To Harley Or Not To Harley, That Is The Question?

[TSJMajesty]

Check back in a year, and I may feel the same way.

1st time was a lot of fun, though. Just put some tunes and
get in the zone.

Harley makes a spray cleaner for in-between washes that I used quite a lot. Probably twice as much as something else that would do the same thing though!

 

[Stone]

Just put on some tunes and
get in the zone

Zone or Groove ?

 

[duzie]

Check back in a year, and I may feel the same way.

1st time was a lot of fun, though. Just put on some tunes and
get in the zone.

1st time was fun lol
Just like when I mowed my lawn for the first few times.
Mowing the same lawn 25yrs later
Not so much

 

[JiveTurkey]

Zone or Groove ?

I love this song

 

[Stone]

I love this song

Yes same here, Im in the camp of well if its good then its good, More so If I like it then all good

 

[Stone]

I love this song

IS this JT Gettin into the Groove ?

 

[TSJMajesty]

Does your bike have an oil cooler? I felt like it was a good idea to add one (the dealer had some program for special accessory discounts only available at the time of purchase), so even though it's just an air-to-oil cooler, meaning it doesn't work as well when riding in slower city traffic, since the bike itself is air cooled, I liked the idea of keeping the oil cooler, than without one.

 

[la szum]

1st time was fun lol
Just like when I mowed my lawn for the first few times.
Mowing the same lawn 25yrs later
Not so much

I still enjoy mowing the lawn, doing the dishes, and vacuuming. Zen is in the mundane. Or that's
what I keep telling myself.

 

[la szum]

Does your bike have an oil cooler? I felt like it was a good idea to add one (the dealer had some program for special accessory discounts only available at the time of purchase), so even though it's just an air-to-oil cooler, meaning it doesn't work as well when riding in slower city traffic, since the bike itself is air cooled, I liked the idea of keeping the oil cooler, than without one.

Honestly, I am not sure, Tom. This is an education for me. I'm looking forward to learning more and turning
some wrenches this coming winter. I've always enjoyed getting under the hood when it comes to hobbies.

The more you know, or something like that.

Riding over to a Party here in a bit where there is going to be a lot of bikes and people who know way more
than I do. I am going to be the annoying kid peppering everyone with questions.

 

[TSJMajesty]

Honestly, I am not sure, Tom. This is an education for me. I'm looking forward to learning more and turning
some wrenches this coming winter. I've always enjoyed getting under the hood when it comes to hobbies.

The more you know, or something like that.

Riding over to a Party here in a bit where there is going to be a lot of bikes and people who know way more
than I do. I am going to be the annoying kid peppering everyone with questions.

I looked at your pic again. I don't see one. Mine was at the front, under the oil filter and regulator. It was mounted low, kind of right behind the bottom of the front fender. I'm pretty sure that's the only place it can go.

 

[TSJMajesty]

Harley changed the transmissions to 6 speeds sometime after 2003, but I can't remember the exact year. Is yours a 6?

 

[la szum]

It's a 2005 with a 5 speed.

 

[ᛗᛜᛜᚺDᛜᎶ Ꮤᛨᚳᚴ]

This is an education for me. I'm looking forward to learning more and turning
some wrenches this coming winter. I've always enjoyed getting under the hood when it comes to hobbies.

The more you know, or something like that.

When I got my first HD (in 2000, Heritage Springer), I also purchased the service manual because when something goes wrong, I want the book showing me how stuff is put together and torque values, etc. Of course, these days, it may be quicker to pull something up on the phone. Point is, I wanted to be able to fix it if it went wrong and that manual got a lot of use in the years that followed. I would recommend you get the manual for your bike ;~)) Like in Fractal land, RTFM!!!!

 

[TSJMajesty]

The only wrenches I turned was mainly for accessories. I went all-out and bought a custom Harley paint set offered for the Ultra Classic for 2004, called Teal Over Graphics. So that was a serious project! The hardest part was changing the rear fender, because of the way it mounted to the battery box.

It was actually a dumb design, as you had to get a micro ratchet up over the tire to remove a bolt that attached to the battery box on an L-tab. That tab could've been turned a different direction, so you could access it from the inside of the battery box, as I recall.

But I switched it all back to stock before I sold it, and kept the paint set. So someday I want to get another Electra Glide, and put that set on. Maybe even a cheap wrecked one that has only cosmetic damage.

 

[la szum]

When I got my first HD (in 2000, Heritage Springer), I also purchased the service manual because when something goes wrong, I want the book showing me how stuff is put together and torque values, etc. Of course, these days, it may be quicker to pull something up on the phone. Point is, I wanted to be able to fix it if it went wrong and that manual got a lot of use in the years that followed. I would recommend you get the manual for your bike ;~)) Like in Fractal land, RTFM!!!!

Was it a Clymer Manual by chance?

 

[Stone]

Like in Fractal land, RTFM!!!!

Uhh oh I didn't read my Fractal manual only referred to it here and there when I was stumped

 

[TSJMajesty]

This is what it looked like with the paint set:

And stock:

 

[TSJMajesty]

The first time I rode a Harley was at one of their factory open houses in York, PA, at which you could take whatever model you wanted for a short ride. It was in 2002, the year the V-Rod came out, so there were long lines to ride that model. I was there to ride a dresser (Harley lingo for full-dress touring bike.) So I get on an Ultra Classic Electra Glide.

Coming from Kawasakis, KZ's, then a Ninja, then a Concours (which is the touring version of the Ninja), I had never ridden a bike with floorboards. Just foot pegs. I came to the first stop, and the bike was so damn comfortable I just about forgot to put my feet down!! With my wife on the back of a 900 lb. motorcycle, that would not have been good!

 

[ᛗᛜᛜᚺDᛜᎶ Ꮤᛨᚳᚴ]

Was it a Clymer Manual by chance?

I don't recall the publisher, but it was direct from HD, so not a 3rd party manual. I seem to recall people telling me there was one out there better than the factory one, and it may have been Clymer!

 

[ᛗᛜᛜᚺDᛜᎶ Ꮤᛨᚳᚴ]

Uhh oh I didn't read my Fractal manual only referred to it here and there when I was stumped

I know, and I did not fully read my HD manual (or Fractal manual) either from cover to cover ;~)) We are both sinners!! RTFMAN (read the fine manual as needed)!!!