Is The FXR An Overrated Bike? 

Some history for the people that don’t know. Harley Davidson wanted a bike that was like the Sportster. A smaller bike that is extremely customizable, and you can hit the corners and pop wheelies. They wanted a bike that can do all those things while using the bigger motors. So Harley Davidson and Buell designed the FXR. They took the strongest frame they had, the Bagger frame, and shrunk it. They wanted the strongest frame possible to be able to handle the power and abuse. That is why when you take the side covers off of a Bagger, it has the same V shape as the FXR. Like the baggers, the FXR has a 3 point motor mount setup. One in the front, and two in the back. The FXR is also easier to work on because the oil tank and the battery is underneath the seat. Very easy to get to. The reason why the FXR was discontinued is because they were too expensive to make in HD’s eyes. So they created the Dyna. The Dyna has a frame made from cheaper and worse quality material. The Dyna has two motor mounts instead of three, one in the front, one in the back, and since there’s only two, they wear out quickly. The oil tank is underneath the bike like the bagger’s, not impossible to get to, but more of a pain. The battery is on the side, in the frame. And finally, the frame is less rigid since it doesn’t have the FXR V. It’s a good bike if you never work on your own bike and just bring it to the dealership to get worked on. So that’s my Harley Davidson history lesson for everyone. Hope to see more FXRs on the road👍

I never believed the hype. A buddy of mine had 2 93 low rider and a 91 RP. Always told me to take one for a ride. I seen one done up “club style” at a show a few years back and I made it my mission to find one. Traded an 07 street glide for me 94 FXR and have dumped a ton of money into it to make it my own. The handling is exactly what everyone has always claimed. Definitely Harley’s “sport bike” of the time. Zero plans on ever getting rid of it. Would also love to see you host a fxr/dyna show. I’m down in south Jersey and would love to see an annual event. East coast fxr jam is 6/3-6/5 2022 in the Catskills

I a 84 FXRs 1340 love the bike has plenty of power. Never going anywhere it was my dads 3rd bike in the line up. Left to me when he passed

I'm all for your FXR content, I picked one up this year mainly because of your videos. I love it so far.

my first fxr had an 80...i stopped riding my dailly cammed up 14' fxdl for a few months after the intial purchase. twin cam swappped the fxr after the cases started falling apart. added some 543 cams to the 88 ci tc a the mikkuni 42... i really stopped riding the dyna after that. in the end i couldnt' sell my dyna with all the time and effort invested so i took it apart and bought an fxr frame to convert it. its really hard to enjoy other models for what they are without instantly comparing the handling and midrange power differences now. the 14 fxdl i converted into a 103 efi fxrp; it's a great all around machine. people tell me the twin cam swap isn't a real fxr from time to time...i just laugh. everyonce and a while ill bust out my 82' fxrs and that's when cats ask why i installed a shovel into an fxr or ask why my sportster sounds funny. good times on fxr's.

It’s definitely underrated. I have a 1993 FXRS-Con and a 2016 FXDLS. There’s just nothing like riding the FXR. It’s fully capable and a blast to ride.

Building an '89 FXR right now, Definitely handles well for an old bike. The prices out here in Ca. are pretty high. Great Channel !

I love my fxr, I don't think I'll ever give it up. I'd love to have an older softail with the Evo too one day. Such an iconic look. My fxr is a bit of a beater, but I love it. Keeps me busy too.

Great video!!

Great video👍, right now I'm torn between an 07 street bob and an 87 FXR, seriously leaning towards the FXR though.

Hey buddy got a hot tip for you! I put some FLO mini floor boards on after seeing your review a while back and they are great. Just got back from a 1500 road trip and before we left I put some on the rear as passenger pegs and my wife LOVES them. Might want to give it a shot and see how she likes it. You can just take yours and put them on the rear peg mounts for her to try out. Stay safe out there!

So I owned probably the best of the Buell tubers, which is the 2002 X1 Lighting, last year of them, and it was awesome...loved it..when it ran. With the full Buell race kit, it made plenty of power for the street...more than you can practically use. Handling equal to any sport bike, and I've owned MANY. Once I worked out all the reliability issues and a few upgrades, it was a really fun bike. It was super easy to ride in town with all the torque, but it would also pull red in top gear which was a GPS verified 151mph. I wish I would have kept it. Compared to the FXR...I don't know. I would not buy a late model Buell, IMHO they are ugly. I really like the XR1200 and the Roadster 1200. Nice video.

