I’ll be out there from the night of the 2nd through the morning of the 5th,
No reservations made, I’m just packing the bike with light camping gear and heading out.
Let me know if you’re going, maybe meet up.
Check out the Christian campground if you’re in for a good nights sleep, quiet and generally not too many people there.
Tom Lehmann/The Dough Doctor
I was dreaming of it and then this happens.
I bet that made an odd noise when that happened! Ouch!
Which engine, how many miles, and what were you doing when it came apart on you?
Where about is that at? So far it looks like I am camping in Spearfish, or someplace by Lead.
Did I mention that I am doing this on a fairly stripped down 1984 FXRS Low-Rider (Not a touring bike) I am going to free up as much memory as possible on the phone so I have more room for pictures, I’m a first timer for Sturgis. I’m considering this my warm up for riding the Al-Can up to to Alaska sometime in the next few years.
Last night, and 4 days where I do not need to enter these doors for a few days, but still doing my ordering on the road
@GotRocks When you do the Al-Can you have to pass through my city. Make sure you stop in. Maybe my son-in-law and his buddies will ride part way with you.
Wyatt’s Hideaway 605-892-0600 (about 20-miles from Sturgis)
Tom Lehmann/The Dough Doctor
Bad piston skirt. 2009 hd crossbones, problem stems from used piston I put in when doing a 107 kit. 15k miles, 1k on big bore kit. Don’t use used parts for engine internals! I was 400 miles from home on my 40th.birthday, greyhound home. It sucked
@Tom Lehmann
Thank you for the info, heading out in 6 hours,
@Daddio
It’s probably going to be a few years yet before I can do the Al-Can, I really need to get into a bigger bike and hopefully something less than a decade old, and a little more designed for touring than my current 31 year old rat of a bike
@rgjujitsu
Ouch!
I want to mod mine, but reliability issues like to show their ugly head too often when you build big HP.
You have no idea how badly I want a turbo’d big-twin. I was a crotch-rocket pilot back in the 80’s, I never thought I’d be happy on a Harley, but I love cruising on this thing, it’s a whole different animal, in a good way.
Staying at Cadillac Jacks in Deadwood. Leaving Milwaukee at 8 tonight driving straight through, should be there by High Noon on Monday. Me 1994 Fat Boy, Wife 2003 V-Rod. Wish me luck:cool:
Several years ago we rented six conveyor ovens for that affair to the same fellow we did Woodstock for.
Unfortunately he sold just enough pizza to break even.
He said the big thing there were big turkey drumsticks.
George Mills
The bike and I made it to Sturgis, I made it home a day late, the bike, well that’s another story!
I started spraying primary oil out at the MN/SD border, slept in a ditch at a truck stop in the Badlands, continued to Sturgis next day limping it in, ran Needles canyon, Deadwood, Custer to try to get it serviced, spent 13 hours in a shop in Hill City, ran needles canyon at night to get back to camp with it spraying oil on my rear tire (Again), with flash flood watches, and hail warnings. Got the bike to East side of rapid city, had to call for help to get back, left the bike for that same shop to fix it correctly. Going back in 2 weeks to go get it, and ride for a day to see the stuff I did not get to see from being down. and in the shop all day Tuesday.
Been there, done that, got my butt kicked. Will I do it again? talk to me in 25 years.
I will ride out there, it was friggen awesome, I see it being better when less crowded though, too many wrecks, too many amateurs making it dangerous for everyone while out there.
Almost whacked a deer east of the badlands, then came way too close to a buffalo in Custer park, didn’t see any goats or sheep on the road. We had a pair of Owls chatting loudly all night, both nights right above our campsite.
Our 13 hour road time was near double due to a dyslexic lead bike rider, he can follow from now on!
Wow sounds like a great story for years to come. My favorite trips have always been solo or with 2 close friendfriend. What’s wrong with bike? I’d be nervous as hell giving it back to same shop that couldn’t fix the first time. But then again I don’t trust dealers much anyway. Sorry about the bike. Do you miss it already?
I had a seal start leaking in the inner primary, the seal was for the transmission main shaft, so oil was blowing out on the drive sprocket, and it was covering my rear tire, most of the oil stayed on the left side of my tire, so right turns were not as harrowing going through the switchbacks in Needles Canyon and running mountain roads in packs of 50-100 other bikes.
It was a rough few days, This one will stick in my memory for a while.
the shop that worked on it is being given a chance to make it right instead of me just kissing that money goodbye. If I would have tried to ride it home, it would have stranded me, and caused more damage, and possibly caused me to wreck.
The death count when I left on Wednesday was at 11 , I did not want to add to that number.
