You did WHAT? 1981 FLTRX aka FrankenGlide

In a ‘somewhat crazy’ project I did in 2011-2012 I repaired a 1981 touring frame that had a good front section but bent rear struts. A 2010 touring frame without a neck donated to me by my local dealership was chosen to fix that. After measuring and setting things up in a jig I realized that the overall geometry hadn’t changed, and the parts were going to fit together!

I decided to go all the way and make it a 1981 bike with EFI, throttle by wire and ABS.

The frames were cut to size, mounted in a jig and Jimmy, my business partner at the time, welded the two portions together. Grinding the welds down to blend everything together worked fairly well.

It was necessary to update the fork lock tab so the pile of 2010 parts I had could be installed:

After media blasting and some additional cleaning the frame got a fresh powder coat. Motor and the whole drivetrain went in as a complete unit – fast and easy!

Continuing on a bike lift – fairing, wiring, sheet metal… it is starting to look like a Harley!

The finished bike passed inspection by State Patrol of WA and is titled as a 1981. This build was very enjoyable and cost me somewhere around 35% of a new bike – not counting my labor. I did some engine work too. 107cui, heads, cams and a good EFI tune - this bike is a lot of fun to ride. Nothing has fallen off of it over the years and I hope it stays that way.       

FrankenGlide is going through another upgrade cycle now. The bike has been converted to 49mm forks using our kit along with some prototype suspension parts. It is waiting for final assembly. Check back for updates sometime!

I’m Andreas, one of the owners of GeezerEngineering LLC. My first Harley was a 1980 FXWG. I still have it and will not ever sell it. I’ve been around Harleys for decades and hope to stick around for a while longer. Ride safe!