Hey great channel I got my 1986 FXRS low rider November 5 and I have been loving it. It was sort of a happy accident for me but I’m planning a road trip up to New York sometime soon. I wanted to find out if there’s anything going on to plan when I get up there for FXR and I’m from New York also, maybe I can swing by there and we can compare notes and stuff.

I’ve had my 1986 liberty fxrs for 24 yrs mostly stock except for pegs and seat. Has 90,000 plus miles with only top end done. I love it, found a 1990 for 2 grand and bought it just because they’re so good

Underrated, absolutely! Especially when your style of riding is more of an active one, like hitting the corners, twisties mountain hairpins and more of this kinda roads, yes absolutely a FXR every day of the week. Gents, it is all about the framework, really. In those curved roads Horsepower really is not what you are looking for; Torque however is ;-) And even my FXRT with stock EVO motor and exhaust never disappoints me and non of my friends can go faster trough a cuve as I can and they really are frustrated about the fact that they just simply can not overtake me there. The freeway of course; yes they'll fly by, but not in the twisties. There is no better Big Twin Framework than a FXR (and FLT since they are more or less the same) framework. You can and probably will argue about the EVO power plant, but again even though they come with alotta less power than the newer big twins...they are very reliable. My 1985 FXRT has 90.000 Miles on the stock motor...and runs and rides flawlessly, where buddies of mine have "modern" V twins and they suffer of many breakdowns.... so yeah...for me a FXR all day long ! Hey, remember this: like the FXR but want more power? replace the stock EVO with any motor of your choice and nobody will be able to keep up with you;-)

I ride a 1984 FXR (very first year of production) with springer fork, I am very glad to ride it as there is not many around, so I was lucky to buy it, it just came out of the blue..! I do have a 1985 FXSB to compare and.... very difficult to say which one I do prefer as both got the Evo engine, one of the diffences is that the FXSB got a kick start and 4 speed trans, so I was used to that 4 speed gear box... both are such a beauty..!

Best bike ever made and Eric Buell is a genius

Great video, thanks man! What makes the FXRP different from the rest of the FXRs? Thanks again!

Hey man thank you for making this video. I have an 87 FXR-S low rider and it’s my main and only bike. I absolutely love it. When you said, “I ride in it and my other bikes I ride on it” I totally get that. The 87 was my dream bike. My father had one when I was a kid and he passed away when I was 20, I’m 42 now and I just got my fxr beginning of this year. Right now it’s in the shop getting a ton of new stuff so it will be ready for next season to ride to some of the bigger bike events. I’m out in Boston and I love it riding in the city and riding in the suburbs. Everything you’ve said about the bike is 10000%. You definitely nailed it. Unfortunately the person that sold me the bike was a shitbag and knew of the underlined issues with it t but it’s all good because karma is a bitch and parts and labor are just time and money and I’m ok with that. Hopefully we run into each other in the future and you can give me your opinion on my babygirl. Be safe. Ride hard. Ride safe.

Underrated!!! I have a stock 92 fxrs lowrider convertible only modified with a single fire electronic ignition. Have hunted down the vintage windshield as well as original leather saddle bags. What wonderful handling bike and a blast to ride. As with any vintage bike, a bit of tweaking and attention to maintenance is must to keep her riding like new. The hype is well earned!

eeeey another bonus monday video

Absolutely great points- they exceed the hype IMHO but you’re also right when you say it’s hard to justify shelling out 10k+ on a 30 year old bike. With that said, I LOVE mine and got a great deal on a low mile 90 FXRS and have had a ball- yeah she’s had her issues but it comes with the old Harley territory. After riding every frame, I still say the FXR handles the best right out of the box with exception to the M8 Low Rider S.

Love watching those older gauges ping off limiter lol sick bike man

Loved my 99 fxr2

Oh I'd love to have one as my main,or any Harley for that matter,they are so rare here in Europe and damn expensive

Nice to hear a balanced view of the bike. I've got a few FXR's (4 at this point), and think they're awesome bikes, but they're not for everyone, and I do think a lot of people pump them up to be something they're not. As others have touched on, the maintenance (or lack there of) over its lifetime and moving forward on a 3 decade old bike can put people off or discourage them. Some of the known flaws (cases cracking, particularly behind lifter blocks on certain years) can really get people down if they realise there's is cracked. However, in terms of a balanced, versatile, simple (mechanically, generally easy to fix on the side of the road) do it all bike, I think they're perfect. The amount of stuff you can do to them is awesome too. You can have so many different styles. 90's chrome and low, completely original, resto mod, twin cam swapped, tourer spec, wheelie bike, etc.

