What To Consider Before Buying A 57 FLH?
#21
04-07-2021, 09:17 AM
how good of a wrench are you?
how patient are you?
these are 2 factors that will go a long way in determining your satisfaction with an older bike (or anything else for that matter). If your the type that wants to ride when you want to ride, you may have difficulty with an older bike. they are a bit fussy. good luck.
how patient are you?
these are 2 factors that will go a long way in determining your satisfaction with an older bike (or anything else for that matter). If your the type that wants to ride when you want to ride, you may have difficulty with an older bike. they are a bit fussy. good luck.
The following users liked this post:
Dispatch (04-07-2021)
#22
04-07-2021, 09:21 AM
Club Member
I only ride and own older iron (by choice). My oldest is a 1949 EL (rebuilt from a basket case); my newest is an 84 FLH, original san 32 amp charging system).
I will tell you that the term "restoration" is one of the most overused & inappropriately applied words when it comes to older iron. There is no way to judge a Panhead's value without seeing it close up and/or in person. Lots of folks "claim" to have restored a Pan but in fact it is nothing but cheap Chineze aftermarket parts (which reduces the value considerably). Then there are those who use the glitter and glamour of chrome as a selling point when in fact the factory did not chrome the parts mentioned (but they still cling to the word "restoration). There is also the consideration of finsih for things like nuts and bolts...chromed versus cad plated or parkerized.
There is a gentleman by the name of Bruce Palmer who, in may circles, is considered the godfather of how to retore your Harley Davidosn motorcycle. He recently completed a 3rd prinitng of his book. It is the best 2-volume set on the market today. His works discuss each model years from 1936-1965 and includes just about eveything you could inquire about the year in question.
Wished I lived on the east coast. I would go with you, free of charge, in order to provide an honest assesment. And to be fair, I am not a professional, but merely a garage mechanic who has been wrenching and riding older iron since 1963.
If you make the trip, be sure to take a lot of detailed pics. Do not commit to any sale until you have an outside opinion (avoids buyers remorse).
And to be clear, properly mainatined, a Panhead does just fine as far as getting you down the road without problems. Yes service intervals are more frequent, yes fasteners and such need to be checked more often, and yes on a 57 model it is a constant oil loss (which means you have to add oil because there is no oil return on the primary).
I admit that drum/juice drum brakes do not fucnction as well as disc brakes. That said I have developed a habit of proper distancing while riding my 49 and my 65. It just takes more time and distance to stop so one rides accordingly.
That said the feeling you get while getting on down the road on a Pan or a Shovel....priceless.
I will tell you that the term "restoration" is one of the most overused & inappropriately applied words when it comes to older iron. There is no way to judge a Panhead's value without seeing it close up and/or in person. Lots of folks "claim" to have restored a Pan but in fact it is nothing but cheap Chineze aftermarket parts (which reduces the value considerably). Then there are those who use the glitter and glamour of chrome as a selling point when in fact the factory did not chrome the parts mentioned (but they still cling to the word "restoration). There is also the consideration of finsih for things like nuts and bolts...chromed versus cad plated or parkerized.
There is a gentleman by the name of Bruce Palmer who, in may circles, is considered the godfather of how to retore your Harley Davidosn motorcycle. He recently completed a 3rd prinitng of his book. It is the best 2-volume set on the market today. His works discuss each model years from 1936-1965 and includes just about eveything you could inquire about the year in question.
Wished I lived on the east coast. I would go with you, free of charge, in order to provide an honest assesment. And to be fair, I am not a professional, but merely a garage mechanic who has been wrenching and riding older iron since 1963.
If you make the trip, be sure to take a lot of detailed pics. Do not commit to any sale until you have an outside opinion (avoids buyers remorse).
And to be clear, properly mainatined, a Panhead does just fine as far as getting you down the road without problems. Yes service intervals are more frequent, yes fasteners and such need to be checked more often, and yes on a 57 model it is a constant oil loss (which means you have to add oil because there is no oil return on the primary).