I’ll drive back out with the trailer in a week or so, then I’ll ride the bike out there for a few hours to see the things I missed from the bike going down and being in the shop all day to make sure it is fixed right this time, then put it on the trailer and drag it home.
When you ride a 31 year old Harley, Stuff Happens!
I thought it was solid, I worked it like a rented mule this summer before this trip thinking that if it will fail, better to fail at home instead of out on a trip.
The mechanic thinks part of it was the high heat that popped the seal, and the fact that the bike is that old, and sat for 22 years before I put it together. the bike has never seen 90+ degree days upwards of 70 MPH for hours on end (80 MPH speed limit out there) It was dangerous to ride slower, lots of trucks on the highway, and heavy traffic, so I stayed with the packs of bikes at their speed.
I may have a clogged vent line in the primary drive, and the increased pressure may have blown that seal. So I’ll ask them to check the vent line
Some of the most gorgeous country I’ve ever been through. We made a roadtrip through there to Yellowstone for our honeymoon in June. We need to go back. While the ride would be nice out there, I can’t imagine riding all the way from Ohio. I prefered driving in the car. All 4300 miles of it. Glad you made it back safely.
Riding the bike out there was the main goal, I wanted was that patch that says “I Rode Mine, Sturgis 2015” The scenery out there was a bonus.
There’s a sizable rally near me known as the “Tomahawk Fall Ride” I rode to that one just to get that “I rode Mine” patch last year, it was 28 degrees when I rolled out of the restaurant parking lot that night.
My bike is ready to be retrieved from Hill City, so I’m leaving Sunday night to go drag it back home.
There is a 1999 road king at the dealer that I can get for around $3,200.00, it looks great, well cared for, but the 1999 model year twin-cam engine was a nightmare. Cam bearing and cam chain issues, and the swingarms crack from stresses on them. I want it, I can update the engine and suspension, but fear it would be a money pit and a headache of epic proportions. Do a little google search for “1999 road king problems” and you’ll see what I mean
Is the road king carb or fi? I take a different view, it has the Timken bearing and stout crank. Put a set of gear drive cams in and you don’t have to worry about cam shoe. After everything your still out the door for under 5k. I never heard any issues with frame. But it sounds like it isn’t the bIke of your dreams. And as every biker knows it’s cheaper to get what you want the first time. Either way good luck. I had a 2005 flhrs road king custom, amazing bike just not great for darting in and out of traffic.
Size wise, and its current trim, it IS the bike of my dreams. But I’d need to sell my current ride to get into it (if I do not have the cash, I do not buy, its just the way I am)
Problem being with the 99 twin cam, the gear drive cams only works if the crank has less than 3/1000ths run out. (I called S&S tech department on this) If I get it, and the crank is out of spec, I’m done due to needing new cases and crank work being out of my available time and budget plan.
Plus, the tensioners may have been chewed apart and replaced, so that means oil pump replace, and complete teardown to clean plastic out of the engine. There is no service history on the bike, and the dealer is unwilling to open the cam area to do an inspection so I can make an educated decision. There is way too much left to chance on this bike for me to feel comfortable with that purchase. With a tear down and measurements being taken, it would boost my confidence that I am not getting into a money pit and black hole of time.
For all I know, Harley may have replaced this engine already, again, no service history found, and when HD replaced engines, they matched the serial numbers
The one plus here is that It is a carbed model, so huge bonus there.
After running my 31 year old Evo FXRS out to Sturgis, riding those canyons like a maniac, being able to go full retard through the tight twisties (almost hit a buffalo) and not feel the frame flex, not a cough or fart out of the bike, I think I’m just gonna keep my bike until a stellar deal pops up without it needing major mechanical work like the 99 twin-cam engine. That way I can have my zippy little curve monster, and maybe add a larger touring ride to the stable for the longer trips.
I have a CV carb on mine already, I plan to get the race brace for it, I’ve been watching for used Evo’s for the right price, then I can build a different engine, keep my original as a spare so if I sell it, I still have a numbers matching bike. The FXR is gaining a strong cult following with prices rising right now.
Yeah, I rode a small 31 year old FXRS for 13+ hours on the interstate, and I was comfortable except for the wind. This bike sat abandoned for over 20 years, I only serviced the problem that I found without a teardown. I lost a seal and bearing, then the engine oil lines started leaking. SO, those are replaced, I’m driving out with my truck Sunday late, ride monday to see the stuff I missed last week, then turn it around and bring it home Tuesday. For 50 yrs old, I sure act like a dumb kid yet…
This trip was my 50th birthday present to myself
Awesome. I would definitely hold on to an fxr.