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[Spiderman]

You'll note elsewhere on the site that my 2007 FLTR is for sale. The reason for this is that I need to get back on a Road King. Three artificial joints and acute lumbar stenosis make the Road King a much better ride for me. I've had several friends who are aware of my talent with building and modifying motorcycles suggest I strip the FLTR and convert it to an FLHR. I'm sure that uneeded FLTR parts would find a home via E-Bay to somebody who's put their FLTR on the ground. Ok, I can visualize what would have to happen but was wondering if anyone on cvoharley.com has done this change and if so what did you spend on parts, what bit you in the ass you didn't expect and so forth. Any and all positive commentary would be greatly appreciated

B B

[Twolanerider]

You know as well as anyone it's no simple change.  Tank and some internals, speedo and dash on the tank along with the ignition switch and idiot lights inside the dash.  Main harness is changed and you'll need the nacelle, headlight, windshield and mounts, fork locks, clamp cover, etc.  Maybe a saddle too depending on the dash you use. It's an easy enough weekend job if all the parts are in hand but you're still gutting a 1/4 of the bike and you'll need a Road King tank to match LD.

The King Pak, fairing, audio, instruments, harness, tank, etc that come off LD would actually make it a relatively inexpensive retrofit; so long as you're patient and don't just dump the parts.  So that's likely not a huge part of the equation.

Answer this; do you really want some old orange Road King that just used to be LD or do you want that homage to Elvis you've been thinking about for a couple years or more.  Both are Road Kings (in the end).  But you'll feel entirely different about either when in the saddle.  So is the goal simply "some Road King" or something more special to  you?

[Spiderman]

Don
     There's a couple of factors at work here. First off is the market for any pre 2009 used Harley. LD may well have progressive suspension, a true-track and every other improvement possible to be made to a 2007 chassis but to the vast majority of riders, it's got "the old frame" Rarely does a mfgr make changes in one model year that are so radical as to create the impression of anything before the changes being flawed. And it's reflected in the price you can hope to get for a pre 2009 model H-D. Used to be a clean well maintained five year old H-D with decent mileage fetched within $3k of the MSRP for a current model year. Now, if you look at my post in the selling section, I'm looking at $6k below for LD in OEM trim and thats WITH the killer Screamin Eagle 103 motor that San Diego H-D built for me. So, you know, it behooves me to look at what other directions are open to me. I can assure you that if I were to swap out LD from an RG to an RK it would not be painted orange. That's a great color scheme but not what I have in mind for Elvis II if I can't manage to buy the right 2003 FLHRSEI2. So you know buddy, ideas bounce around inside the old cranium- - - some good, some not so but sometimes from madness comes genius.

B B 

[Twolanerider]

Hmmmmm.......


My very first reaction without having given it any thought was "oh, just sell LD and get a Road King." 

But then....


Then I remembered the suspension and other changes that would stay as part of the LD donor and that you know you'd do over again if you started with a different Road King.  That's money in your favor above and beyond the sale of any take off parts.

Strictly one guy's opinion.  But if it were mine in the circumstances you've got I'd do the retro.

[Twolanerider]

One other thought.  How much will it factor in to the equation that LD will have to get back to Dago?

[Spiderman]

Hmmmmm.......
My very first reaction without having given it any thought was "oh, just sell LD and get a Road King." 
But then....
Then I remembered the suspension and other changes that would  stay as part of the LD donor and that you know you'd do over again if you started with a different Road King.  That's money in your favor above and beyond the sale of any take off parts.
Strictly one guy's opinion.  But if it were mine in the circumstances you've got I'd do the retro.

Well Don, if I can sell LD it all becomes moot. I then go buy a 2003 SERK and proceed to build Elvis II. Elvis I by the way while probably still on the road somewhere is not Elvis so it's not like I'm copying anybody even it it would be copying myself.  It's been six years and god only knows how many owners since MJZ bought it from me without the Alligator Bob bags and seat. He traded it to a BMW dealer 
Anyway, If I can't sell LD then here's the thing. LD has a killer 103 motor built by San Diego H-D's top tech. It's got performance heads and SE257cams and a ton of other goodies adding up to nearly $6,000 to reproduce. Then as you noted are the suspension changes Progessive shocks, cartridge front , tru-track Then you've got the braided stainless lines and cables and Wild-1 Chubbys and the chromed out frame . The wheels and rotors are off an 03 SERK and on and on and on. So, you know I strip LD down , sell off the RG tuff to some poor SOB who put his RG on the pavement and then buy new tins in primer, have them painted Gold and Maroon but maybe in a flame job vice the ripped look of the 03 SERk and so forth. The 03 Centennial Gold is a one year only paint and it matches those killer bags and seat perfectly.
You always gotta have a Plan B or C or D or - - - - -

B B

[Spiderman]

Guess you and I could have done this thread in chat Don for all anybody else has got to say   

[djkak]

I'd yank that big ol' fairing off the beast, and from that point forward it's just the simple completion process! 
 

