Is it a case of the ugly duckling turning into the beautiful swan or the ultimate Berkley Acid trip, where enlightenment is permanently bestowed upon us? Why now, do so many riders appreciate the character and manner of the FXR, FXRT, FXRP, and the rare 1986 FXRD?

 

An unexpected combination of factors and people came together in a swirl of meetings, ideas, executive regrouping and fresh input at H-D, back in the late seventies, that bore something a lot of us were not ready for...the FXR platform - arriving to the public in the year 1982 with our old friend, the Shovelhead power plant. Yes, the athletic skeleton of this beast already had been predisposed to accept the new heart awaiting it in the wings of Harley Davidson's research and development department. The then secret, aluminum barreled, flat top piston, superior head design, EVO motor was to replace the Shovel in 1984 making the FXR only more potent . With few changes during it's days, the rest is history.

 

This living hunk of metal still struts it's stuff today, scooting down freeways, alleyways and drag strips in many configurations. A properly transplanted Twincam motor can most fully be appreciated in the FXR...although the machine usually grabs a majority of attention in dead stock form now days. Roll into a Harley Davidson dealer on an RT and watch the crowd and questions grow.