Leaks around the primary case and derby cover.
Right shock broke at the mount.
Expelled a spark plug!
The clutch pressure diaphragm chewed itself up.
A Harley is purchased for looks, not handling or speed. That the bike looks good even after 18 years of use is quite something.
All Harleys -- including this one -- come from the factory with poor paper gaskets, under the assumption that the owner will replace the cams, the air filter and perform other work, hence the rumor that "all Harleys leak oil." Yes, they will all leak until the gaskets are replaced. This is almost certainly the cause for the leak about the primary case.
The derby cover in this model year range has three mount points -- far too few to hold oil under pressure. Models made in the '90s have been issued with five-point mounting holes.
The right shock began leaking fork oil for some weeks prior to breaking entirely through, while on the freeway on a long ride. As with all bikes, the stock shocks should be replaced with decent ones at around 10,000 miles, if not before. This was a hard lesson to learn.
Nuts and bolts: after 25 years of owning Japanese bikes I imagined that I had gotten good with torquing bolts "by feel." But SAE has a courser thread than metric resulting in a far higher pressure per turn. I snapped five bolts off of the bike before investing in a torque wrench. This effect is probably what stripped the spark plug threads, resulting in the engine blowing the plug right out of the head.
I probably did not adjust the clutch properly when performing maintenance behind the derby cover, resulting in the pressure diaphragm destroying itself.
The bike is otherwise robust for what it can do. I imagine that at 50,000 miles the engine is only in its middle age. Most components appear to be very solid and capable of severe punishment. All of my bikes have gone over 100,000 miles. I recommend synthetic oil and add-on oil coolers. Changing the oil religiously every 2,000 miles will enable even a 650cc engine to go around the clock.
Maintenance is a chore. Because of the oil tank design, some dirty oil remains in the tank surrounding the drain nipple, which projects into the tank about 3/4 of an inch. Typically, I use a syringe with aquarium tubing to siphon out the rest before packing in paper towels through the fill hole to scour out the sediment. This model has the oil filter mounted under the engine in the worst place to access imaginable -- succeeding models have theirs mounted logically up front where the filter can also act as an oil cooler.
Succeeding models also had logically placed fork oil fill caps placed on the fork caps themselves so that you don't have to remove the fork caps and the fork springs to replace the oil. The fork caps from the later models fit this one and so I had a shop replace the caps with the newer ones. Now, no mess, no fuss.
This model has dual front disk brakes and replacing the stock lines with braided steel improved braking immensely. I did not replace the lines for looks.
This bike originally came with cushy 15 inch shocks. Lowering the bike even an inch resulted in a rougher ride. I experimentally lowered the bike a full 2 inches and the ride felt like a hardtail experience.
The bike likes long sweepers and is very heavy in turns. Its acceleration is nothing special, but with cruising cams installed, its top speed went up to Canadian capabilities, easily leaving 85mph with a sense of a lot more available, and with a sure sense of stability.
This engine is rubber-mounted and the handlebars are rubber-mounted as well, resulting in good isolation from vibration.
The gas tank holds 3.5 gallons, realistically. Fortunately, it has a reliable gas gauge. Consumption on the freeway approaches 50mpg with a 32mpg average on the city streets.
With your luck with bike maintenance, I would save some money and get someone who knows what they are doing to service your machine.
I've owned my 1987 FXRS-SP since 1990, the bike now has 148,000 miles, of which I've done 137,000.
As far as dependability, it's pretty good, it's never left me stranded on the side of the road, but requires more maintenance than a Japanese bike.
It's held up well, the belt was replaced around 85,000 miles in case you're wondering how long they last, and the original primary chain is still going strong. The clutch went over 100,000 miles before being replaced.
My motor did like to leak oil at the base gaskets and rocker boxes even after many gasket replacements. I had the motor rebuilt at 108,000 miles, not that it needed it, it's just that I rebuilt the entire bike and opted for the black & chrome motor through Harley's rebuild program.
The rebuilt motor is much more oil tight, with virtually no leaks in 40,000 miles. However, the valve guide seals were not installed correctly at the factory and it burnt oil like crazy.
It has the usual performance upgrades, coil, ignition module, EV27 cam, Mikuni HS42 carb, heads are ported and polished, Python III pipes.
