Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

First Look 1999 Harley-Davidson FXRs The By Scott Rousseau I f it is true that proper execution can turn a good idea into a great idea, then it also must be true that a great idea can be executed by its...umm...execution. To wit: Anticipation was high as a grou p of journalists from both the mainstream motorcycling press and the myriad of H-D enthusiast publications was invited by Harley-Davidson to the Hou e of Blues on Hollywood's Sunset Strip for the unveiling of two ne"w midyear releases - but not just any 01' Hogs, you understand. The story goes something like this: 28 Harley-Davidson recently freed up some assembly-line space in its York, Pennsylvania, assembly planl, the open line coming as a result of the discontinuation of Harley's Rotax-powered military motorcycle. The space being too small to efficiently create another massproduction line, The Motor Company elected to enter into a special project whereby highly customized, limited. quantity Big Twins would be created in thj open assembly space, dubbed "Custom Vehicle Operations." The motorcycles that you see here are the first fruits of tha t experiment. Dubbed the FXfu and FXR>, these specials do indeed signal the return of the five-years-departed FXR chassis, which has since achieved cult status among Harley purists, cops and customizers alike. According to Harley officials, approval for the FXR, and FXR, was, received on August 15, with the first examples being readied by December 7 just in time for the Harley-Davidson dealers meeting. This accelerated direction was overseen by a core grou p of eight employees, known on the inside as "Team Hammer," some of them former and current FXR owners, guided by design gods Willie G. Davidson and Lou Factory FXR customs: The Harley· Davidson FXR, (top) and FXR, (left) are the first two models to leave the company's new Custom Vehicle Operations assembly line in York, Pennsylvania, offering customers a new style of high-end, Iimited-quantity, factory-built Hog. Only 900 units of each model will be produced. (Above) Cult classic: The FXR chassis is back, with a host of genuine Harley accessories. The frame spawned a series of H-D models from 1982-94. Netz of the Harley-Davidson Product Development Center. Both models quickly took shape - thanks in part to a generous use of Harley-Davidson aftermarket parts and accessories. Final assembly of the machines at York was handled by two-man teams, who followed the motorcycles down the CVO line from start to finish. The cornerstone of the new machines is pure Harley heritage, mating the lamented FXR chas is - what with its three-point rubber mounting - to the imperishable 80-cubic-inch Evolution (sorry folks, no Twin Cam 88 FXRs here). Both motorcycles utilize current Harley-Davidson technology, incorporating modern updates such as new wiring harnes es, a nine-plate clutch and Harley's patented five-bolt derby cover. The FXR2 is delivered from the factory with a 21-inch front wheel - 11 la FXLR - and Harley-Davidson's distinctive chrome-cast, slotted rear wheel. Beyond the basics, the marriage of both motorcycles to the H-D Genuine P&A catalog is quite evident: 0 fewer than 35 accessories abound on the FXR2, including chrome-plated fork slider on the machine's 39mm Showa units, Profile rear shock absorbers, a chrome swingarrn and a Badlander custom seat. Also exclusive to the FXR2 are a pair of . factory candy paint hues: Arresting Red and Stone Cold Blue. Suggested retail price has been set at $16,995. The F)(R, is every bit the factory custom that the FXR, is, and more. Chief among the attention-grabbing styling cues on the bike are its 1980 Wide Glide reissue 'flamed paint scheme and the ne'er-before-released ThunderStar custom wheels with matching five-spoke floating rotors. All told, there are some 43 custom accessories that come standard on the FXR3; most noticeable among them are a fuJI complement of braided-stainless-steel cables and hoses. Available colors are Bright and Dark Candy Blue or two-tone Candy Emerald Green. The FXR, carries a suggested retail price of $17,995. By now, any Harley-Davidson FXR loyalist or Harley collector is probably throwing on his boots for the ride down to the local Harley dea ler to place an order. Well, sit down, because here comes the rub. Are you ready? Keep in mind that these motorcycles are limited - and we mean limited - editions. HarleyDavidson plans to produce only 900 copies of the F)(R, and an equal amount of the FXR,. According to Harley-Davidson officials, that equates to about one machine per dealer, which raises the question: Will anyone ever see an FXlli or an F)(R, get past the showroom doors and onto the street? Our guess is, it ain't likely. And if one does, will it have gotten there as a result of it being sold with stri!=t adherence to the sticker price? Forget it. So if Harley-David on determines that its experiment to produce a profitable, limited-build, high-end custom motorcycle is a success (is there any doubt?), then what we have here is the dawn of a new era in custom motorcycles from Milwaukee, starting with the F)(R, and FXRJ. They will have displaced the longstanding Wide Glide from its perch a,s Harley's "factory custom." They might even strike a blow to the cnelting pot of H-D knockoff companies who specialize in limited-build, high-end custom motorcycles but have neither the dealer network, the warranty nor the God-given credibility of America's oldest surviving motorcycle company. Anyone of these reasons may just be

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