New bike or not?

[Andy the]

Talked to the guys in the shop at the local dealer today. Been thinking
about a new bike next year, but sheesh! They are 'spensive! Instead I
think I'll keep the 2005 Electra Glide. We figured out some numbers for
having the engine rebuilt using their engine re-manufacturing plan,
installing new cams, oil pump and support plate, going through the
transmission and replacing all the bearings, new swing-arm bushings,
drive belt and pulleys, rebuilding the forks and replace the steering
head bearings, and rebuilding the clutch. Other than new cams that went
in a few years ago, nothing has been touched during its 72,000 miles.
Never even had a bulb burn out on the thing. I can't complain about the
bike at all.

Just gonna keep it a stock 88 with the exception of some Andrews cams
similar to the SE203s I have in there now. The bike runs fine for my
riding style, and I get outstanding mileage with it. Took it to EKIII in
NE Ohio last week and got mid 40s most of the time, but got 50.5 MPG
after a hundred or so miles on some GON2L. That's the best I've ever
experienced with it. Eat your hearts out Honda Prius!

They said they'd cut a good deal for me on the labor since it was all
going to be apart anyway. Then they said they could knock off another
10% on parts. When I told 'em what I had in mind they seemed real
interested in talking to me. I wonder if the Obama-conomy has caused
their business to drop off and they're anxious for the work. I talked
directly with the wrench who'd be doing it, and the both of us went
through the books and computers to look at the parts, etc. He's been
there for 12 years and seems to know what he's talking about. Talked me
out of a couple expensive things I wanted to do and suggested other less
expensive ways to do it.

It ain't going to be cheap, but I'll have a damn near new bike when I'm
done. Not only that, but if I was to get a new one I'd hafta spend
mega-dollars on new mufflers, buying new maps for the computer, and a
bunch of other mandatory doo-dads.

We'll just have to see what the check book looks like when riding season
begins to wane.

Andy aka Big Stinkie

[Harold Gailey]

"Andy the" <and...@earthlink.net> wrote in message
news:5-mdnUSja5XUTLzN...@earthlink.com...

> Talked to the guys in the shop at the local dealer today. Been thinking
> about a new bike next year, but sheesh! They are 'spensive! Instead I
> think I'll keep the 2005 Electra Glide. We figured out some numbers for
> having the engine rebuilt using their engine re-manufacturing plan,
> installing new cams, oil pump and support plate, going through the
> transmission and replacing all the bearings, new swing-arm bushings, drive
> belt and pulleys, rebuilding the forks and replace the steering head
> bearings, and rebuilding the clutch. Other than new cams that went in a
> few years ago, nothing has been touched during its 72,000 miles. Never
> even had a bulb burn out on the thing. I can't complain about the bike at
> all.
>
>

> Andy aka Big Stinkie

The cost of my 70000 mile service, fork seals, shifter pawl, hydraulic cam
chain tensioner and rear tire was more that 25% of the cost of the bike when
I got it 10 years ago this month. It runs like new but the idle is a little
high after it warms up. Sometimes up to 1400 rpm. I need to fix that.


--
74 CB 450 - Stolen; 74 Z1 900 - Traded; 76 FX 1200 - Stolen; 78 FX(E)
86 CI - Daily rider nice weather; 02 FXDX 88 CI - Daily rider other weather

[sn...@trippin.com]

On Tue, 07 Aug 2012 21:39:03 -0500, Andy the <and...@earthlink.net>
wrote:

There's somethin' good about havin' a new screwdriver shank in th' old
familiar handle... you could call it th' Snap-On Glide

Snarl

[Dean]

I'm wondering about that rebuild under the HD remanufacturing program
and that "special" cam you are considering. As I understand it, the
dealership returns your engine to the plant under that program and
then HD refurbishes your engine to factory OEM specs with factory OEM
parts. Anything special you may have already done to that engine is
going in the trash. Then the engine is returned to your dealership to
be reinstalled in your bike. Other than removing, shipping &
reinstalling that refurbished engine, the dealership plays no part in
the factory's reman process. That being their program; when is that
Andrew's or SE203 cam going to get in there? The factory isn't going
to do it.

