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[110tHunDer]

 
Nice pics, Don!  Did you avoid the nasty flying rocks this time?  Hope so!

[Twolanerider]

Nice pics, Don!  Did you avoid the nasty flying rocks this time?  Hope so!

No new divots this time Brian.  Though it did spook me a bit on the way home.  Stopped at a little taco shack and on the way back out was just sure I saw a big scratch on the front fender.  Very plain.  Was only a piece of cobweb that had landed there.  But was definitely an "oh chit" moment.

[110tHunDer]

 
Taco shack?  Did you get me some?!

[naitram]

did you just request postal tacos?

SERK is lookin good Don

[Twolanerider]

Taco shack?  Did you get me some?!

did you just request postal tacos?

I believe he did....  

SERK is lookin good Don

Thanks Neal.  Not much time on it yet.  Mileage since the end of the assembly is less than 250.  January and February what they can be, however, I'm glad to have gotten that.  In the limited time so far the bike is showing to be a good ride.  Suspension is firm (as I like it) and the bike handles very well.  The little engine is what it is; but with the exhuast and air intake handled it does ok.  

The bike isn't too annoying to ride from a power perspecitive and is good enough to play with a bit at least through about 80.  It runs out of anything you'd describe as quickness or prompt acceleration by 75-80.  Nothing unexpected though.

First few days the engine was getting any kind of regular run cycles it had another small issue with one of the lifters on the front cylinder bleeding down.  A few more miles now has either cleaned it up a bit and taken care of that issue or at least extended the time it takes between cycles for it to bleed down enough to rap-a-tat-tat on start up.  Even if it's still there a bit it won't be an issue in more regular summer use.  Then next winter the engine will get goosed and all will be taken of.

Just riding it's a comfortable bike though.  No dissatisfaction and no mistaken decisions made during the assembly choices that would have made for a bad ride.  Giving every indication so far it's going to be a good riding straight bike.

[Midnight Rider]

Looks good, Don.  I will have to say that I don't normally care for a single exhaust pipe on a hard bagged bike, but in this case the chrome belt guard and the nice pulley makes that side of the bike look complete, and not missing something.  A really nice ride for those times when you're not going to be out for nights at a time.

I probably missed this, but what rear shocks did you end up with (I know you put Monotubes on the front), and what handlebars?

You should enter the bike in a show or two if the opportunity presents itself...just for the hell of it.  It would likely win...

[Twolanerider]

I probably missed this, but what rear shocks did you end up with (I know you put Monotubes on the front), and what handlebars?

You should enter the bike in a show or two if the opportunity presents itself...just for the hell of it.  It would likely win...

It's got Bitubo shocks in the rear TC.  Wild 1 8.5" "mini apes" for bars.  I wish the bars were just a bit closer to me.  But that's a much a difference between this bike and the other two as it is an actual discomfort.  The wrist angle is good and I can easily rest one hand on bar while resting the other.  I don't like the look of taller bars so the choice is partly cosmetic.  It's a comfortable fit though.

The bike show thing has been suggested a couple times since the project completed.  Can't say it won't roll in to a cruise in sometime.  But shows and judging have just never been my thing.  Have a few trophies in the shop from small cruise ins with the old cars when I had them, and a couple for bikes stashed somewhere, but they were all either my dad's choice to enter or cruise in entries that got judged just because I parked in the right/wrong place.

Might give it a shot sometime just for grins.  We'll see...

[Midnight Rider]

Yea, I'm not into the whole show thing either, no matter what the subject matter.  But, if you're somewhere sometime where they are doing it, why not, just for the hell of it...it's something you don't see every day.

With that suspension under the bike, I would guess that it's fun to toss around in the turns, being a couple of hundred pounds lighter than what you're used to.  Even with the 88" motor, it would still be fun in the twisties.  To be honest, I've never even ridden a HD with a 88, or for that matter, a 95.  After the old panhead back in my crazier days, I rode jap bikes for a few years, then quit altogether for a while, so I missed the EVO and the 88 and jumped straight into the 103 with the '06 SEUC.

You did a great job on this one though...

[Twolanerider]

With that suspension under the bike, I would guess that it's fun to toss around in the turns, being a couple of hundred pounds lighter than what you're used to.  Even with the 88" motor, it would still be fun in the twisties.  To be honest, I've never even ridden a HD with a 88, or for that matter, a 95.  After the old panhead back in my crazier days, I rode jap bikes for a few years, then quit altogether for a while, so I missed the EVO and the 88 and jumped straight into the 103 with the '06 SEUC.