I admit that drum/juice drum brakes do not fucnction as well as disc brakes. That said I have developed a habit of proper distancing while riding my 49 and my 65. It just takes more time and distance to stop so one rides accordingly.
That said the feeling you get while getting on down the road on a Pan or a Shovel....priceless.
and once it is set correctly it should be no more difficult to start than this…
she Is a 52/64 Custom RePop... she shakes, she rattles, and she rolls… Don’t ever confuse a motorcycle like this with a modern one… It’s a 50 mile an hour motorcycle, that should be restricted to a couple hundred miles a day… Any more than that and you’re gonna beat the motorcycle up, as well as beat yourself up… You need to do a pre-trip every morning, and get the wrenches out at the end of the day and make sure everything is still tight… Even the motor mounts will eventually come loose… And when pieces start falling off the motorcycle, make sure you use Loctite to put them back on.
But all that aside… It’s a pleasure to ride it & There’s nothing quite like it.
The following 5 users liked this post by CanadianRocky:
AJSHOVEL (04-08-2021),
FLHS1990 (10-09-2023),
Highwaymans (04-13-2021),
old mago (04-07-2021),
panz4ever (04-07-2021)
#23
04-07-2021, 11:06 AM
Seasoned HDF Member
The following 4 users liked this post by rizzo:
CanadianRocky (04-07-2021),
Dispatch (04-07-2021),
Highwaymans (04-13-2021),
Ray on the drums (04-07-2021)
#24
04-07-2021, 12:41 PM
Seasoned HDF Member
#25
04-07-2021, 12:49 PM
Stellar HDF Member
The following users liked this post:
FLHS1990 (10-09-2023)
#28
04-07-2021, 03:06 PM
Seasoned HDF Member
A lot of you guys are making this sound way too scary.
I've had my Shovel for 40+ years. I wouldn't be afraid to take it anywhere, all day. at 65+mph.
Yeah, I've done work on it...as you might expect with over 2 tons of miles on it, but nothing drastic (1 bottom end and 3 tops), and certainly not as fragile as some of you make it seem. I'm not a super pro mechanic, but I'm not an idiot either.
What the hell kind of abuse are you doing to them?
I've had my Shovel for 40+ years. I wouldn't be afraid to take it anywhere, all day. at 65+mph.
Yeah, I've done work on it...as you might expect with over 2 tons of miles on it, but nothing drastic (1 bottom end and 3 tops), and certainly not as fragile as some of you make it seem. I'm not a super pro mechanic, but I'm not an idiot either.
What the hell kind of abuse are you doing to them?
Last edited by RHPAW; 04-07-2021 at 03:30 PM.
#29
04-07-2021, 03:59 PM
Road Warrior
As with any mechanical thing, I think the amount of use it sees is also a factor in how often they "break down". Not always, but I've felt that if you use a car/bike/tractor/sewing machine regularly, the parts seem to wear in to the use and are happier. If you ride it regularly, it'll reward you with a lot of fun miles. If it sits all year and you fire it up and let it idle for five minutes, once a month, I'll bet there will be things "wear out." I encourage folks to enjoy them, not beat on 'em, but enjoy them regularly. They'll thank you for it.
But, I could be wrong. I'm just a schmoe.
But, I could be wrong. I'm just a schmoe.
#30
04-07-2021, 06:40 PM
Seasoned HDF Member
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Santa Klaus County, Cali
Posts: 7,331
Received 3,350 Likes
on
1,520 Posts
The 55 in Rizzo's post has Shovelhead oil pump. There is a reson for that, the later aluminum oil pumps are better than the steel-bodied oil pumps. Takes absolutely nothing away from a very nicely done and slightly customized Pan.
I keep a record and all receipts on each bike I own. You ask me and I can tell exactly what is original and what is a repop. Additionally I take pics on the teardown and rebuild. Saves a lot of time and questions. And when i sold my 75 FXE, my 76 FLH and my 52 chopped Pan the records, receipts and copies of pics went to the new owner.
Last edited by panz4ever; 04-07-2021 at 06:52 PM.