1995 Harley-Davidson FXSTC Softail Custom
Stinger:
This is my 1995 Harley-Davidson FXSTC Softail
Custom. It features Harley's sound 80 cubic
inch (1338cc) Evolution engine, which is
rigid mounted, and a hidden rear suspension
that gives the bike the appearance of a classic
hard-tail frame. Theft insurance I received
when my Honda Steed was stolen helped me
pay for her. This is the baby I take on most
of our long trips. I have ridden this beast
for nearly four years now and she has really
become my partner. The rigid mount has never
really caused discomfort (except during the
insane Akita 1000 SPLENDOR touring) and the
bike has never seriously broken down.
I haven't really gone hog wild (no pun intended)
with customizing the Harley. Cosmetically,
it has a slightly raked 3° triple tree,
wide semi-buckhorn style handlebars, and
a rear suspension that is lowered 2 inches.
Mechanically as well I have been rather conservative.
The ignition system now consists of a Dyna-S
ignition (no ignition module) and a Crane
Cams high intensity single-fire coil. The
mufflers are genuine Harley-Davidson slash
cut slip-ons and are quite loud. This is
good when you want taxis and German sports
cars and other nefarious drivers to know
when you are coming, but not so useful when
trying not to annoy the neighbors. I have
not made any of the other obvious stage one
hop-ups like carburettor modifications. The
main reason for this is that I like the kind
of fuel economy I have now. On long, seldom-interrupted
tours, I can get as much as 400 km to a tank-full,
which is fantastic for my kind of riding:
touring, an advantage that's difficult to
part with.
