Sorry, Cruiser, I've never heard any special name for that tank. They kind of fell out of favor for quite a spell...just about everyone thought they had to have Fat Bobs. Now the bikes are getting old enough that people are seeing the wisdom in putting them back to original.
Next chance I get I'll get some more pics and I'll be glad to post them.
Ride safe and God bless. Sincerely: Shovelmike.
__________________ '73 FX
'85 XLX
'02 FLHTCUI
Read
2 Chron 7:14
Please join me in this prayer daily.
This is my Granddaughter Sky, age 7. Can't walk, talk, or feed herself but look at that smile. Anyone care to complain about their lot in life? Not me![IMG][/IMG]
[IMG][/IMG] Here's a picture of the old girl. I just treated her to a fresh set of brake pads this morning an took her for a 35 mile rest ride.
__________________ '73 FX
'85 XLX
'02 FLHTCUI
Read
2 Chron 7:14
Please join me in this prayer daily.
This is my Granddaughter Sky, age 7. Can't walk, talk, or feed herself but look at that smile. Anyone care to complain about their lot in life? Not me![IMG][/IMG]
Last edited by shovelmike; 05-14-2008 at 11:56 AM.
Man does that bring back memories, loved that glide of mine.
I sure was hot stuff on that bike, back then no one had seen a FX, just the big bikes, and the old geesers road the geesers, kind of like now;-)
When you pulled into someplace on that FXE people noticed.
We took it down to Georgia one time almost got, into trouble, I guess the locals thought we were hells angles or something.
Sold it because I had two kids that needed to come and I bought a dune buggy.
Sure hated selling that bike.
If I can get a photo scanned I will post my 74
Quote:
Originally Posted by shovelmike
[IMG][/IMG] Here's a picture of the old girl. I just treated her to a fresh set of brake pads this morning an took her for a 35 mile rest ride.
Yes, AMF did start the initial research and development into the exsisting new heads, they never finished, Willie and Porsche completed the job after the buyback.
I have a 1973 Iron head - one owner - had AMF on the side bigger than S**T - we used to say it stood for "Adious Mother F***ers", even though the Kaw's were eating us alive. It was and is a very dependable bike. Funny how things change - back then it was a bastard bike, it had 2 strikes against it, not only an AMF but a Sportster as well!!!
I believe the HD/Porsche venture during the AMF years was a water cooled engine. That engine looked a lot like the V Rod engine of today. Hmmm another AMF project finished years later. I love the way the HD dealers talk bad about the Shovels and the two local dealers won't even take them on trade. And the MoCo T-shirts and knick knacks always say something about history or heritage on them and they A friend of mine was a the York plant recently and the tour guide quickly mentioned AMF and not in a good way.
How soon they forget.
Were those AMF era bikes really as bad as folks said? Breaking, Leaking not road worthy. Or were they a positive step in engineering maybe just not thought out all the way through. If AMF did not take control would Harley Davidsons be around today? Anyone?
Man does that bring back memories, loved that glide of mine.
I sure was hot stuff on that bike, back then no one had seen a FX, just the big bikes, and the old geesers road the geesers, kind of like now;-)
When you pulled into someplace on that FXE people noticed.
We took it down to Georgia one time almost got, into trouble, I guess the locals thought we were hells angles or something.
Sold it because I had two kids that needed to come and I bought a dune buggy.
Sure hated selling that bike.
If I can get a photo scanned I will post my 74
Hey, I'll be looking forward to seeing that pic. Sure thing about the situation back then. There was a whole market left untapped until Willie G started hanging out paying attention to the fact that guys were stripping down those big bikes.
Even then H-D tried to distance itself from the "One percenter" image for years...not anymore, now they want to enable folks to be "Instant bikers". In the immortal words of Richard Pryor, "That's right we bad!"
__________________ '73 FX
'85 XLX
'02 FLHTCUI
Read
2 Chron 7:14
Please join me in this prayer daily.
This is my Granddaughter Sky, age 7. Can't walk, talk, or feed herself but look at that smile. Anyone care to complain about their lot in life? Not me![IMG][/IMG]
Were those AMF era bikes really as bad as folks said? Breaking, Leaking not road worthy. Or were they a possitive step in engineering maybe just not thought out all the way through. If AMF did not take control would Harley Davidsons be around today? Anyone?
There were some quality control problems with some of the late 70's Shovels. Some were caused by the MOCO outsourcing heads from Japan which resulted in some serious valve guide problems. Other maladies were the result of trying to push up production numbers thinking they could crank out big volume to compete with the Japanese. Yet more headaches were the result of labor unrest in the plant.
And IMHO AMF saved Harley by virtue of the fact that they were a big diversified company who was able and willing to invest a sizable amount of cash in the company. They did some valuable research and development that paid off big time years later. (The management group and later the stockholders benefited rather than AMF)
__________________ '73 FX
'85 XLX
'02 FLHTCUI
Read
2 Chron 7:14
Please join me in this prayer daily.
This is my Granddaughter Sky, age 7. Can't walk, talk, or feed herself but look at that smile. Anyone care to complain about their lot in life? Not me![IMG][/IMG]
Last edited by shovelmike; 05-14-2008 at 10:02 PM.
That is my son on the bike, that was 1975. He used to ride with me, in front. We would go out on back roads and putt along in fourth at a idle.
Ten twenty miles an hour. Covered a lot of miles like that, He loved it as much as I did. Like I said when the second child came along the bike just was not fair, and we sold it bought a dune buggy.
Quote:
Originally Posted by shovelmike
Hey, I'll be looking forward to seeing that pic. Sure thing about the situation back then. There was a whole market left untapped until Willie G started hanging out paying attention to the fact that guys were stripping down those big bikes.
Even then H-D tried to distance itself from the "One percenter" image for years...not anymore, now they want to enable folks to be "Instant bikers". In the immortal words of Richard Pryor, "That's right we bad!"
A fine looking bike. I rode my first two kids ( son and daughter) around the same way when they were small. My youngest kid (son) let it be known that he was not interested. A year ago,at 18, he needed a ride to town and I handed him a helmet, he grinned and hopped aboard.
__________________ '73 FX
'85 XLX
'02 FLHTCUI
Read
2 Chron 7:14
Please join me in this prayer daily.
This is my Granddaughter Sky, age 7. Can't walk, talk, or feed herself but look at that smile. Anyone care to complain about their lot in life? Not me![IMG][/IMG]
I worked at the York plant from 1979 to 1983. My opinion is if it were not for AMF , Harleys would probably have gone the way of Indians. By now someone would have resurrected it and they wouldn't be as far as they are today without AMF. They had deep pockets. As for Evos they were started in the AMF days, I can remember the engines being put in shovel frames for testing. The Porsche collaberation was on a watercooled engine.
Quality wasn't as good then as today as we didn't have all the fancy machining centers and robot welders they have today. For the times the were good bikes though. I still have my 1982 FXR . No oil leaks. Runs like a top and there weren't that many made back then so someday they will be worth more.
I have alot of friends who still work there. Labor issues are no worse today than back then.
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[/IMG] Here's a picture of the old girl. I just treated her to a fresh set of brake pads this morning an took her for a 35 mile rest ride. 
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