BREAKING

Feature Bikes

FXR Spotlight

Episode 21: Jeff Larsh

Article & Photos By: Jeff Larsh

Originally Published In The February 2017 Issue Of Cycle Source Magazine

As I write this column today is Halloween and later today my wife and I hop a plane to Las Vegas for SEMA 2016. I get to spend the week with Baileigh Industrial and some of the best metal shapers in the country building a Daytona Coupe live during SEMA. With a long laundry list of things to do it was a great blessing to receive this submission from Jeff Larsh in Ohio. Thanks to Jeff for reaching out to me and telling us his FXR Story! I am a subscriber to Cycle Source; love the magazine and your section. I would like to submit my FXR for your article. Nothing fancy, just a great bike! I think I have the questions down that you ask so will fill in my story below. Thanks for your consideration. Be safe. Jeff A Got the motorcycle bug from my dad, who passed away a little over 3 years ago. He was my hero. WW2 combat vet (wounded in action in the Philippines) he was a true “old school” rider. Just a solid guy who had a heart of gold and a way about him that let you know when he was around everything was gonna be OK. He was a Harley guy all the way and taught me to ride when I was about 15 on his 49 Panhead. My first bike was a 76 Sportster, followed shortly after by a 550 Suzuki. The Sportster was a real pain always having issues, and the Suzuki was bulletproof so…

I got my first FXR 3 years ago (current bike) from an old guy who couldn’t ride anymore because his legs were getting too weak. Sad, but I felt good to breathe some much needed new life into his prized FXR, and I gave her a good home. It is a 1988, I had my friend John Staud, from Staud Cycles in Fairfield Ohio do some work on her and she runs like a top. He did a top-end rebuild, new break lines, and new All Balls starter, and Mukuni carb among other things. I put a LePera seat on her, which I love, new tires and hit the road! I own 2 other bikes, a 62 Triumph Thunderbird and a Kawasaki Versys. I love my FXR because of the way she handles. She can lean in to curves so gracefully, that I only wish I were as good a rider as she is a bike! Plenty of power and she looks great too.

I will never part with my FXR, and will leave her for one of my sons along with the Triumph. My favorite places to ride her are the back roads of southwest Ohio where I live and southeast Indiana country roads which are just a few miles away across the state line. I would not buy another FXR if the Motor Company offered one; it just wouldn’t be the same (in my humble opinion). I have this one and probably my next Harley will be a Road King in a few years with the Milwaukee Eight saving my lunch money for that one. I am a true FXR lover. What a great handling, looking, and under estimated treasure they are. Thanks for getting the word out there about them! Thank you once again to Jeff for sharing with us. Anyone who owns a classic Triumph, a Versys and a FXR has got his motorcycle priorities straight! Once again for all the Spotlight readers, this column is for you. Whether your FXR is a show stopper or just built to go we’d be happy to have you share your FXR story here in the Cycle Source FXR Spotlight. E-mail me at joe@fxrshow.com Cheers!

Related Posts

1 of 54