It's been nearly seven years since I've read anything about their
rebuild programs. Assuming that they offer several alternatives, such
as new-larger jugs, etc. Even then they would be using OEM parts.

Inquiring minds want to know where that cam installation and any non
factory variants enter into their rebuild scheme in Wisconsin.

Dean
--
2011 FLHTK 06FLHR,Sold EKIII GFFG

[Rand McNally]

On 8/8/2012 3:26 PM, Dean wrote:
> Andy the<and...@earthlink.net>
>> wrote:
>>
>>> Talked to the guys in the shop at the local dealer today. Been thinking
>>> about a new bike next year, but sheesh! They are 'spensive! Instead I
>>> think I'll keep the 2005 Electra Glide. We figured out some numbers for
>>> having the engine rebuilt using their engine re-manufacturing plan,
>>> installing new cams, oil pump and support plate, going through the
>>> transmission and replacing all the bearings, new swing-arm bushings,
>>> drive belt and pulleys, rebuilding the forks and replace the steering
>>> head bearings, and rebuilding the clutch. Other than new cams that went
>>> in a few years ago, nothing has been touched during its 72,000 miles.
>>> Never even had a bulb burn out on the thing. I can't complain about the
>>> bike at all.

<nips>

> Inquiring minds want to know where that cam installation and any non
> factory variants enter into their rebuild scheme in Wisconsin.

I have 80K on mine and am looking at this as the best deal going, considering the abuse it
has seen.

http://www.harley-davidson.com/en_US/Content/Pages/Engines/engine_reman_broch.pdf

--
Rand McNally BS#263
Yer not lost if you get back before the search party finds you...

[Andy the]

I like that name. The bike is currently called "Ripley" after Sigourney
Weaver's character in the Alien movie series. No particular reason other
than I am in lust with Sigourney Weaver...and the Ripley character was
cool. <shrug>

Snap-On Bike. Unfortunately I'm a Craftsman tool guy. (They're cheaper
than Snap-On.)

Andy aka Big Stinkie

[Andy the]

You are correct. The dealer will yank the engine and install some crap
stock cams and then send the thing to the factory. It'll come back like
brandy-gnu with all stock parts, all shined up and back in spec. They
usually use the same case and jugs, but if they are damaged or too far
out of spec they use new ones and stamp it with the same VIN so the
numbers still match.

Once the dealer gets it back they'll install the new stuff. The wrench
said that they could rebuild it right there at the dealership and put
the new cams in, but it'd end up costing about the same as doing it the
way described above. That, and he said it'll come back all polished up
if the factory does it. They don't do that at the dealership.

Since I'm going to have so much done to it they said they'd work with me
on the labor. When he was working up the estimate he kept cutting the
labor in half for various things, saying, "It's gonna be apart already,
so we can't charge him twice for taking it apart once."

>
> It's been nearly seven years since I've read anything about their
> rebuild programs. Assuming that they offer several alternatives, such
> as new-larger jugs, etc. Even then they would be using OEM parts.

I don't *think* they will put in a 95" kit or other upgrade in a
remanufactured engine. As the wrench told me, it'll come back just like
the day it rolled out of the factory.

>
> Inquiring minds want to know where that cam installation and any non
> factory variants enter into their rebuild scheme in Wisconsin.

I'll do some more nosing around before I start spending money and I'll
let ya know, but it sounds like WI doesn't do any mods or upgrades.

Andy aka Big Stinkie

[sn...@trippin.com]

On Wed, 08 Aug 2012 20:14:22 -0500, Andy the <and...@earthlink.net>
wrote:

>> There's somethin' good about havin' a new screwdriver shank in th' old
>> familiar handle... you could call it th' Snap-On Glide
>>
>> Snarl
>>
>
>I like that name. The bike is currently called "Ripley" after Sigourney
>Weaver's character in the Alien movie series. No particular reason other
>than I am in lust with Sigourney Weaver...and the Ripley character was
>cool. <shrug>

My '37 Knuck still hasn't told me its name.

