Continue the fight or "new" bike?

[bugkiller70]

remember guys/gals fuel looses 1 octane per day. If your running 87 octane for 1 weekend plus sitting for 2 months, your loosing 64 octane when you arrive back home to ride. So that fuel is at 23 octane. That's why everyone is saying fuel stabilizer. If you don't use it this could also be a lot of the cause of this vibration you speak of. Just a little food for thought.

[bigjames4xl]

Originally Posted by bugkiller70

remember guys/gals fuel looses 1 octane per day. If your running 87 octane for 1 weekend plus sitting for 2 months, your loosing 64 octane when you arrive back home to ride. So that fuel is at 23 octane. That's why everyone is saying fuel stabilizer. If you don't use it this could also be a lot of the cause of this vibration you speak of. Just a little food for thought.

Gasoline does lose octone during storage but there are so many variables you can't just say it will loose x amount a day. If it 's gonna sit longer than a month then fuel stabilizer is a very good idea but I'm clueless as to how that will cause a vibration. Detonation(spark knock)could result from low octane and burn a hole in the piston if you don't back off causing very short lived vibration as the engine disintegrates but I don't believe the "vibration" we're talilking about is caused from low octane.

[1bdBagr]

If you could swing it, i'd get a newer bike (any softail 2000 up) and keep your older bike as a project to work on a little at a time. You aren't going to get a lot of money for it as either a sale or a trade in, old Harleys aren't getting what they used to resale wise. Just my .02¢. Tim

[Troll.]

I didn't have room to have both of my bikes, my wifes and the bike lift in the "Two Car" (right) garage so now I park one of them on the lift all the time... if I need to work on one of them, I put that one up there.. just saying..

Battery tender - yes on any bike not being rode all the time, it will make it start much better when you do ride it and make your battery last much longer.

If you are going to be leaving anything parked for one or two months at a time, if you are in a hot climate ( I do not know if you are), it will create issues from drying out the gaskets period, doesn't matter if it is a car, bike, tractor etc. - have a friend start it every couple weeks to keep them moist and working, even better have him ride a few miles to get all the fluids moving, the gaskets and seals lubed up.

Just penny and a half worth - best of luck

FYI - Old, new or newer will all have sum issues when being stored that much, but the new one's have a 7 year warranty available for them....

[88 FXSTS]

Thank all of you for the great advise and suggestions. I am going to keep the Springer! As frustrated as I am, I'm not ready to give up and part ways with it. I love it and I will be settling if I replace it. Instead of keeping it stock as I have, I am going to put in a bore kit and cam to increase power, so I can then play with transmission/rear sprocket tooth counts for lower rpms at current highway speeds with out sacrificing performance.

I got the stator and voltage regulator replaced. Runs like a top again and NO PRIMARY LEAKS!!
An interesting thing to note: the transmission is now impossable to get into neutral unless I shut off the bike. Even when new it had to be shifted while rolling and that isn't working either. My theory is that with the lower/proper fluid level the clutch isn't happy now. Ideas? I'm researching this problem now and will fix it before going after the motor build up.

[Jeffytune]

I will be strait to the point, buy the V-rod.

[filterless]

cool you're keeping the springer 88, based on what you said earlier i
figured you were on the fence, ready to sell. plenty wrenches here to
help.

leave it stock and just keep it tight.

post a pic.

[88 FXSTS]

Oh yes, I very much was on the fence. After debating and going round and round, I've decided I can't let go yet.
I'm not looking to go wild on the motor. Figure a .30 over bore, about 9.5:1 cr pistons, and something like an EV23 cam. I've tried the EV46 and power come on to late for me, expecially 2-up. I'm going to start with the cam and gear change and see what happens. I may not worry about the boreing and such.

[wodensworn]

Originally Posted by 88 FXSTS

Thanks for the replies so far. More info I can do. I just tend to get long winded.
This is not a new issue. My biggest problems are electrical, such as my posative cable fusing and shorting to the battery terminal, and 2 broken negative cables at the battery terminal. Also had a circuit breaker "half trip". That was fun to figure out. The vibrating is moving my carb settings, even after a light dab of loc-tite. I don't know what rpms I'm running at any given speed and 5th is the easiest give the example for, but it feels the same though all gears. The vibrtions get noticable about 62 mph and just get obnoxious from there. Above 80-85 mph can get down right scary. Pull in the clutch and the vibes stop completly so it isn't tire/wheel balance. From what I've read over the last 7 years it seems fairly normal. Not sure how much the vibes play a part in my problems but I theorise it is at least a factor none the less.
I also can't keep the primary from leaking even after completly replacing inner and outter and a reseal after that, so I am researching the closed belt primary.
For the fuel idea, I usually run through the tank and top off before I head back on the road. I'm confident that isn't a contributing factor.
I think the never ending fight is getting to me. Thanks again, y'all.

I can't believe thats an Evo.

I dont think you'll fing the twin cam more reliable.

[nmaineron]

I`m running a 94 FX springer,basically stock cept for an ev27 cam and a good set of pipes.I have about 65000 and she still runs real strong.I can and do ride mine at 80 quite frequently cause we have a 75 mph speed limit here in Northern maine on the interstate and vibration is very tolerable.Having said that, I also had an 87 softail,first custom,blue and creme one,that I put almost 100,000 an I loved that bike but the two ran completely different than each other.As the 87 got up there in miles it had a vibration issue that I found to be annoying above 70mph or so.I tore the engine down at 60000 and had the topend freshened up but looking back I think I should have done the lower and checked for balance.It still ran well and was still tight by go-no go standards but still my 94 is way smoother.

[streetg]

Good choice on keeping the evo. It's all opinion but I just love old evos. I'm hoping that someday my grandkid or greatgrandkid will have my 88 evo. I plan to have my son take it when I'm dead. You can always find a decent TC if you decide, same with the evo but they're getting rarer n rarer as time moves on