The bikes goes really well, explosive top end with the Pythons, and it sounds great, but it's real loud. I switched to quieter Cycle Shack pipes and gained some low end in exchange for top end.
It's a good all arounder, comfortable enough to ride all day, every day. The stock seat is great, but I wish the foot-pegs were back a little further. To get around this I use the passenger and highway pegs a lot.
I tried lowering the bike (it looked cool) but found the ride too harsh and went back to stock shocks. It handles well for it's weight and can out-corner the typical Softail. It'll out-stop it as well, with it's dual discs up front.
The motor is rubber mounted so it's smooth, with just enough vibes getting through to let you know your on a V-twin.
The bike is really set up like a '70s standard, speedo and tach on the handlebar where you can see them, a low handlebar, and the foot-pegs below you. This is the classic set up of the bikes I grew up with, such as the Bonneville, Norton Commando, CB750, and Z1. Add bags and a windshield and it's a good touring mount. Strip it down and it has much more of a hooligan feel than any other FXR.
Its weak point is that it's not great for stop and go, city riding due to it's weight, heavy clutch pull, and heavy vibes right above idle. I take the truck to do errands.
My only complaint is the foot-peg placement, the weight, (which can be a little tiresome after a few days of touring) and sometimes, I'd like to exchange a little character for a little less maintenance. Other than that, I love it.
I picked up an 1987 FXRS-SP or Lowrider Sport in the summer of 2004. The bike had 19,000 km on it.
One of the previous owner(s) added forward controls and converted the front end to wide glide using the stock legs.
Once I did the usual maintenance, I rode the rest of the season trouble free.
The next spring however was a different story. The first thing to happen was the rear axle bearings failed. Then the speedo drive broke, the ground strap on the regulator broke, so forth and so on.
I got through that year and went over the bike top to bottom. That winter I added self cancelling signals, changed the rear pulley to a 65 tooth and lowered the bike using shocks from a dyna. This winter I plan to change the carb (junk), the cam, pipes and plan on raking the front using raked clamps. We'll see how far I get.
As far as overall rideability etc, the bike is pretty good with good mileage, good feel and is not bad for long trips. Adding bags and a windshield (for bugs mostly) sure help. The longest trip so far this year was just over 650 miles.
I bought my FXRS Convertible last year with 8000 miles on it (now 10000). Rode it 250 miles home and wondered what had I done! After 30 years of japanese bikes and one BMW, I thought I would try a Harley, and I was very disappointed. A friend advised to avoid the newer bikes as they were not so characterful and rebuildable as the last evo engine bike. I suppose he had a point, but the bike is so poor in so many ways, and it just eats money in servicing schedules.
I found the bike to be horrendously uncomfortable; changed the seat, handlebars, billet brakes etc, and just used it for Sunday short rides, buying a Kawasaki ZZR1200 for touring around on. They say Harleys have character and presence, but if you want to get on a bike and ride, there are better and cheaper alternatives to these.
Perhaps considering its age I'm being a little unfair, but I've had old GSX1100's that did everything much better than this.
I should do something with it; change it to how I would want it, or sell it on to somebody who will live the Harley thing.
Last summer I had three bikes in the garage; the ZZR, a BMW GS1150 and the FXRS. The Harley keys always remained in the drawer with the BMW & ZZR sharing equal honours; says it all really.
I've owned my 1987 FXRS since December, 2006. Injuries from a catastrophic work accident in 2004 were keeping me off my beloved rigid, kick-only shovelhead. While my BMW R1100R was still ridable with my limitations, it wasn't a Harley, and I missed being on a Harley.
I was at my local independent shop to look at a swing-arm frame for my shovelhead when I came across the FXRS. It had been destroyed in a fire, but was still solid when the shop owner bought it at auction. The engine was rebuilt to stock specs by a master engine builder. The only upgrades were an S&S Super E carburetor, Screaming Eagle cam, and Python pipes.
The bike was then styled to a customer's specifications, as a gift for her husband. She ordered wide-glide forks, dresser fenders fore and aft, a pseudo-fatbob tank, FXRP floorboards and shifter, studded Mustang saddle, a bunch of useless chrome covers and "Live to Ride" junk, and a gaudy two-tone paint-job with panhead tank emblems and silver-and-gold pinstriping. Surprise, surprise, the husband didn't like it, didn't ride it, and soon returned it to the shop for re-sale.