>Snap-On Bike. Unfortunately I'm a Craftsman tool guy. (They're cheaper
>than Snap-On.)

You don't get to keep yer handles either. I guess that means it'll be
Ripley v2.0. So does a new paint scheme come with th' rebirth?

Snarl... guessin' somethin' in a red, white n' blue

[David Geiger]

wrote in message news:rsl728tckf6pvcchj...@4ax.com...

On Wed, 08 Aug 2012 20:14:22 -0500, Andy the <and...@earthlink.net>
wrote:

>> There's somethin' good about havin' a new screwdriver shank in th' old
>> familiar handle... you could call it th' Snap-On Glide
>>
>> Snarl
>>
>
>I like that name. The bike is currently called "Ripley" after Sigourney
>Weaver's character in the Alien movie series. No particular reason other
>than I am in lust with Sigourney Weaver...and the Ripley character was
>cool. <shrug>

My '37 Knuck still hasn't told me its name.

>^^^
David Rupert Kenneth Smith...the third.

[Phil Boutros]

Andy the <and...@earthlink.net> wrote:
>
> Snap-On Bike. Unfortunately I'm a Craftsman tool guy. (They're cheaper
> than Snap-On.)

I was too, until I became a professional mechanic.


Phil...the "Then I saw the light..." Asshole(tm)...
--
AH#61 Wolf#14 BS#89 bus#1 CCB#1 SENS KOTC#4 ph...@philb.ca
http://philb.ca EKIII rides with me: http://eddiekieger.com
v4sw6CYhw7ln6pr6OFck4ma9u7LMw3XGm7l7Si2e6t4MRb8en6g4a3Xs7Ir1p-5/-9 hackerkey.com

[Dean]

I think the rebuild program is a great option if you can't do the work
yourself. And they do clean up the exterior to like new condition. If
your dealer does the cam work and your satisfied with the total cost,
you have a winner.

Segue: The ass hole dealer I had a falling out with last year went out
of business--selling to another who now has three shops. The new guy
shut down the building in Akron and had a grand opening at a
refurbished Circuit City building in my city--last Saturday. The new
store, with 41,000 sq feet, has room for 150 bikes in the showroom.

Three of my friends have bought bikes since Saturday. Two Glides and a
"like new" '09 RK Custom with low miles and everything added by the
previous owner but a sink.

Breaks my heart that the ass hole is out of business after 22 years.
He's gone back to selling used cars, where he belongs.

[TL Mitchell]

"Dean" <gd...@neo.rr.com> wrote

> Breaks my heart that the ass hole is out of business after 22 years.
> He's gone back to selling used cars, where he belongs.

Tell the truth, you're gonna miss Ernie. He's the type of guy people love to
hate. Broke my heart to see his Taj Mahal go bellyup. <NOT!>

112

[Dean]

There's still at least one turd hold-over still working on the new
guy's sale force. The service manager, Scott, is a good guy. Lots of
new people involved.

[Andy the]

Well, I pulled the pin and am taking the bike into the dealer in about
an hour. Went in yesterday to tie up a few loose ends and decided to
also have new throttle cables installed, a new stator, HD oil cooler,
and have the brake fluid flushed. They gave me 10% off all the parts,
and since the cables, cooler, and stator is less than the discount I
still come out OK. The tech told the service guy not to charge any labor
on those parts. I guess since I'm spending that kinda bucks with them
they ought to toss in some freebies.

Yeah, I could install the cables and flush the fluid and install the
cooler myself, but since he's not charging labor for that it makes sense
to have him do it.

He gave me permission to come in and visit Ripley while she's all torn
apart, too. Probably take a few pictures.

Along those lines, right out of high school I worked for an auto
mechanic. I learned that if you want to butter up the mechanics...bring
in some donuts when you visit. Maybe even a 12-pack of cold beer if you
arrive near closing time. It endears you to the mechanics and they look
forward to seeing you walk through the doors instead of saying, "Oh
shit. Here comes that nosy fool wanting to ask questions about his
vehicle." Hence I will occasionally bring a dozen donuts while they are
working on the old girl. Never hurts to schmooze just a bit.

