“Those Harleys they cost so much money
A small bike is all he could buy…”
So starts David Allan Coe’s “Harley Someday.” In an interview some years later about the song, Coe described his own progression of motorcycle ownership: starting on a two stroke Suzuki, then a four stroke Honda, and then finally a well worn “Panhead.” Said old Harley was his sole source of transportation those first few years and the suits made him park it around the block From Columbia Records, before bikes became a cool accessory among the corporate crowd.
When I first started riding, I too started on a used japanese bike: they were the cheapest, most accessible option. In my case, I had grown up around nothing but Japanese cars: it was a comfortable fit. As I became more aware of motorcycle types/brands/sub-cultures, the whole Harley “scene” seemed rather pathetic. More than anything else my basic thought was “why pay so much extra, for so much less performance?” Write it off to the folly of youth I guess, but over the last few years my views of these American icons have softened a lot. From negative, to neutral, to finally thinking that I should make it a point to own one someday.
There’s a few factors at play: I’m at a point now where I can easily afford to spend $5-6k on a motorcycle. I’m a cheapskate by nature so the cheap old Japanese stuff always drew me in with its affordability, even after I had the means to spend more. To be frank that was the biggest mental hurdle to overcome in all of this. Another aspect to the increasing appeal of Harleys is that my riding style has mellowed out now with a family at home and a bit less ego on the line while riding. I also live in a rather flat part of the country, my immediate surroundings are corn fields and small farm and factory towns. What else was holding me up? A lot of it was the fear of the unknown. Do the older shovelheads and ironheads really need rebuilds every 30k? THREE different oil reservoirs? (Engine, transmission, primary case). MUCH more expensive used parts. It’s trivial to find a used engine for my XS1100 for $200-300 with a bit of poking around. The Japanese simply sold a LOT of bikes during this era.
So as I warmed up to the idea of Harley ownership, I tried in a few different ways to rationalize either a cheaper one, or a (relatively) newer, more reliable one.
I very seriously considered Sportsters: the cheapest way to dip one’s toes into Harley ownership. Decent “runner” ironhead sportsters pop up in the $3k range. Very raw, mechanical bikes with engines barely removed on the original 1957 model. I quickly learned that stock, unmolested ironheads are very challenging to find. True for any Harley, but ironhead Sportsters disproportionately so. I also considered 90s “solid mount” 1200cc Evo-engined Sportsters: lowest risk mechanically speaking. Regardless of age, The single biggest issue with the Sportsters was that I decided the ergonomics are just too scrunched up with mid-mounted foot controls for a guy my height (5’11”), I also want my wife to be able to ride two-up. The small gas tanks on most of the older Sportsters severely limited touring range. I suppose I’m being a hypocrite claiming I wanted my touring to feel like an “adventure” but having to top up the gas tank every 75 miles felt like a bit much. Finally, and I hate to admit it, but hearing every Harley guy I know refer to them as “girls bikes” left an impression as well. Ultimately, the Sportsters felt like a bit of a cop-out, it was a cheaper half-measure. I really needed to put my money where my mouth was.
I came very close to buying a 2002 Harley FXD Super Glide this spring. By pure coincidence a clean, low mile, desirable (by me) carbureted model popped up over by my brother in PA. After thinking things over a few weeks, my heart just wasn’t in it. I decided that even with the carb, this was just too new, too modern of a bike. Even if it still has that classic 45 degree v-twin “heartbeat,” everything else has been too refined, the switchgear has too much plastic, etc. Touring on something like that Twin Cam super glide just doesn’t feel like enough of an adventure. Finally, as silly as it sounds, but the silver color on that Super Glide just felt like too much of a 2000s color scheme, another constant reminder while riding that you’re on something new and safe and well-mannered. My absolute favorite Harley color combo is the classic black with red and/or gold pin striping/decals.
I’d been reading and daydreaming about an older FX harley for about a year now, it was where I started looking before deciding to stick with newer “Dyna” frame models of the FX. But I kept an eye out for the older Shovelhead FX bikes in my searches…
Then I saw, “the one.” While perusing Facebook Marketplace with the maximum 250 mile search radius, the algorithm served up a gem: a 1980 Harley FXS Low Rider, down in Knoxville Tennessee. Very original bike, missing an air cleaner in the photos and shiny/wet from being washed (always a red flag for me), asking price of $6000. After not being able to get a hold of the seller for a few weeks I had given up and moved onto the KZ750 mentioned in the last piece. But on a whim I made one more call, and got ahold of the seller… only to hear that someone was supposed to come look at the bike later that day. A day later, I got the news that the other buyer flaked out, so a deal was struck, and arrangements made to get the bike.
You can read this piece as an update on the previous “return to twins” piece. At the end of that, I concluded that the right bike to itch my scratch was going to be a Kawasaki KZ750 twin, a slightly different flavor of the same old Universal Japanese Motorcycle that I’ve been messing with since high school. Four stroke 70s/80s Japanese bikes are like comfort food to me. Familiar, feel-good, low risk, but also a bit boring by now. Meatloaf and mashed potatoes when I want something spicy, something new. I may very well run screaming back to the likes of the KZ750, I’ll have some updates once I pick the Low Rider up and get a few rides under my belt.
In the mean time I need to get back to working “9 to 5 Monday through Friday
In loafers and Ivy League suits,” as DAC put it, to pay for this thing.
Nice and I hope this Harley fills your needs well .
I'm old so I had old Harleys back in the day, a '65 FL PanHead ex L.A.P.D. bike and when I lived in Guatemala, C.A. I had a 1937 EL Knucklehead .
Both were very tired old bikes that I took apart and re assembled properly, both gave me sterling service over many miles / KM's and years .
That being said, I had 1960's Hondas first and when I tired of riding so slowly in the canyons and mountains I went back to old Hondas and a few older BMW Air Heads .
Yes, they leak and -can- be trouble some but I think if you take care of it, this Harley will take good care of you .
I'm off to read your other posts, happy riding ! .
Ride HARD, FAR and WDIE but always : _SAFELY_ ! .
-Nate
The Harley big twin is its own creature, it is in no hurry, will loaf down the highway at seventy with no complaints and hold that speed two up , and it makes its own special noises and vibrations, a bargain for the money.