You did a great job on this one though...

Thanks TC.  Appreciate the good thoughts.  And you are right my friend, this one does illustrate the power to weight ratio.  The 95 in the Road Glide is close to 100/100.  This 88 with Fatcats and a good air cleaner would pace it.  The Road Glide can be tossed around with surprising ease but this one is just an easier platform to play on.  Neither of them would keep up at either the bottom or the top end with the red bike but, while it is no monster itself, it's still 120/120-ish and that's enough of a difference to stand out and feel from the saddle.

[Shiner]

I felt compelled to tell you a story about my olive and black 03' heritage springer. Yes, i have my 02 brandywine SERK and bit this happened on the springer. I'm a school administrator coming home from school and just a split second before I left turned onto my street and looked at a guy about 50 yards away that had me in his sights. Mind you.....All of this took place in a split second. I see a guy with a slingshot, he is lined upon a canada goose, beyond the canada goose was me. Next thing I know I'm hit! This guy was trying to kill the geese that were going in his yard with ball bearings. He missed the goose and hit me on the left side of my tank and put a dent in it about half an inch deep. I jumped off and I carry a phone for emergencies. I call and tell the police to get there before I kill this guy. An old geezer in his 70's denied everything even after he was still standing there with a bag of ball bearings and a sling shot. He went to leave and I wouldn't let him as I told him he was lucky he didn't hit me in the head and you're going no where. thank god the cop was a biker and it took him about 5 seconds to figure out what happened. Lucky the guy did have insurance and I was able to replace the tank. sorry, it wasn't a story about my SERK but I have enjoyed ever step of the process on yours. Just beautiful. 

[spydglide]

What a story for a 1st post, Shiner.  Glad it all worked out w/o you killing the guy.  spyder

[110tHunDer]

What a story for a 1st post, Shiner.  Glad it all worked out w/o you killing the guy.  spyder

You're all over it, Spyder!  I had to go back and see how many posts "Shiner" had after I read what he wrote!

Great first post!  Welcome, Shiner!

[ccr]

I felt compelled to tell you a story about my olive and black 03' heritage springer. Yes, i have my 02 brandywine SERK and bit this happened on the springer. I'm a school administrator coming home from school and just a split second before I left turned onto my street and looked at a guy about 50 yards away that had me in his sights. Mind you.....All of this took place in a split second. I see a guy with a slingshot, he is lined upon a canada goose, beyond the canada goose was me. Next thing I know I'm hit! This guy was trying to kill the geese that were going in his yard with ball bearings. He missed the goose and hit me on the left side of my tank and put a dent in it about half an inch deep. I jumped off and I carry a phone for emergencies. I call and tell the police to get there before I kill this guy. An old geezer in his 70's denied everything even after he was still standing there with a bag of ball bearings and a sling shot. He went to leave and I wouldn't let him as I told him he was lucky he didn't hit me in the head and you're going no where. thank god the cop was a biker and it took him about 5 seconds to figure out what happened. Lucky the guy did have insurance and I was able to replace the tank. sorry, it wasn't a story about my SERK but I have enjoyed ever step of the process on yours. Just beautiful. 

Talk about not seeing the forest for the trees, poor ole guy.
He just wanted those geese to stop pooping in his yard.
I can only imagine all the angst he went through before he resorted to a slingshot and ball bearings.
So glad you were not hurt - and that you got a new tank covered by insurance.

I am also in the club that has enjoyed Don's process on his great bike/s

[Twolanerider]

Had missed the goose and slingshot episode until now.  Glad we discovered another classic red SERK rider.  Too few of these out there to keep them hidden.  Thanks for checking in.  Still toying with the idea of finding enough of these bikes to get together some weekend for a group photo accompanied by steak and ale.  Keep an eye out.  There's a few of us in the midwest already known.  That would make Ohio within range.

[spydglide]

Had missed the goose and slingshot episode until now.  Glad we discovered another classic red SERK rider.  Too few of these out there to keep them hidden.  Thanks for checking in.  Still toying with the idea of finding enough of these bikes to get together some weekend for a group photo accompanied by steak and ale.  Keep an eye out.  There's a few of us in the midwest already known.  That would make Ohio within range.

Any good excuse for a ride.........and that'd be a great one.  spyder