Been my dream bike since a kid.. buddies brother has a freaking mint FXRP sitting in storage. Been bugging for years on a price for it.. won't give up until it's mine lol..

I absolutely love the FXR. I ride a 2002 Fat Boy, the bike i have always wanted, ever since I saw Terminator 2, and when I rode my girls 1994 FXLR, I was like WOW!! THE BIKE IS AWESOME!! The BEST frame Harley-Davidson ever made ( other than the Softail lol ) . Great bike!!

I have two my first I have for 22 years as my daily. Now going to be my hot rod with a 117. My new daily which I've had a year gets ridden to work daily in NYC. Even in rain easier to park than my car.

I have a 84 chain drive. Lobe it. Had 2 cb 750's back in the day and loved their handling but my fxr way cooler hands down.

I can't speak for all Harleys, I have a 1990 fxlr and a 2008 dyna wide glide. The fxr is superior 100 percent. No comparison. I have stripped both down to the bare frames and there are some key things that separate them from the start. 1. Frame: no question that an FXR frame is just an absolute piece of art. You won't know until you see it sitting there and can look under it all around it, feel it, cut unto it. It's 3/16" steel tube through and through. Amazing construction. My dyna is a piece of shit. Shitty pressed sheet metal. Just enough to keep it road worthy. No way to really customize that frame beyond raking the neck which still isn't fun. I tried to modify the rear end and it's such a cluster fuck how that main backbone cuts right through the center all the way to the base of the frame. 2. Motor mount: again, obvious that the dyna was cheap and they used the 2 point mount and it was good enough. The three point mount on the FXR is stronger, looks better, and is way easier to work on. 3. Maintenance: there is nothing on my FXR I can't do. I can't do anything on my Dyna. It's night and day. I would not own a new Harley. One thing I've always said is that if you are not rich, or you cannot do all your own maintenance then you have no business owning a Harley. So I rode my dyna for 2 years, hated it. Stripped it down to the frame to start over chopped it up, raked it, made new framework for the fender and seat, cut all the bullshit off the rear end I could trying to find a way to get that battery back inside the bike and now it's just a frame sitting in my garage rusting away. Just junk. My FXR, it's like million dollar baby. Being ridden everyday, looking like an absolute piece of art, nothing I can't do to maintenence it, or chop and modify sky is the limit. Dyna is at best a learners bike, but i would guess so is a softail or a fat boy or anything else. Now I'm gonna extend some leeway to the touring bikes because they still use a 3 point engine stabilizing mount system and it looks similar to the fxr, but I'll bet that it's been cheapened up too. Don't know that for sure, but I would be hesitant to do any serious frame mods to anything now days

Fxr was a great bike for its time , I had a 1986 LowRider and a 2000 Fxr4 Cvo

I’m lookin at an 85 fxrp fully built you mention not worth getting one over 10k does that mean stock or fully built I’m assuming stock They’re clean wouldn’t mind adding another gem to the collection Great vids 🤙🏼

My opinion is the fxr handles best in urban riding, in the twisty in mountain. If set up right it can do some serious state to state riding.

I have a 1994 FXRP windshield model, although I don't have a windshield. The bags are long gone, I have an ugly but wonderful Corbin seat, factory, tall FXR sissy bar with an ugly luggage rack. I absolutely love it. Nothing rides like an FXR. I have been riding since 1985, own and have owned many, many Harley-Davidsons, and love my old 64 FL, but this bike and I are one. I own a motorcycle shop, and ride almost every bike that comes in. When I was a young mechanic in 1993, my mentor MADE me ride a customer's FXR (I was a Panhead snob and trash talking FXR bikes). It ruined me.

It's a unique Harley that's for sure. I'd like to own one for sure and it would be a good secondary to my Road Glide.

Is your tach correct ? You hitting near 8,000 rpm's ? I didnt think a evo could handle revs that high. Of tye evos I've ridin, 5-5.5 thou felt like I was pushing the explosion point.

Dyna or FXR it doesn’t matter, all your content is good and I’m here for it!

juste pic up a fxrs-sp 1992 , nothing original anymore, thick rims, wide glide front fork, RS seat, PM forwart controls, fuel tank, etc. PS I'm on the lookout for mid controls but not easy to find here in Europe

Great commentary. I think you broke it down well because people who ride FXR’s will agree that with regards to past & present Harley line-up, there is no other model that packages together comfort, handling, and nimbleness quite like the FXR platform. Part of the problem is that finding an FXR that hasn’t been “upgraded” at the hands of unqualified wrenches over the past several decades is getting harder and harder. People should never buy any bike without taking the advice from experienced owners that will help pick out the right bike for a particular riding style. The guy looking to go ripping wheelies around town is buying a different FXR than the guy looking to tour around the country.