Later,

Andy aka Big Stinkie

[Snag]

Hot chocolate mix and a bag of minimarshmelons at Christmas works well too
...
--
Snag
Learning keeps
you young !

[Dean]

Good moves Andy.

Movin' on. I had two sets of throttle cables replaced on my boat along
with new control heads (four) for the throttles and clutches, some
years ago. Wham mo, $3,000 for parts and labor.

Enter the do it yourself phase of boating.

And back to the bikes: I replaced my HD plugs the other day (8700
miles if replaced by the dealer at the 10K service, or 18,700 if they
didn't) with AC Delco equivalents from the auto parts store. Yesterday
I took a 350 mile ride through the country side. The mileage has crept
up from about 40 to 43 mpg. The old plugs looked pretty good, no
blackening and everything looked brown to the untrained eye. But
perhaps the gaps had opened a fraction over the life of the plug.

Never really cared before, but with the price of gas and a few more
long rides this year, an extra 3 mpg looks good to me. That's another
steak dinner and several beers the gas companies won't be getting.

[Andy the]

Sounds like a boat is more expensive than a motorcycle. Lucky for me I
live in Kansas. We don't have many boats here. <grin> Actually, I live
less than 2 miles from Hillsdale Lake. Pretty big pile of water...for
Kansas, anyway.

http://www.wunderground.com/wximage/zapplesauce/2?gallery=

>
> Enter the do it yourself phase of boating.
>
> And back to the bikes: I replaced my HD plugs the other day (8700
> miles if replaced by the dealer at the 10K service, or 18,700 if they
> didn't) with AC Delco equivalents from the auto parts store. Yesterday
> I took a 350 mile ride through the country side. The mileage has crept
> up from about 40 to 43 mpg.

You think it was just new plugs, or do you think it was that AC Delcos
are better than HD? Prolly just new plugs...

> The old plugs looked pretty good, no
> blackening and everything looked brown to the untrained eye. But
> perhaps the gaps had opened a fraction over the life of the plug.

I change 'em real often. They're cheap, and it makes me feel like I'm
able to do some mechanical work on the thing.

>
> Never really cared before, but with the price of gas and a few more
> long rides this year, an extra 3 mpg looks good to me. That's another
> steak dinner and several beers the gas companies won't be getting.

I put in a pair of SE203 cams a few years back. Gave me some better
low-end snort, but my mileage increased noticeably. Perhaps it's just my
riding style (I ride like a 61 year old man,) or maybe it's the cams.
Regardless, I'll take the good mileage.

Andy aka Big Stinkie

[Dean]

On Thu, 16 Aug 2012 23:19:06 -0500, Andy the <and...@earthlink.net>

Big boats, yep. An 18' with moderate sized outboard, not so much, and
perfect for fishing a lake the size of Hillsdale.

>
>>
>> Enter the do it yourself phase of boating.
>>
>> And back to the bikes: I replaced my HD plugs the other day (8700
>> miles if replaced by the dealer at the 10K service, or 18,700 if they
>> didn't) with AC Delco equivalents from the auto parts store. Yesterday
>> I took a 350 mile ride through the country side. The mileage has crept
>> up from about 40 to 43 mpg.
>
>You think it was just new plugs, or do you think it was that AC Delcos
>are better than HD? Prolly just new plugs...
>

I'd say the new plugs. Not really up on who makes the best or worst. I
used some Iridiums in the other bike but didn't note any significant
gain. I won't use them again as they are relatively expensive and easy
to ruin when trying to gap them with the usual home mechanics tools.
The cathode is brittle and fragile.

>
>> The old plugs looked pretty good, no
>> blackening and everything looked brown to the untrained eye. But
>> perhaps the gaps had opened a fraction over the life of the plug.
>
>I change 'em real often. They're cheap, and it makes me feel like I'm
>able to do some mechanical work on the thing.
>
>>
>> Never really cared before, but with the price of gas and a few more
>> long rides this year, an extra 3 mpg looks good to me. That's another
>> steak dinner and several beers the gas companies won't be getting.
>
>I put in a pair of SE203 cams a few years back. Gave me some better
>low-end snort, but my mileage increased noticeably. Perhaps it's just my
>riding style (I ride like a 61 year old man,) or maybe it's the cams.
>Regardless, I'll take the good mileage.
>
>Andy aka Big Stinkie

[Andy the]

Posted some pictures next door. The engine is out and sitting on the
floor. Supposed to go to Milwaukee Monday morning.

