The FXR with a chassis, where engine is rubber mounted, is still considered by many the best handling motorcycle Harley-Davidson has ever produced. It has also been a long time custom builders favorite. The FXR has gained new found glory over the last couple of years with young motorcycle customizers rebuilding and customizing them, motorcycle stunt riders, club riders and more riders bringing them back to life. Joe Mielke from Klock Werks would love to be able to create an FXR Bike Show and Exhibition during the upcoming Sturgis Bike Week. I publish his letter below.
“I’m putting on a FXR Motorbike Show during the Sturgis Rally. It would be great if you could help put the word out. I am in need of participants and sponsors. The Harley Davidson FXR, in the 80’s and the early 90’s was the bike of choice for club riders, custom bike builders, touring riders, Motor Patrol Officers and it was Harley’s work horse. o many Harley Davidson enthusiasts, it is arguably the best handling Harley ever built. The first true American sport bike. Last year during the Sturgis Rally, someone traded in a 1991 FXR for a new motorcycle at Black Hills Harley Davidson. Everyday working at the Klock Werks show rig I would sneak away and check the bone yard to see what was traded in the day before. Well, on the last day of the rally, my FXR was in the lot. I struck a deal on a price without taking it for a test ride or even turning the key. I was pumped. The first time I rode it was after we tore down the show truck before leaving for home.
After getting it home I cleaned it up, changed the fluids and gave it a once over. A short while later I rode from Mitchell SD to Milwaukee to the HD Museum to meet up with the Motorcycle Cannonball riders. I rode with the Cannonball for 4 days across the upper Midwest. My last stop with the Cannonball was Sturgis SD. The morning the riders continued west I headed back home to Mitchell. What a great maiden voyage, 100% trouble free miles!! And I was able to ride with a bunch of friends, Milwaukee Mike, Beanre, Matt Olsen, Carl Olsen and Randy Aaron just to name a few. I had certainly found the a part of me that just loved riding motorcycles that had become lost. When you live and work in the motorcycle world it seems hard sometimes to just enjoy motorcycles and I had lost the reason I loved motorcycles. But I had it back!
When the New Year 2013 came around I decided I would make sure I would rode my FXR at least once a week. Rain or shine. FXR Friday was born! I’m proud to say I haven’t missed riding on a single Friday yet. To work, to lunch, out and about and home again. So far FXR Friday has had me riding in rain, snow, mud and on ice. I’ve been running knobbie tires since very early on and when conditions dictated I studded the tires. One morning this winter I rode to work via Lake Mitchell. By via I mean riding across frozen Lake Mitchell. Just to say I did. I was even able to take it on the road with me to Cincinnati for the V-Twin Expo. After we set up for the Expo I rolled the FXR out of the trailer and rode around downtown Cincy in February. So far this year, no matter how my week has gone I have looked forward to FXR Friday. It’s been like falling in love with motorcycles all over again.
To keep the FXR train rolling, I decided that the Sturgis Rally this year needed an FXR Only Ride-In Motorbike Show. So that is what I’ve done with the help of the City of Sturgis and the Sturgis Police Department. We’re bringing the FXR back to Sturgis City Park! Again, with the help of the City of Sturgis, I have gained permission to host a FXR Motorbike Show at Sturgis City Park and Soccer Fields. There had been a great response from the FXR community. Everyone I speak to about it is stoked! I have several guys who have committed to bringing out some old Custom FXRs from the 80s and 90s. We should see some classics built by Billy Westbrook, Arlen Ness, Don Hotop, Dave Perewitz, Donny Smith and more. I’m also excited to see the new customs, road warriors, daily riders and maybe some SUH (Sport Utility Harley) FXRs like mine!
The Show is going to be on Sunday August 4th at the City Park Soccer Fields in Sturgis. I’m going to keep the show a FREE entry FXR Only show. Registration will be 11:30 to Noon. The show is Noon to 2PM. At 2PM. We will have a Police escort from City Park through Sturgis and leave Sturgis for a ride to Spearfish via Boulder Canyon and Spearfish Canyon. Our host in Spearfish is the Crow Peak Brewery in Spearfish. Once there we will be able to have a cold one. We’ll have some door prizes and trophies to hand out. I also hope to have some auction items to raise some money for the Children’s Care Hospital and School of Rapid City and Sioux Falls South Dakota.
