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springer bad Boys

5.5K views 28 replies 15 participants last post by  jake@idsely.com  
#1 ·
I'd like to hear from bad boy owners. about their bikes.
likes, dislikes, hows the stock seat? combatibility with other softails of the same years. now that it had been a few years, how is that black springer front end holding up? and just any interesting stories you guys have.

reason, I am thinking about getting one. love the springer front end, and what better way to go than black?

thanks

BTD
 
#3 ·
BikerTrash1130 said:
Are you set on an original Bad Boy, or would you want to make your own new one? I'd get a new Night Train and put on a black springer fork (which I recently saw in the P&A catalog). If I didn't fall in love with the VRod, that would be my next choice.
BTW, nice name :cool:
I'm not really dead set on anything. I change bikes about once a week. right now I am thinking of getting a Bad boy. last week it was a dyna, week before it was a BMC. the switching out front forks on a night train is a good idea. I'll have to research that.

yea I like your name too

BTD
 
#5 ·
Major Attitude said:
FYI, word from my dealer is that this is the last year for the Springer, might influence your decision in case you didnt know about it.
I know that, but I don't want a 03'

BTD
 
#6 ·
95 Badboy

I have a 95 badboy. No complaints whatsoever.

I pulled the rear bobbed fender and put a full rear fender on because I got tired of the 7 foot roostertails up the back. Put a tombstone taillamp and turn signal assembly on it. Replaced the stock rear fender rails with smooth ones I had powdercoated black and swapped out the stock handelbars with 18" apes.

Engine -wise, I have had the heads ported and polished, replaced the stock carb with an S&S E series, put a Crane EV46 cam in it, replaced the lifter rods with adjustable hydraulic units and installed the Vance and Hines staggered dual exhaust.

The front end hold ups well. It has some chips and such in the finish from over the years, and I am planning on tearing down the front end and have it repowdered in the next couple of years.

The stock seat was really showing wear, so I replaced it with a LaPera Cherokee. The old lady likes the seat, and it fits the frame profile closer and narrower than the stock unit.

All in all, I am very happy with the machine, and there just aren't a lot of them out there, which makes it easy to find in the parking lot.
 
#7 ·
thanks leeJ,
for some reason I am leaning to one for my next bike, sometime between now and spring time next year.
have you ever dynoed yours? how bought a pic. I am thinking of putting apes, no scratch that I will be putting apes on mine.

BTD
 
#10 ·
LRRP said:
last year for the Heritage Springer but not the standard softtail springer Im pretty sure of that ? but who knows
That was my understanding too. Man, I hope they are not taking away the standard springer! I had a tough time deciding what bike to get. Springer? Deuce? Springer? Deuce? I went with the Deuce, but I still love the look of those springer front ends!

The Bad Boy is a sweet bike!
 
#11 ·
Deuce442 said:


That was my understanding too. Man, I hope they are not taking away the standard springer! I had a tough time deciding what bike to get. Springer? Deuce? Springer? Deuce? I went with the Deuce, but I still love the look of those springer front ends!

The Bad Boy is a sweet bike!
yea me too.

I hope to get my hands on a 04' springer.
uncle sam has seen it to send me to germany in dec. so I prob will be getting a 04' springer, or heratige, or wide glide, or night train.....
....who knows I can't make up my mind.


BTD
 
#12 ·
95 bad boy

Kind of a late reply to your post. I'm the original owner of this Bad Boy since 95.

Still runs great....and I have all the Bad Boy accesories...side bags, windshield, two bad boy sissy bars (1 low, 1 high), etc. But I don't really like all the **** on the bike, I like the minimalist look.

Changes: Cat eye tail light, Lazer Star rear turn signals (also work as running and brake light with Badland module), Lazer star front running lights/turn signals, Ness Stealth mirror (tinted blue matches color on bike), White brothers rear lowering Kit (have lower kit for front but haven't decided if I want the total slam look). Python 3 exhaust, SE carb kit, Andrews EV27 cam, Crane HI-4E ignition kit...did I miss anything? Oh yeah just put a Corbin Hollywood solo saddle on..but no pics with it yet.

pic is before changes
 
#17 ·
I was searching for "Bad Boy", but since it is only three letters, I couldn't locate it using the search engine. I was lucky to stumble across this thread however. The Bad Bay is a great looking bike. I am thinking about getting one or converting a night train with a springer front end. If anyone has a Night Train with a Springer front end, please post a pic. GREAT LOOKING BIKE. Willie G.'s daughter rides a Bad Boy to work everyday.
 
#19 ·
Thanks for the link. The only gripe I have about the Bad Boy is that I wish it had more rake. By the way, do you know where I could get the color scheme of the bad boy or a gas tank?
 
#20 ·
trackstar55 said:
Thanks for the link. The only gripe I have about the Bad Boy is that I wish it had more rake. By the way, do you know where I could get the color scheme of the bad boy or a gas tank?

yes more rake would be nice, I was going to slam the front, but ended up not doing it cause i like the more rake look with just the back lowered.