The thing with the FXR is they are lightweight so they are fast and nimble but not a comfy highway couch like some of the heavier bikes Harley makes. You feel the road on them, the good and bad. But if you like to ride in the canyons, they are the best Harley made.

If you mentioned "Hype" one more time I was gonna puke. You are right that the FXR is Under Rated. FXRs are kinda like El Caminos. Ya either dig em or not. I have owned 5 FXRs including an FXR4 in Tangerine Orange, and currently have an FXR2 in Arresting Red that I'm never selling. One thing I don't understand is why most riders do not like the shovelhead FXRs? Sort of ironic, but I don't like em either. I love to see the bone stock bikes but most people add those ridiculous risers and flat bars. Guess it's some of that "Lane Splitter shit? FXRs ride 90% as well as a bagger and handling is far superior to anything else HD has ever produced!

I agree with you it is underrated Unless you ride one you'll never know I been a FXR rider for 30 years and not planning on any other bike. Try one and you'll get glued

All you have to do to understand the FXR hype is ride one. I have two bikes that Erik Buell had a hand in, an ‘08 1125r and an ‘82 FXR. They’re both special bikes unlike anything else I’ve ever ridden in their classes

Best Bike H-D ever sold. With the new aftermarket EVO engines far exceeding what the original was in performance reliability and quality aftermarket frames available, what are you waiting on?🤣

Yeah the fxr’s can have some quirks, but it’s a Harley, it comes with the territory. I love that the fxr is considered an antique bike haha, it’s different and you aren’t riding the same bike that everyone else is on, its unique. I agree, I feel like I am one with my Fxr, the fit and the sit is very comfortable, very rideable.

Just bought a 86 fxr it's my first bike

It's far too Underrated and so damn rare and expensive here in Europe. I've had a Dyna since almost 10 years and love it, but would swap it out right now...... hey, you wanna get rid of yours yet?

Love the FXR

FXR all day long! Throw 14" shocks on rear and +2" in the front, with some newer brakes... You're ready to rip. You'll beat a dyna on handling alone in the twisties

Overrated Underrated It's about this specific Buell-frame in combination with Evolution-engine in this era. Hard to find a better steering FXR. Oh: Wait FXR-SP! Buell-frame with air-suspension front fork

The only bike I ever wanted is an FXR or a Sporty , around 8 years ago my shitbag cousin was delivering an 87 FXR to my house, on the way he traded it for a 62 Kaiser Pickup, I was so pissed! I still can’t believe it! We don’t talk anymore! The next day, I bought my DYNA FXDP, although I don’t really regret it, I will get my FXR one day and my sporty! One day, I’m 5’6 so I love a nice compact smaller bike, small bikes rule!

At this point there too expensive and too old. More of a collectors piece now. I'm a one bike guy riding a 13 Flhx. Afordable and reliable, no computer screen bs or abs crap. FXR is like the Buell S1 type scenario. Good riding bike but performance guys would rather buy a Yamaha R6 or something. My Streetglide would be better if it was about 100lbs lighter though lol Harleys are fun to ride but hot roding them your just chasing your tail. FXR is neat but it aint all that, evo is overatted in general. I remember the see no evo hear no evo posters and stuff, then 25 years later it's the greatest thing ever. Whatever

Harley never should have stopped making the FXR

'92 FXR is my only bike. My next bike, will be another FXR.

Uhhhh I’d love to have a 91 FXRP.

the FXR isn't overrated, it's underpowered. nothing a motor swap won't fix

A fxr from 88” in denmark is 19k USD 😂

People say to me, FXRS's are over rated an stupid expensive, way too expensive, how much will you sell it to me for?

FXR's RULE !

buy an fxr then sell your other bikes that collect dust. that's how it went for me

wiring, brakes, and a few other things would need upgraded on theses fxrs

Yes, FXR and All Wobble Glides (Dyna) are overrated. No “performance” bikes have a tranny bolted to the motor. All modern performance bikes are “unitized”. You can put $7K into a $3K used Sporty and out Shine ANY FXR or DYNA. You are drinking the H-D koolaid.