[Twolanerider]

Would be a fun project guys.  Plus it's a good way to include a few small details entirely of your own that the major retro might allow more easily than if you're doing some slight mods to an already completed bike.  Hell yeah, rip that baby down and play .

[Spiderman]

It would be a fun project but my goal is really to sell LD and buy the perfect 03 SERK that a member who's name I will not disclose from this site has spoken to me about selling. I could not ask for a better platform with which to build Elvis II than this man's already over the top 100th Anni SERK. So I am praying, crossing my fingers,  invoking the Viking God Odin anything I an in hopes of selling LD

B B

[Twolanerider]

invoking the Viking God Odin anything I an in hopes of selling LD

B B

Doing all I can to help a brother out !

(Slight paraphrasing of prayer to Odin)

Hail Odin
Great Road Wanderer
For many miles You have knocked at the hidden doors to my soul.
Patient yet ever insistent, awaiting my response.

 
Hail Odin
Twin Cam Father:
Ye who knows the passageways to my heart.
Grant passage of the spirit and the machine your LD to another.

 
Hail Odin
Wise One
Teach another the great value and the great soul of the true LD.
You welcome another's heart to open to LD, unfettered by reservation.

 
Hail Odin
Spear Shaker
Ye who incites wars amongst nations and the battles within each man’s heart:
Brook no war or reservation for the purchase of the great LD.

 
Hail Odin
One Eyed God (unlike a Road Glide)
Your quest unhalted by sacrifice.
Ask another to commit to follow Your will to purchase LD.

 
Hail Odin
Master of the Runes
Through Your Gift we glimpse the web of asphalt
So do i seek the funds your sale of LD should reveal.

 
Hail Odin
Patron to the Touring
Bringer of the mead of inspiration
May my words be pleasing to Your ears.

 
Hail Odin
Master of Fury:
Primal and uncontained: directed to inspiration of the Great Road Glide.
May i persevere, unrepressed, through adversity with your help toward Elvis II.

 
Hail Odin
Valföðr:
My Your Valkyries find me worthy
To ride the Great Elvis reincarnate and Pass the LD to wanderlust and another.





Ok, that's all I got.  I'll throw a few runes too.  Might help.... 

[JONNIEROCK]

           Don't miss understand me, but I'm kind of lost here. The Road Glide and Road king are the same bikes. I checked the weight difference, and the Road Glide weighs 5 more pounds. By converting a RG into a RK, what is going to be gained. I've had both, and other than the fairing, they both rode and handled the same ?
                                    Thanks Jonnierock

[Spiderman]

           Don't miss understand me, but I'm kind of lost here. The Road Glide and Road king are the same bikes. I checked the weight difference, and the Road Glide weighs 5 more pounds. By converting a RG into a RK, what is going to be gained. I've had both, and other than the fairing, they both rode and handled the same ?
                                    Thanks Jonnierock

       Your figures do not include a king tour-pak with tailights, speaker pods and luggage rack and that's empty. Load the TP up and you've got a bunch of weight waaaaaaaaay above the center of gravity. As to you're being lost, all I can tell you is how I feel when I ride each bike. A Road King feels like the center of gravity is a lot lower than a Road Glide. Just my opinion, but since it's my bike and me riding it, I guess I get to pick which one I like best.

B B

[timo482]

it really has been quite a few years now since used bikes were worth a whole lot. nobody wants to hear that but only the bikes that were rare to begin with and have been in a garage getting dusty bring much.

if they are ridden - or used - or modified - or ...... the are hard to sell for much.

it wasnt that long ago that a used bike all beat up would sell for a lot and be fixed - now they go get parted out by legal chop shops.....

*sigh*

its your bike - do what suits your fancy - if it were a number matching DE, or DH, or FG vin code pair and you parted it out - well that would be completely uncool... but other than that? go for it... there really are only a very very few vins that are actually rare - as in "50 made in 20 years production" - and to most folks those wont sell for much.

i would also say that taking apart a late 70's factory hand shift foot clutch gear top - w reverse bike would be actually punishable... they probably make less than 10

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