It sat on consignment for at least three years before I got to it, but I took it on a grueling test-ride, and it behaved admirably. A little slow off the line, but a screamer at speed, with good throttle response and superb shifting up and down. The owner had just dropped the price, and I was able to get a good deal on it.
Other than cosmetics (a major revamp!) the only mechanical repair I've had to do so far (knock wood) is replacing the clutch basket when one of the little spacer "towers" broke. I found a heavy-duty replacement, and haven't had a problem since.
So far as comfort goes: due to my injuries (including a broken back and nerve damage) I could not ride the frame-mounted seat. I bought a used FXRP saddle and springs, which set me up high enough off the frame to stave off pain from the back injury, and cushion the worst bumps and jolts. I sometimes get mistaken for a cop in traffic, but with the saddle and higher bars I'm able to spend all day in the wind without destroying myself.
As an added bonus, my wife (who has back problems of her own) can passenger pain-free on the FXRS. This is the only HD she's ever been comfortable on, and we tried a bunch of 'em!
I like my FXRS, and look forward to riding it for years to come.
Just purchased an 87 FXRC. I will be putting in a new cam, fat front forks, new carb, and various other goodies. I do like how the bike rides. A little rough around the edges, but I like to feel like I'm riding... not sitting on a cloud. I will update when I get some of the "upgrades" completed.
I've had my FXRS-SP for 10 years now. The only major issue I had was a leaky base gasket. After I replaced that one along with the rocker arm shafts that were worn in pretty close to limit, it now runs like a bat out of hell.
Of course it's Harley, but that's why I bought it. And the FXR is the best one they ever made.
I also have a Suzuki 1200, and that certainly is a different kinda fun.
But you will never get a bike that joins ALL attributes.
If you wanna race, you buy a race bike, you wanna do trail, you buy a trail bike... you wanna ride Harley, you buy a Harley. As simple as that :-)
I started riding in '67, on Honda step-thru 90s and such, moved up through the twins and then fours, with an occasional BSA twin, XT500 Yam, first year Virago 750 thrown in.
In '84 I got a used Sportster, quick, scary, and unreliable.
A few years later I bought a well-sorted '78 FXS Low Rider (old style frame) and while it ran well, it was not a technological or handling marvel.
In '89 I got a decent deal on a low mile '85 FXRS Low Glide, which was comfortable, reliable, and handled reasonably well. It was my only transport while I attended college and served an internship.
The next spring I traded it in on a new Fatboy, which was a huge mistake, the most evil handling machine I've ever owned. Fortunately I was able to sell it for more than I'd paid initially, and bought a dust-gathering new FXRT Sport Glide (Low Rider Sport with a full fairing and hard bags). It was a fantastic machine, handled great, the anti-dive fork worked well, loved sweepers, just an all-around excellent motorcycle. Not awkward like an FLH, not buzzy like a Sportster or foreign bike, just very well laid out, quiet, with decent acceleration, suspension, and braking.
As some here have said, though, improvements can be made: brake lines, solid bar mounts, maintenance access, but these motors will last forever if maintained properly. Note that the one weakness of Evo motors is that they will blow head gaskets if you ride them hard prior to the engine being fully warmed up. My FXRT was stolen prior to getting truly broken in, and was replaced by another FXRS, then building an FXRD custom, which I soon sold. I then switched to BMW airheads for that same sort of simplicity, that zen.
Whoever wrote above about their negative experience with their Low Rider Convertible... I don't believe you are getting the big picture. An FXR frame is super-rigid and really handles great, but one does need to learn how to get the best from it. Part of that is not running on old tires, adjusting shocks properly or replacing if they're damaged or have rust on the shafts (short shocks are bad news), and getting rid of those ridiculous rubber bar mounts helps with road feel. Just my experience, speaking for my own self.
But right now I've sold off all my Kaws and my Beemer, and I'm hunting an FXRS-CON, FXRS-SP, FXRT, FXRP, 1990 or newer. I know what works and what I like.
Note: A Comments RSS Feed is available.