Andy aka Big Stinkie

On 8/7/2012 9:39 PM, Andy the wrote:

[Andy the]

Opted for a remanufactured engine and bunch o' other stuff instead of a
new one.

The engine is back. And youse guys who laughed when I told you they
said, "two weeks?" Well, it's been 2 weeks and 4 days. I kinda figured
it'd be longer than a couple o' weeks, but a guy can dream. <shrug>

Posted a few pictures next door.

Andy aka Big Stinkie

[Steve]

Motor looks great Andy.
Hope it brings you many miles of smiles.
--
Steve

[Andy the]

On 8/7/2012 9:39 PM, Andy the wrote:

> Talked to the guys in the shop at the local dealer today. Been thinking
> about a new bike next year, but sheesh! They are 'spensive! Instead I
> think I'll keep the 2005 Electra Glide. We figured out some numbers for
> having the engine rebuilt using their engine re-manufacturing plan,
> installing new cams, oil pump and support plate, going through the
> transmission and replacing all the bearings, new swing-arm bushings,
> drive belt and pulleys, rebuilding the forks and replace the steering
> head bearings, and rebuilding the clutch. Other than new cams that went
> in a few years ago, nothing has been touched during its 72,000 miles.
> Never even had a bulb burn out on the thing. I can't complain about the
> bike at all.

<snip bunch of original details>

Couple o' things. First, a few weeks ago I developed a detached retina
in my left eye. Had some less than comfortable surgery. They drained the
fluid out of my eye and replaced it with some sort of gas, gotta rest on
my right side for 21 hours a day for 2 weeks (3 days yet to go!) and am
legally blind in that eye for about another month. I won't be
riding/driving/traveling for a month or two so I told the guys at the
shop that there wasn't a big hurry to get the bike done.

Yesterday my wife sneaked me into the shop to check out the progress. My
sister and niece were in town, so they went along. My niece is a
beautiful 27 year old young lady. She wanted to go in to see the shop so
I figured "why not?" She and I walked in to the bay where my bike was
sitting. The wrench and several others from nearby bays came over. (I'm
sure they came to see me. It had *nothing* to do with my niece being
there.) I couldn't help myself...I introduced my niece as my wife. You
could almost hear their collective jaws hitting the floor. I wasn't able
to keep up the charade for long, and a minute later told them she was my
niece. The wrench said "All I could think was 'Good for you!'"

Now the bike. It's about 99% done. He has a few small parts on order and
when they arrive he'll button it up. He showed me his box of take-off
parts and said that he was replacing a lot of my old stuff with the new
take-off stuff...for free. New stock hand grips, new switch covers, new
shiny bolts here and there, and a host of other freebies. Said that when
he saw a bolt or other small part that looked worn he was replacing it
if he could.

The dealer is Rawhide Harley Davidson in Olathe KS. (pronounced
"oh-LAY-thuh.") If you're in the Kansas City area and need parts/repairs
or just want to check out a dealer, I suggest Rawhide. They are a great
bunch of folks. Go to the parts counter and ask for "Hollywood." He'll
talk your ear off. William (Will) in the service department is
top-notch, too. Scott is the tech who is doing the work on my bike. He
knows his stuff.

Now I just gotta get healed up so I can break the damned thing in before
it gets too cold here in Kansas!

Andy aka Big Stinkie

[danin...@gmail.com]

On Sat, 06 Oct 2012 08:17:35 -0500, Andy the <and...@earthlink.net>
wrote:

Good to hear you and the scoot are almost ready!! You can always
bring it down here and break it in whilst the Northern parts are in
the deep freeze!

danl, just one of the Southern Slugs