Have never seen a badboy tank for sale, you could always have one custom painted. or talk to a dealer about ordering one.

td
 
#21 ·
Bad Boy decals

trackstar55 said:
Thanks for the link. The only gripe I have about the Bad Boy is that I wish it had more rake. By the way, do you know where I could get the color scheme of the bad boy or a gas tank?
Hey guys, I found a web site, can't remember address, but I remember how I got there and this had hunderds and hundreds of all kinds of decals including Bad Boy tank decal sets. I went to general search-typed 'decals'-there were many sites that came up and while looking over these many many sites, I found one site that had a huge selection of h-d decals-thats where I found the bb tank set. I do remember that each page decal examples were real small so you have to click to enlarge. Seems like this site was very differant from the rest and when I got there, there was no others of interest. If I remember right bb tank decals were around $40/50 ea.
 
#22 ·
Major Attitude said:
FYI, word from my dealer is that this is the last year for the Springer, might influence your decision in case you didnt know about it.
Wrong answer. This is the last year for the Heritage Springer...not the normal SoftTail Springer.

o~\o
 
#23 ·
Texan said:
Wrong answer. This is the last year for the Heritage Springer...not the normal SoftTail Springer.

o~\o
to be more exact 03 was last year of the Heritage Springer
if any dealer tells you this is last year for FXSTS he/she is talking out their arse...it might be a good guess .....HD won't tell them until they announce 05 models
 
#24 ·
tdickman said:
to be more exact 03 was last year of the Heritage Springer
if any dealer tells you this is last year for FXSTS he/she is talking out their arse...it might be a good guess .....HD won't tell them until they announce 05 models
Thanks TD....I meant to say last year. Owe ya one!!

o~\o
 
#25 ·
Badboy Power

I just recently bought a 97 BB. The previous owner had installed an Andrews EV-27 cam and a compufire ignition module. Of course, he rejetted the carb. It has great top end speed. I have been riding a 98 Hugger and buzzing down the highway. The first time I rode the BB, I thought I'd never change into 5th. My husband had a '99 CMC/Indian Streetburner. It had a factory installed performance cam in an 88 S&S Engine. It was fast, but my husband and a friend who I got to ride the BB said it was stronger than the Hardtail. My brother has a 94 Fatboy. He's been wanting to do some performance upgrades, but thought he would need to have the heads worked on to actually get good performance results. After he road the BB, he went the next week and ordered the same parts that's in mine. It was doing everything that he wanted out of his. I think you'd love owning a BB. I've really had a hard time adjusting to the bike. I'm a small lady and after I lowered the back, it seemed to make it top heavy. It pushed the weight up. I'm looking to lower the front springs to make it level and hope for a better center of gravity.
bikertrashdude said:
thanks leeJ,
for some reason I am leaning to one for my next bike, sometime between now and spring time next year.
have you ever dynoed yours? how bought a pic. I am thinking of putting apes, no scratch that I will be putting apes on mine.

BTD
 
#26 ·
New vs Original

BikerTrash1130 said:
Are you set on an original Bad Boy, or would you want to make your own new one? I'd get a new Night Train and put on a black springer fork (which I recently saw in the P&A catalog). If I didn't fall in love with the VRod, that would be my next choice.
BTW, nice name :cool:
I was really surprised to find this thread. I've been thinking about this for a long time.

I like the ride of Springers, and I love the look of the Bad Boy. I've been debating buying an original, or modifying a new bike.

There are a few reasons why I wouldn't buy an original Bad Boy:
- there weren't too many made. So, they are few and far between. They are probably hard to find (although I haven't looked too hard). A good one is probably as pricey as a new bike with no miles and a warranty.
- it has the carbureted Evo engine, and I prefer the counterbalanced TC88 with fuel injection. Also, a lot of other improvements to the Softails were made in 2000.
- you never know how someone has 'personalized' a used Harley. It may cost you a lot of money to undo what someone else thought was a good idea.

I've been trying to decide whether it's better to start with a Springer or a Night Train.

A Bad Boy was basically a Springer with:
- a black fork;
- a black oil tank;
- black fender supports;
- a slotted solid rear wheel; and
- a black dash panel.

Also, the Bad Boy had straight across handle bars. Regular Springers (up to '04) had buck horns.

If you start with a new(er) Springer, you'd have to change the rear wheel, powder coat the fork, oil tank, fender supports and dash panel. While you have your credit card out, you may as well change the handle bars.

If you start with a Night Train, you'd have to buy a new fork, and maybe get it powder coated. A Night Train starts its life with a solid (not slotted) rear wheel, and straight across handle bars. The oil tank, fender supports, and dash panel are already blacked out.

What I don't like about starting with the Night Train is that the Night Train has a lot more stuff blacked out than the Bad Boy did. I think it's too much. Also, the Night Train is blacked-out with flat wrinkled paint. I don't know how well that holds up.

I have no idea how much either option would cost.

Any thoughts?