Touring
Mods
Luggage Rack
This one is a true no brainer. If you're going to be on the road
for a few weeks at a time, get one. A word of caution, though. A luggage
rack is a serious modification. You're adding a new "hardpoint"
to which you can store gobs o' stuff. Consequently, I always opt for official
HD luggage racks. There are several models to choose from. My choice for
the Cruiser was a three-channel rack that includes handrails that curve
around the sides of the passenger seat. While the handrails are nice for
the passenger, I really wanted them because they make a handy tie-down
point for when I need to strap stuff to the tops of the saddlebags.
Gauges
For those of you who ride lidless (i.e., no helmet), you can usually
hear exactly what is going on with your bike. For those of us who don
full-face sensory deprivation chambers, we need to spend some extra dollars
to ensure that our bikes have a clear line of communication to the driver.
A few extra gauges
go a long way to figuring out what your bike is doing. I've added an oil
pressure gauge, oil temperature gauge, and tachometer to the Cruiser.
Eventually, I'd like to add a voltage indicator as well (probably just
idiot lights).
Oil Pressure Gauge
The oil pressure gauge is a common mod for Harleys. Your basic oil pressure
gauge kit mounts the gauge directly in place of the oil pressure sending
unit. When your cruising down the road, you can look down inside your
right leg and see the gauge. Unfortunately, the gauge is hard to see at
that distance, is impossible to see at night, and forces you to take your
eyes off the road for a while to find the gauge.
Slightly nicer oil pressure gauge kits relocate the gauge to the top
of the rear rocker box cover. This makes it easier to see, and if you're
under a streetlight you can even see it at night. Some riders will find
that they hit their legs against it, but this usually isn't a big deal.
The oil pressure gauge kit I opted for (out of the J&P Cycles catalog, part no. 18-194 for a 60lb. gauge)
relocates the gauge just behind the handlebar clamp. The kit includes
the necessary tubing to run the oil to the gauge. The tubing in the kit
was black, and I replaced it with clear tubing. That way I can see if
there are air bubbles in the line when I inspect it. On most Softail models,
the gauge mount just clears the dash cover. If you haven't replaced
your rubber bushings on your handlebar risers in a while, they may be
pulled back a bit and will cause the gauge mount to hit the dash cover.
If your bike has pullback risers, you may not be able to use this kit
at all. Consult the photo
for what it looks like on the Cruiser. The gauge itself is the same mechanism
included in the other kits, so it still isn't lit. With the gauge up high,
I find that I can see it fine while under a passing street lamp. When
I finally added the HD Mini Tachometer kit, the light from the tach partially
lights the oil pressure gauge. If I lean forward a bit, I can usually
read it.
Another twist to this mod was a small adapter that provides a wye at
the oil pressure fitting on the right engine case. I added the adapter
so I could have both the oil pressure gauge and the oil pressure idiot
light operational at the same time. My reasoning: I don't watch the gauge
during every moment on the road, and the light would tend to get my attention
immediately (especially at night, when the gauge is harder to see).
Oil Temperature Gauge
I installed one of the HD oil bag temperature gauge dipsticks. They give
you a fair determination of how hot your engine is running. Keep in mind
the your taking a reading at the bag, not inside the case and heads. Count
on a 20-30 degree increase in those locales. Another note is that this
gauge should be considered a disposable item. Over time, it gets less
accurate and will eventually allow oil inside the gauge mechanism. If
you add one, plan on replacing it every other year at a minimum.
One usage hint: Insert the gauge upside down so you can read it properly
when you flare your leg out to see the gauge.
Tachometer
This is one of the mods you make and then wonder how you lived without
it. HD came out with their Mini Tachometer line of kits in late 1997,
and I consider them a thing of infinite rightousness. On the Cruiser,
the tach mounts to the handlebar clamp (just over my oil pressure gauge).
It is a lit gauge and only demands that you install a three-wire harness.
A couple of hints for installing/using this tach:
- On the FLSTC, the gauge just barely fits behind the windshield.
If you've also installed HD's wind deflectors for the FL front end,
count on spending a bit of extra time to get everything lined up just
right.
- If you take apart your front end often, or are just anal retentive
for planning for the worst (like me), add a three-wire connector to
the wiring harness HD provides. That way, when you're disconnecting
all the wiring to the front of your bike, you can disconnect the tach
harness just as easily.
- The tach takes a direct feed from the coil, and is a little more sensitive
to bad connections than the ignition system. If you're cruising down
the road and you see the tach bouncing all over creation, pull over
and check out the wires leading to your coil. If you don't something
will eventually loosen up enough to effect the ignition and make your
bike run like crap.
Saddlebag Hardware
I hated the stock FLSTC hardware that held on the saddlebags. The panhead
phillips screws always seemed to get carved up. Then the rough edges on
the head would carve anything I put in the bags.
I went to the local hardware store and found some furniture hardware
that does the trick. Screws in question are allen-head, black, and have
a wide, low-profile head. I use the ratchet with the necessary allen-head
socket to remove/install them.
A minor victory, but a useful one.
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