What era Harley should I be lookin at.

Ok so the Harley bug has bitten me. i was looking at maxi scooters and weird stuff like the Vultus and have been test riding anything I can get my hands on. While doing that happening I have take out a few Harleys and borrowed a few friends and done a dealer day.  I really like the heritage softail and the road king.  This will only be used on weekends, it will not be used for touring and I will never ride at night or in the wet. Been there done that hate it. This 10-14 weekends a year up the coast to blow off steam. The new bikes are way to much speed and power and everything for what I need. 

So I want a a solo seat bike, bags are nice , the older the better, electric start is a requirement if it looks like it rolled out of the 50's most important. Actual reliability is not a big deal for me I am have cars from the 20's-60's I know what to expect but I am worried about modern traffic speeds.  

Now that last one is where I get stuck I took out a friends 58 DuoGlide and man s that what I want. But no electric start and the brakes are "vintage". Been looking at TC88 heritage springers still very weak front brakes. The Evo springers which are not counterbalanced really have a rattle to them but on the list. Everything TC96 powered is fantastic but not the best looking bikes in the world. 

So is there something else I should be looking at from Harley from say the 60-90's that would fit the bill. I know the EVO and TC issues that pop up and they are not hard for me to fix if I had to. 

The owner of the independent Harley shop that does work on my '73 H-D really likes the 2013-2016 twin cam motors and strongly recommends that vintage bike as having best motors and trans along with solid parts availability.  He is a former H-D certified dealership tech and knows his stuff.   He says to avoid the M8 motors based on his experiences with them.   

Pretty much decided on a 2008 softail heritage. So tc96 and the 6speed.One owner 21k miles. All service records and has about 11k in additional chrome and wheels. Owner down the street from me sold it cheap so he could get a new touring bike for his wife. So just need to get the cash in one place on Monday and take it. 
 

need gear my helmet is out off code date and all my old gear was given away a decade ago to a neighbor kid who needed it more then me as I had no bike. 
 

this is going to get expensive I really miss riding. My msf is in a month or so which means no riding until I get done. Friend is going to give me some advanced riding course help on a supermoto as well for helping him find a car. 

A few of my customers have Harleys, mostly the big, bloated tour glides.

One guy has a Heritage Softail and it's probably the nicest one to ride out of the models I've tried.

Careful, you'll drag those pipes really easy.

Dude gear got nice in the last 20 years. Cheaper as well for the quality the helmets are so much better. 

400 for a helmet, 500 for a jacket/pants combo 150 for boots. All stuff that I would feel comfortable using in the city or the desert. I am getting a airbag as well, something tethered like the "hi" that goes up to the neck. For the 400$ price point and 30$ to recharge it, plus it fits under the gear that I bought. Gloves are the only thing I did not like. Need to find somethin pre curved. 

If you haven't already bought it, used gear is the best way to  budget if you can handle someone else's  funk. Except helmets. I'd never ever buy a used helmet. Craigslist, Faceballs,  and shopgoodwill.com are littered with deals. I've seen Alpinestars leathers go for $50 on Goodwill. 

I'm not generally a bike guy but that has the right look. 

Appleseed said:

If you haven't already bought it, used gear is the best way to  budget if you can handle someone else's  funk. Except helmets. I'd never ever buy a used helmet. Craigslist, Faceballs,  and shopgoodwill.com are littered with deals. I've seen Alpinestars leathers go for $50 on Goodwill. 

Have not bought yet. Local store says they have a big sale next weekend. Not going to be riding until I do the MSF and track course work anyway so I can wait. TONS of used gear on craisglist. If I can find a jacket/gloves/pants or a ADV suit in my size definitly going used. Helemt and shoes I always buy new. Plus with 13 wide feet not a lot of selection for me to begin with. 

In reply to wearymicrobe :

Forma makes riding boots in a 14w, I have a pair of their adventure boots. I need a 13w but the 14 fit better.

Not sure if they make cruiser style gear.

ShawnG said:

In reply to wearymicrobe :

Forma makes riding boots in a 14w, I have a pair of their adventure boots. I need a 13w but the 14 fit better.

Not sure if they make cruiser style gear.

Don't care what I look like. Most of my stuff is going to be ADV gear because that is what I had before and what I was comfortable in. I sprung for fancy boots away back in the day and they saved my legs a few times. No problem looking dorky in them. Not trying to dress like a all black pirate anyway. 

Better pictures. Spikes for the passengers seat are coming off. (What is it with Harley guys and spikes) I like closer and bigger mirrors and in chrome. Whitewalls eventually. Friend is coming over to look at the tins and see how crazy we can go for color once I want to blow it apart. He has done lace paint over the factory black a few times and thinks he could do something kind of out there with inca gold over the black. 

I'm not a Harley guy. Not one bit. But that sled looks good. 

Also:

That is what I grew up with in East LA and Orange county when I was a kid. I love the Cholo / Viclas bikes and this is going to lean that way, just going to keep the bars low I don;t think I can handle apes. 

Very nice. Bike looks good with low bars.

If you haven't found gloves you like yet see if you have a RevIt dealer nearby.  They're the company I've been the happiest with *when I find something of theirs that fits right*.  

Inca gold lace paint over black is going to look sharp on that bike. 

BoxheadTim said:

Inca gold lace paint over black is going to look sharp on that bike. 

Especially when he has the rims re-laced with gold spokes!

AngryCorvair (Forum Supporter) said:

BoxheadTim said:

Inca gold lace paint over black is going to look sharp on that bike. 

Especially when he has the rims re-laced with gold spokes!

Oh yes.

Nothing like spending other forum member's money to help them achieve their dream build .

wearymicrobe said:

 

Man that thing is nearly dragging pipes just sitting on the kickstand. 

Your new bike looks pretty good. The spikes are so ridiculous. Please post fresh pics without those, because they're stabbing me through the screen.

Needs more skulls and tassels.

What's your jolly pirate nickname going to be?

Rayzer?

Blazer?

Tazer?

Sorry, couldn't help myself. I'm amazed I held it in this long.

Mezzanine said:

wearymicrobe said:

 

Man that thing is nearly dragging pipes just sitting on the kickstand. 

 

Your new bike looks pretty good. The spikes are so ridiculous. Please post fresh pics without those, because they're stabbing me through the screen.

That bike is not statically dropped it has bags most likely. Its home and in the garage now. Spikes absolutely have to go, same with the skull license plate holder. Going to do fluids and basic service sometime this month. Did give it a quick go up and down the driveway and its a heavy pig at a stop, under power it is actully not that bad. 

Bought a $200 icon full face helmet when I got back into riding, as I didn't want to spend the coin on a better helmet. The Shoei Neotech 2 I picked up last month on closeout has been an eye opening experience between the two. Quieter, better fit, feels better, The built in sun shade is freaking fantastic. Open face on and off, with full face coverage. I always worried about the modular helmets in a crash situation popping open, but after playing with one at the dealer I pulled the trigger for one online. Solid is all I can say. D rings are a pain in gloves, the camlock/ratchet system is a breeze.

edit - The icon starts buffeting and blurring my vision around 60mph, no buffeting north of 90 with the shoei on a 690 duke.

Have you ordered your get-back whip yet? 

Jokes aside, I'm looking forward to seeing what you do with the paint. The Inca gold over black will look really good.

And I can totally relate about not being a Harley fan, but every once in awhile you see one that screams, "I would ride the berk out of that!"  My case in point.

Photo was shot from my LLV at work, hence the crappiness of it.

Tangent: the ratchet helmet straps are great, but there's no way to secure the helmet with the bike. All my bikes have helmet locks, and I can't use any of them