Building Harley Big Twin - stupid idea?
Discussion
Hi all
I’ve recently sold my HD Sportster and now own an xDiavel which is a beauty, but part of me still longs for the Harley V-Twin.
I’ve been thinking about this for a long while but how feasible is it for me to simply look for a Dyna/big twin frame (say between 95-2010), engine, wheels etc and start putting it together? I’m not in a rush and will look cost savings where I can.
What I am asking is: should I do it and what could possibly go wrong 😀
I’ve recently sold my HD Sportster and now own an xDiavel which is a beauty, but part of me still longs for the Harley V-Twin.
I’ve been thinking about this for a long while but how feasible is it for me to simply look for a Dyna/big twin frame (say between 95-2010), engine, wheels etc and start putting it together? I’m not in a rush and will look cost savings where I can.
What I am asking is: should I do it and what could possibly go wrong 😀
Sounds like a good project to me theres bound to be plenty of help online with engine stuff and particularly if it was me wiring and electrics but if your handy with the spanners and soldering iron give it a go ,there must be a few frames in scrap/breakers yards or someone like paughco in the us
Not sure if thats the right spelling ,have plenty of stuff ancillerys oiltanks belt drives etc .
Not sure if thats the right spelling ,have plenty of stuff ancillerys oiltanks belt drives etc .
V8RX7 said:
IME it costs more to buy parts to build a project.
The best way is to find damaged / neglected / unfinished project bikes, take what you want and part the rest out.
I was about to say exactly this. Get a neglected one and rebuild it to your tastes. By all means try and get cheap pages where you can during the build process, but it'll be cheaper in the long run. I bet a big twin engine is probably pushing £2000 on its own.The best way is to find damaged / neglected / unfinished project bikes, take what you want and part the rest out.
crofty1984 said:
V8RX7 said:
IME it costs more to buy parts to build a project.
The best way is to find damaged / neglected / unfinished project bikes, take what you want and part the rest out.
I was about to say exactly this. Get a neglected one and rebuild it to your tastes. By all means try and get cheap pages where you can during the build process, but it'll be cheaper in the long run. I bet a big twin engine is probably pushing £2000 on its own.The best way is to find damaged / neglected / unfinished project bikes, take what you want and part the rest out.
it's all the 'little' stuff you have to acquire - wiring, lights, fuse box, battery, chain (or belt), brake lines, fuel lines, fuel pump (if it's injected), gauges, levers, rubbers, plug leads, coils etc etc. Better start with something where all the parts are there albeit some neglected or bent. There's a very nice Sportster motor in a featherbed frame in a Brit cafe style often pictured in these hallowed pages - very nice bike. And the 'new' Heskeths are Harley-style big twins in sporty frames; I like the idea of them too. Lots of options to build a great bike, but beware of the costs of the 'wee' stuff...
Having built a few big twins from the ground up, yes its pretty easy, if your buying new parts (engine, gearbox, primary are the biggest costs). But it can be very expensive, to build a top notch custom will be at least twice the price of a new standard Harley, perhaps more if our paying someone else to built it for you..
Much cheaper and less hassle (ref Insurance, type approval etc), is to buy a rough standard big twin and rebuilt it as you want. Evo softails would be the easiest and are popular, as they have the biggest aftermarket support, while FLTs until recently were rarely given the full custom treatment.
Sportsters would be cheaper still, and can be built into loads of styles.
If you build it yourself, use second hand parts then it could be done much much cheaper.. eg Do you spend £50 on a rattle can paintjob or £2000 plus from a top end custom paint shop, etc etc..
Oh and the cafe bike mentioned above is one of mine.
I'm thinking of doing the same next year, as I have a new 127ci BT engine / trans / Primary doing nothing at the moment..
Much cheaper and less hassle (ref Insurance, type approval etc), is to buy a rough standard big twin and rebuilt it as you want. Evo softails would be the easiest and are popular, as they have the biggest aftermarket support, while FLTs until recently were rarely given the full custom treatment.
Sportsters would be cheaper still, and can be built into loads of styles.
If you build it yourself, use second hand parts then it could be done much much cheaper.. eg Do you spend £50 on a rattle can paintjob or £2000 plus from a top end custom paint shop, etc etc..
Oh and the cafe bike mentioned above is one of mine.
I'm thinking of doing the same next year, as I have a new 127ci BT engine / trans / Primary doing nothing at the moment..
I have long thought about building (well, paying someone to build, probably 
) a H-D big twin that looks like a normal motorcycle, or, alternatively, using a shovelhead to create a Coventry Eagle Flying 8 "tribute", but I came to the conclusion that I'd have to start by buying a complete bike, and I don't think there's such a thing as a cheap big Harley in the UK.
) a H-D big twin that looks like a normal motorcycle, or, alternatively, using a shovelhead to create a Coventry Eagle Flying 8 "tribute", but I came to the conclusion that I'd have to start by buying a complete bike, and I don't think there's such a thing as a cheap big Harley in the UK.Gassing Station | Biker Banter | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff