Renowned for their lean menacing stance and sporty handling, especially for an American Twin, the Harley-Davidson’s FXR is a modern cult-classic. The FXR is arguably the best handling production big twin to roll out of the 115-year-old Bar and Shield factory.
In production for only a 10-year span from the ‘80s to early ‘90s, low mileage FXRs are few and far between. But like anything in life, if you look hard enough, you’ll probably find it. That’s just what boss man Roland did with this Craigslist special: an original and unmolested ’93 FXR from South Dakota.
After a short trip to LA the bike arrived at its new home in Los Alamitos, California straight from South Dakota. The RSD crew went to work, ditching the stock 82 cubic-inch EVO motor for a monster V111 (1819cc) Twin from S&S. The mill drops into the stock frame and lines up perfectly with the OE five-speed gearbox and primary.
Because Roland had hard riding in mind, the belt final drive was tossed in favor of a lighter, and more sport-oriented chain/sprocket final drive setup. This modification also let them “tune” how the bike accelerates away from a stop. The 48-tooth Hutch back sprocket gives plenty of grunt away from stoplights, yet allows the bike to reach triple digit speeds with ease.
A giant Mikuni 45mm carburetor keeps this big Twin loaded with fuel. Throttle response is spot-on with the organic sensation that only a precisely jetted float bowl delivers. A Slant Carbon air filter keeps dirt out, while also looking high-tech and giving a bit more knee room.
Grab a handful and hold on, because this thing has plenty of muscle to loft the front wheel, without the clutch mind you, in first and second gear. A custom 2-into-1 “track” exhaust ensures that the engine breathes right, as well as alerting everyone in the neighborhood when you’re rolling through. Whether at idle, or full throttle, the masculine growl rumbling out from the pipes makes you feel like your at an NHRA race.
Modern suspension and brakes make a world of difference, especially on an old bike. The stock forks were traded for a narrow glide braced Sportster fork, with DLC coated tubes and new damping cartridges from GP Suspension. The billet fork caps also allow for damping adjustment so you can tweak the way the suspenders move when beating up the road.
A pair of RSD four-piston billet alloy calipers pinch 11.5 inch cross-drilled “Hutch” style discs with a powerful, RSD radial-pump master cylinder, so you can quickly drop anchor, when needed. This setup also boosts brake feel. A light lever touch is all that’s needed to feel the calipers biting on the stainlessdiscs. The setup rolls on an eye-catching Hutch 19 x 2.15 inch billet rim.
To further boost this FXR’s overall rigidity, an alloy Metmatchex Swingarm replaces the steel piece. Inside it hides a narrow 18 x 3.5-inch billet Hutch wheel and another 11.5 inch diameter brake rotor. Both wheels are shod in Dunlop’s Trailsmart tires. They look cool with their meaty tread pattern, plus they offer great grip against asphalt. A set of Ohlins 15 inch, Blackline shocks are strong enough to deal with all the rear end squatting power from the S&S’ heart.
The handling is what really sets the GTFO apart from other Harley’s. The suspension offers the best of both worlds— gliding across the road, while still offering an astronomical amount of road holding through the turns. You’ll be hard pressed to find a more well-balanced Hog.
The GTFO is a bit of a twist on the club bike concept. 10-inch rise “T-bar” handlebars mounts to the RSD Black Ops top clamp. RSD mounted a mini light frenched into a flat number plate. These mods give the rider a very moto cross feel.. The grippy machined footpegs were relocated, even higher, further boosting lean angle when cranked over on the side of the tires.
Even with all the performance additions, comfort was key. After all, if you aren’t comfy, you ain’t going the distance. RSD fabricated a custom sissy bar to support the high-back passenger seat. Mustang Seats wrapped a foam and pan shaped at RSD for a seat that’s truly fit for a king, and queen. Firm and well supported this saddle is made for logging miles. It’s tastefully stitched in twin line stitch pattern with gripper material for wheelie duties.
Nothing else on the road looks like an FXR. With its svelte fenders and perfectly proportioned gas tank it has iconic styling that no other motorcycle can replicate. So it only made sense to keep it looking like it rolled off the York, Pennsylvania assembly line. Both the fuel tank and fenders are stock with unblemished factory black paint and iconic FXR Sport stripes in orange and red. To top things off there’s a trick RSD Vintage Gas Cap. Not happy with the tombstone tail light, RSD fitted its Tracker Tag bracket that serves as a clean mount for license plate and LED tailight.
The GTFO is a true testament to the classic FXR and its staying power as an iconic custom platform from the good ol’ boys at HD. While not perfect in stock trim, with a little nipple twisting the FXR shows it’s true sport spirit. It’s a bike that’s fit for a journey and doubles as a hard riding, wheelie prone fun machine. GTFO, it’s the right thing to do.