on US 6 east at New Lyme. The roadway turns into OH 85 at Andover, while US 6 takes a detour to the north to go around the Pymatuning Reservoir. OH 85 goes straight across the reservoir on a causeway, crosses the PA border, turns into PN 285, links back up with US 6 a few miles to the east and intersects US 322 in Meadville.
The Twenty-Eighth Division Highway, is another GO2L, carved out of the north bank of French creek to the Allegheny River. A great ride through rolling country with gentle sweepers. The route takes you thru towns on good ole Main Street and around traditional town squares. We stopped at a roadside drive-in and had lunch by the creek. At Brookville, we picked up PA 36 south to Punxsutawney - Home of Punxsutawney Phil the famous gopher.
As we were coming into town, a sign indicated a right turn to get to US 119. I probably turned too soon, and we ended up on a two lane country road through a canopied forest, with tight "S" turns along a creek. Joey said "Wow!" We stayed the course and eventually found our way back to US 119. Apparently, my GPGPSPSS was well calibrated, 'cause that side trip was worth the time!

From there we picked up the Buffalo-Pittsburgh Highway (US 119), through the Laurel Highlands. An ice cream stop was indicated at a drive-in where we met an Army Reservist riding his softail home in his cammies from weekend duty. We zig-zaged through the mountains on US 422 and US 219 to PA 56 just south of Johnstown (Flood City). That road runs thru Galitzin State Forest and climbs over Babcock Ridge at 2700' - our highest elevation for the trip. A sign in Bedford County pointed to Snook's covered bridge, and so we took that detour and crossed Dunning's Creek on a 121 year old, burr truss design, covered bridge.

At the intersection of PA 56, and US 220, we saw an old gent pulled over looking at his chromed, custom-painted Ultra Glide so we stopped to make sure he was ok. He said he had been out for about three hours and was just checking out the bugs on his windshield. We both agreed that it was a perfect day to be smashing bugs! US 220, aka the Appalachian Thruway, was demoted to the I 99 roadway till I 99 peters out a few miles south of Bedford. From there, it's a great 2 lane through rolling green farmlands, in the narrow Cumberland Valley, down to Cumberland.
After a fried chicken dinner in Cumberland, we crossed the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal into West Virginia, got on WV 28, and rode along the south branch of the Potomac River to Romney, WV. There we picked up US 50 and headed home.Total for the day was about 440 miles with about eleven hours in the saddle.
Epilog
Total for the trip was just shy of a thousand. Got to meet Eddie and the folks who care for him, saw some old friends, met some new ones, sampled some great whiskeys, rode some great highways, and certainly created some memories for Joey (aka the Black Knight).
Photos:

Mine
TL's
Tim Morrow's
TerryH's
PapaBoop's
Dragonboy's

The 2004 EKIII No-Slab Route