Hey all. Some of you may recall my near-death experience a while back when a cage turned left in front of me while doing 55mph. I thought about it a while and ended up selling the bike because of it. Problem is I miss riding more than I thought I would. So now I'm back in the market for another one. I've have owned several bikes in the past and have always been partial to the old school nostalgic look, my last one being the one I never thought I'd part with, the Softail Deluxe. But I've been looking at the 94-96 Softail Heritage Nostalgia, the bike that the Deluxe replaced in 2005. It is a little more in line with what I can afford right now with the kids off to college. I don't mind a little mileage on them as long as I know the maintenance history. Here's my main question. If I were to buy one, I'd plan on keeping it for a long,long time. I'm retiring in a few years and want to criss-cross the country on it, a dream I've always had. My wife, of course, will be my co-pilot. Would I regret buying a bike like this (evo carb 1340) vs. a newer twin cam efi ? Pros/cons? I do also love the old school sound from the carbed evo, but would that justify buying one for what I plan to do? Thanks guys Oh, and anything else about the bike itself vs. the newer ones I may not like?

 

Greetings,
Ah yes, a man after my heart: After having a love affair with a radical rigid XLCH in early 70's and the back aches today to show for it, I simply prefer traditional angular bikes over the swoopy customs of today.
So.....this may sound biased.

I have a 97 EVO WG and simply love the scooter.
In my minds eye, it just looks "right" to me.
I like the fact that I can tune it at home and usually fix anything that breaks although NOTHING has.
Take that with a grain of salt as I have been riding and wrenching since early 60's and after the bad experiences I had with a 76 AMF piece, I swore off HD for quite a while.

This one came to me when a friend decided to quit ridding.
That made it easier since I know the history, have all the records and must admit lusting over the pictures he had in his office since the day he bought it!
Quite a few friends have newer twinkies and when we ride together, I don't have problems keeping up and don't worry about reliability.

I enjoy riding, period.
It could be on this or that but this one just fits me right now and since I picked it up relatively cheaply, I can't see selling it anytime soon.

I guess I said all that to say this: Love my "little 80 inch" EVO....

 

My suggestion since there are so many different opinions about all Harleys,buy one or the other and ride for a while,when the urge strikes sell or trade to the other version and decide for yourself.Then you will know for sure.

 

I'm not all that into softails, but here is what I can say. I've got a 1994 carbed Dyna I purchased new and a 2000 injected RK that I also got new. I don't plan on parting with either. I would trust either of them to haul me cross country and back again. The 1340 runs really strong, but my RK with a 95 big bore will outrun it if that's important to you. Both have had a cam put in them and both have really good throttle response. I have a friend that rides a 1985 FXR to Sturgis from Ohio each year with his wife on the back. Since the bike was new, I don't recall him having any real mechanical problems making that trip. Flat tire here and there and that sort of thing, but nothing I would attribute to his bike being a older evo. I do like the FI. I never have to choke it, shut off the gas, or things like that, but to me it's a pretty minor consideration. I really don't have any problems getting parts for the evo either. Just about anything I need for it, I can just go to the shop and pick it up. There has been a time or two I had to wait maybe a day or two to get something, but that's been rare and I may have had a similar wait on the same thing for my (relatively) newer bike, but I can't say that for sure. My niece is a Harley tech at a dealership and she really enjoys working on evos. That's just a personal aside, but I thought I'd throw that in. She has one for herself and so does one of the other techs she works with. Look around and you'll see a lot of older Harleys on the road with all their bags packed making some sort of trip.

 

I don't miss the EFI when I ride my carbed Wide Glide. Doubt you'd miss the cc's either as the twin cam Softails are dogs anyway. You may miss the smooth twin cam softail with the counter-balanced motor, or you may like the soul of the rigid mounted vibrating EVO. Only you can decide.

 

ditto I have both and choose to ride the Evo the most.

 

Some good responses to your initial question. Nostalgia vs. later technology. Ole school is fun, but if you're looking for continued reliability, you have to look at your long range plans i.e. short local riding or long cross country. Regardless of your selection, the amount of miles on the engine components, frame etc. and the wear and tear of the bike in general must be considered before buying. For long cross country, I believe an 88 or 96 c.i. with FI would better fit you and your wife together. Less vibration and perhaps more comfort. With all that being said, just follow your heart...

 

Some may say that the Twinkie is newer technology and better. I say Bah. HD went to the TC because they blew it and everyone was cloning the EVO since they didn't patent the design properly. Also, HD thought that twin cams would be better but couldn't figure how to fit them in an EVO.
I do ride a TC, but still believe the EVO was better. Sure it had faults, so does the TC. The EVO was the last true sounding Harley engine, had better bottom end than the TC, and did not have the heat issues the TC has. If I ever needed the replace the engine in my bike, I would by an aftermarket EVO clone.

 

I to miss my '98 Evo powered Heritage with it's carb, no internal balancers, no rubber motor mounts. What I thought at the time was that it needed a 6 speed transmission. What I miss even more, is the '48 rigid framed, kick starting 1200 FL Panhead that had a chain final drive that I had back in the '70's.

 

"I'm retiring in a few years and want to criss-cross the country on it, a dream I've always had. My wife, of course, will be my co-pilot. Would I regret buying a bike like this (evo carb 1340) vs. a newer twin cam efi ?"


Based on that part - yes you would regret it regardless if it is carbed or efi. that's just my .02....

The EVO based softail will vibrate a hell of a lot more out on the highway and all around town compared to the balanced motor in the Twin cam softail.

Even if you are a really good wrench, getting parts and good service if ever needed while out on the road for a 15 to 20 yr old bike is not that easy.

I love my Evo and I trust it to take me everywhere and it does, but there is a big difference taking down hundreds of miles per day on a rubber mounted evo vs a solid mount evo in the oder softails...

I'd look for an 02 carbed Softail. Still simple to work on, has the timkin bearings in the bottom end from the factory, balanced motor and drivtrain, can find them in a lower price range and you'll be better positioned for parts availabilty if you need it out on the road.