ROAD KING REPORT--Initially I had questions regarding Road Kings. I wanted to know some about the frame geometry. I prefer a little trail to low speed, parking lot handling. I like to run fast and stable. Next I'm old school. I prefer a bike with minimum extras so I lean toward a carb model over the fuel injection, EFI models.

I immediately spoke to an expert, Paul from Charlotte, H-D: ”If it's a newer model why get rid of the EFI?? The new stuff works good. Harley has new software to tune the thing, just out from the dealer show. This will put a big hurt in the Powercomander II and any other after market add-on stuff!!!! It's in the new P&A book for '03 in the Screamin Chicken (Eagle) section. I like the new Dephi stuff. Also BC Gerolamy has a new dual throat induction throttle body for the Delphi system that is kick ass!!

To take off the system, man it's lot's off work. The ECM has all this start up shit it goes thru checking all the systems and sensors. Again I have never done this. So to be honest I just don't know for sure on this one. I can run it by Old Bob tomorrow and see what his thoughts are on both the frame/trees and removing the EFI.

On the frame, my first thought is no. Are you familiar with what they did to the trees? They are not like the old FL stuff at all. The stem is in front of the fork tubes. This makes it a self-centering front end. One of the tests they have to do at Talledega on the track is to smack the handlebars hard at 80 MPH++ and see if the damn thing will straighten itself out!!!!

I've never thought about doing this so who knows, maybe it could be done. Christ you come up some stuff man. Was Jack Daniels involved in all this brainstorming?”

A week later...

“'03 is good year for the Road Queen. The EFI is much better than years past. My question to you is, why do you want to loose the EFI?? What are your plans? Pipes, Big Bore, Stroker kit?? We just did a 103 Stroker kit with cams, heads and a V&H 2-into-one pipe, megaphone, on a '03 Road Queen for a salesman. He should have used a Thunder Header but most of these clowns want the magazine yuppy chrome look. Shine and billet are in I guess, drives me nut's!

You can remove the fuel pump and that shit from the tank. You can put a regular fuel valve in the tank in place of the EFI fuel line. There are two bungs on the left side of the tank, one is plugged. I did make an adapter for a fuel valve for a Softail EFI bike once. The guy bought these tanks at a swap meet and didn't know they were for fuel injection.

I think maybe you might just need to change the ECM from EFI to a Carb. ECM. Disconnect the sensors, eng. temp, crank pos., and induction module stuff. Do the tank, install a carb and you might be just be down the road. That way you could leave all the stock wiring and shit in place if you ever wanted to go back to EFI.

On the trees I guess when they went to that style, the early top tree was just turned around for that newer style configuration. Don't know about the setup now. If you did a rotation of the top tree putting the fork tubes forward the bars would be in a different forward location. That would screw up all that headlight cover shit. You might be able to put a complete early FL front end on. Hey maybe even the adjustable sidecar trees. Remember them? The front forks are non-air assist now.

I'll keep plugging away on this "Amazing Raked Road Queen" project for you. I can check out some front ends and take a better look. Also will try to call tech services at H-D and see what won't say!”

--Later, PSD