My goal is simple. Get as many FXRs in one place during the rally as possible. Give everyone the chance to look at great motorcycles and talk FXRs. Have fun and do some good for Children’s Care of South Dakota! I’ll need volunteers to help the day of the event and I’m currently seeking sponsors to help cover the costs to keep the show free. And I also need some industry support in the way of Trophy sponsors/prizes, Door Prizes, Swag bag Swag, and Auction Items. If you need more info, want to register for the show or if you want to know how you can help you can also reach at Cell. 605-228-3318 Work 605-996-3700 or Email joe@kustomcycles.com. Thank You. Joe Mielke”
great job joe…I can testify for him when it was 15 degrees in cinci..he rode his fxr! wont make Sturgis but i will ride mine in tribute!.1991 fxr 121 inch tp and a six speed! all day everyday!
Harley might fight off the redskin invasion by re- releasing a FXR line,
I say make the non-FXR riding showgoers park their bikes way down the road and let them walk in.It’s only fair and it keeps the breed pure.
Cool! peace
FXRs only is awesome…. sorry hipsters, no murdered out club style Dynas allowed 🙂
I thought I wanted a Softail, then this guy says,”Try an FXR, with rubber mount, at 100MPH you can still see out your mirror… then you shift into 5th!!!
Got mine in ’91 for $11,700 out the door. I’ve had lots of other bikes, but still have the FXR…
I would luv to bring my custom restored 87 FXLR but can’t this year, maybe next if it goes well for a round 2
Count me in. I’ll bring our Brawler GT. Great idea!
I completely agree with you Rodent! If HD actually listened to their customers they’d find a lot of riders who had an FXR and still think of it was the best bike they ever had, and would probably instantly grab one again if available new. It’s about the only bike that would convince me to buy a new HD.
Right On
I got mine and no it’s not a sportster! No it’s not for sale !!!!!!
My wife has a 1991 FXR that she’s ridden across Australia several times plus through 24 US states and several provinces of Canada. She still loves it, would never sell it, and she beats most of my buddies through the canyons. I had to practically drag her kicking and screaming onto the seat of a 2012 FLD, which, I suggest, may in time supplant her love for the FXR. I am currently building, as a project bike for Heavy Duty magazine, a bike utilizing a Paughco replica FXR frame set up for a Twin Cam A 103 Harley-Davidson motor on which we’ll run EFI using the new beaut S&S wiring harness, plus a heap of Hawg Halters International brakes and controls. The cherry on the cake, however, is the Corbin Warbird body kit which with some slight mods to the rear section will allow us to run a 180 rear tire. Just what the doctor ordered, so to speak. 🙂
Doc’s on the money here guys.The only custom H-D I would pour my bucks into is a Frisco style FXR/FXLR with a TwinCam six-speeder out of a battered late model bagger corpse.The Warbird body is icing on the cake.
Hey Cyril! Thanks for sharing this with everyone.
Be sure to hit me up if you want to be involved. I just want people to have a blast. If you’re in the industry and want to help it can be as simple as donating some t-shirts and stickers. If you make motorcycle parts I need door prizes and auction items. Anything! grips, pegs, points covers, handle bars! Advertising for you and fun for everyone else!
You can find me on facebook here https://www.facebook.com/#!/fxrfriday or here https://www.facebook.com/events/453174994771933/ you can find my sponsorship requests and preregistration form on face book or here https://docs.com/Docs/1156781332 . If you pre register you will receive a free event t-shirt thanks fully to our T-Shirt sponsor. If you don’t pre register you can still put your FXR in the show I just cant guarantee you will get a shirt. The show is entirely FREE! Any and all $$ raised to to Chrildren’s Care of South Dakota.
Should be fun!!
Thanks
Joe
P.S.
I looking for a good use bull horn for the event. Anyone got one to donate or sell cheap?
Thanks again!
I have bought and sold a few nices bikes over the years but my 91 FXRS is here to stay!! had it for 10 years and even if I cant ride one day I will keep it just to look at…..the FXR is the one bike that was done right!
looking to do this at the 110th in Milwaukee at the museum pick a date and lets do it- !
I hope to be there with my stock 1991 FXRT.
Sweet!
I think this is going to be one of the greatest shows in Sturgis!
FXR is the best ride HD ever made .. Just ask one that owns one .. 🙂
Dyna folks are just FXR wannabe’s ……. (smile)
Bought a ’92 FXRS Lowrider new …… still riding it.
Sounds like a dream come true! My wyfe and I have 4 in the garage. An ’88 fxtr, ’89 fxrs-sp, ’91 fxrp, and a 2000 rxr4. We’ll be riding the ’88 rt (mine) and the ’89 sp( the wyfe’s) this year to stugis. This will be our 23rd trip there. Looking forward to getting together with some right thinkin’ bros!!
Although I have a new Softail , I still have my all original ’91 FXRS, and hell will freeze over before I get rid of that bike.
Wish I could make it this year.
out in the garage now putting my 92 fxlr back together as we speak,gonna be headin to stugis on seeds and stems joe but gotta be here for that(told ya us fxr guys would be back……stupid choppers)