Fxe

[PatR]

Nice to be able to read the Shovel stories. I just bought my first. It is a 1975 FXE. It was originally bought with the idea of using the drivetrain to build a custom bobber on a hardtail frame. When I went to pick it up (ebay find) I took it for a test ride. I enjoyed the ride so much that by the time I got the bike home I talked myself out of stripping it for the project. It has a totally obnoxious flame paint job (my opinion) that I am in the process of fixing.
Keep those posts coming, I want to hear more about these bikes. Mine starts and runs well. The transmission clunks between gears especially on the downshift. I tend to think this is normal for these bikes. It has an S&S carb on it and looks to have some custom work to it.
Happy Riding

[INLINE4NUT]

Hey that MC is A-Ok in my mind Enjoy doing it up in your style!

[koanes]

PatR,You done good! A little paint and it will look right. In 75 I bought a new sportster, the fxe sitting next to it on the dealer floor was just 400.00 more. I thought about buying the superglide, but I was 19 yrs old and all about speed. The xlch proved to be a very dependable machine and I still have it. I was employed in auto restoration at the time and was very familiar with the quality of the older machines. It occured to me that, with my new bike being this good, the old Harleys must be great. I soon began a serious pursuit of early H-Ds. So began a lifelong addiction to old motorcycles that grips me a little harder every day. Good luck with your machine Pat.

[PatR]

Old bikes

I too, am and have been bit hard by the old car and old bike bug. My first street bike was a 1968 Honda 350. That started my long career of street bike ownership. I have owned quite a few over the years ending about 8 years ago with my last bike for a while. That was a brand new FXLR in 1989. The bike I purchased was the last FXLR in the tri-state area (Delaware Valley). It wasn't even in the dealership, it was on loan to the men's department in Bloomingdales complete with a Dummy dressed in leather that was wire tied to the bike. Later after the purchase it had a dummy of another sort on it but that is another story. After I sold the FXLR I took a break from bikes for a few years, always hoping to fulfill my dream of an authentic Indian. I have since realized that dream with a 1941 Military scout in civilian cloths which can be seen in the Indian scout threads. The FXE is a second bike that's drivetrain was intended to be used in a project as I stated earlier on, to build my version of an authentic looking 40's - 50's era bobber.
Are these machines that we love like potato chips? If so I'd better get lots of dip.