to upgrade or not to upgrade

    • 1 posts
    January 6, 2015 10:21 AM PST
    Ok, I have this 95 badboy springer, being down here in Australia it was first rego'd 96...so as far as Australia goes its a 96 badboy springer..I've just wound the speedo over 100K which is totally wrong cause i fried the drive gear and couldn't get it replaced for a few months and in that time I rode lots of kilometres..for those who don't know a Km is shorter than a mile...like 100,000 km is only 60,000 miles...So my bike doesn't really have that much on it..I guess to that I don't ride as much as i used to, last year I blew the head gaskets off it... so i had it honed and new rings put in, base gaskets and head gaskets...and have started the process again..Problem is its a 1340 and everyone else I know barring one guy who owns a shovel, owns bigger capacity engines. So I get left behind on runs..unless we hit some tight bends where I show em who's whom...

    The wife likes to go on the bike sometimes..but the problem now is we are both bigger than we were...(fatter) and we touch almost at all points...my back to her front...sometimes the closeness is fine..at other times the fact of our bodies touching constantly makes us both sweat....which I guess gets uncomfy especially after a few hours in the saddle. She wants a roadking or an FLH standard..I wouldn't mind one either....but finances don't allow...for a newer to me bike at present. Plus with all the newer models mine isn't worth selling even though its a badboy...only made em for 12 months 3 different models each a different paint job...magenta (mine) yellow and blue...So they do actually hold their value better than other bikes of the same vintage..My son wants me to keep it from a nostalgia point of view..He grew up with it...and will give me 10 k for it..when ever he saves it...which is likely to be never...I've already owned his bike..as he stopped payments on it...and the bank hauled me in for cosigning his loan ..made me pay up..So I sold it for what he owed and started a fight...

    So thats my dilemma what do i do...I got trips i wanna do...my ride still goes great but its basically only a single rider bike...even my new progressives are feeling the pinch when the missus climbs aboard...cause we so bottom out alot..lol...can't be me..cause it never happens when I'm solo... Oh and one more thing....she don't ride never has and never wants too..so getting her a cheap jappa isn't even an option. I have a couple of Jappas in the shed being rebuilt....vintage models now (30 years old) .....which should bring in some bucks either that  or i 'll keep em..cause they go like a shower o shit in a straight line...although cornering on em is an adventure in peril...well thanks for reading if you got this far....opinions are welcome...
    • 5419 posts
    January 6, 2015 10:35 AM PST
    Well a big touring bike would be nice, but if it is not the time to get one and the old one is still running good I would figure out a way to make it more comfortable for the two of you to ride together. Maybe some new shocks and a bigger seat?
    • Moderator
    • 19007 posts
    January 6, 2015 9:21 PM PST
     
  • January 7, 2015 1:15 AM PST
    This is one of those touchy kind of questions like.....Honey does this bike make my butt look big. I mean you don't want to sleep in the shed with the bike, but you would like the Mrs to enjoy the ride. Wow I got to swing with Rex and Lucky on this one. Going in debt for a new bike kind of sucks as well. Beef up the shocks get a bigger seat and ride like it was a new one.
    Best of Luck
    Night Dragon
    • 3006 posts
    January 7, 2015 7:58 AM PST
    Maybe upgrade one of the Jap rides? The money sunk in it would be well spent,as it would go towards increasing value as a collector item perhaps?
    Trading out the seat & fitting her with heavier suspension for the Harley could work also,maybe trade out the front end entirely and redo the rear suspension w/airlift kit? They certainly are available tho the cost may be more than its worth.
    Stay Safe & Enjoy the Ride
    • 1 posts
    January 8, 2015 7:55 AM PST
    good suggestions thanks...I thought asbout turning it into a bike with telescopic forks before..and keeping the springer front end..in the shed..I have a stearing head that will allow for this to happen..and forks..and even a 16 inch front wheel..and brake discs..and a few whopper rear guards to make ity look like a heretage kinda anyways.
    • 611 posts
    January 9, 2015 5:23 AM PST
    Mr Jones... you are stuck between sweat and a soft spot. What do you really 'want' to happen? As I see it, you do have options:
    1. Make the motor bigger with higher HP, punch the jugs, shave the heads, bigger valves, larger carb.
    2. Sell everything and get a bigger bike (your son should keep his mouth shut, cash talks).
    3. Don't know how you feel about metrics, but a Aspencade or a Streamliner are both big fast bikes that can handle 2 big folks.
    Hope I helped to condense your options.
    • 1 posts
    January 12, 2015 2:57 AM PST
    Buy her her own bikeā€¦ Problem solved (did you expect me to answer that any other way?)
    • 0 posts
    January 13, 2015 11:25 AM PST
    mate we should get our heads together and get those jappas done. they are pulling big bucks atm. Ya know with your looks and my handyness we could prolly raise enough for a decent roadking and still have change to go to sturgis..
    • 1 posts
    January 17, 2015 8:49 AM PST
    Gina i expect the unexpected always from you...lol. Gus its just a damn shame you live in Qyeersland otherwise I'd have been over already..I got it going well now...awaiting parts is always the hassle..seems all around the world January just isn't the month to order bits..