In a word: WOW!

Not much time to devote to it with my wife home limping around on a bum knee... But I got the tkat on night before last, and the customs S40 seat on last night. Only got to ride for about 15 minutes, but that's all it took to tell that the old 99 is changed from night to day. Took it around my favorite local corner at normal speed, and it felt so solid I had to turn around and do the corner a couple of more times. Even at a speed that would have been pressing it before, it tracked straight and solid feeling.

Ya, I know there were all those glowing testimonials before, but I'm a die-hard skeptic, and have to see it for myself. I've only had one dirt bike before that had one of those horseshoe fork braces on it, and I didn't put it on, so I didn't have a before and after on it. I'm a true believer now. Any bike that doesn't already have a brace, or doesn't track like it is on rails, needs a fork brace added.

I didn't spend a great deal of time polishing the brace before the 15 minute install. I just used an old can of automotive finish compound and an electric buffer on the pieces for about 20 minutes of fumbling around with the buffer pinned on the ground and running it with my feet, while I sat on a stool and dabbed the parts in compound and water and buffed them against the turning wheel! Man I got some really shiny fingernails out of the deal too!

Oh... and the customs seat is amazing too. The hump is low enough on it that you can slide back on the seat enough to get a little temporary leg stretch; and it is just a lot more comfortable than either stock seat or the Sportster seat to begin with.

I don't know, nor care that the bike really looks that much better or worse for the addition of these two items; because they make the bike so much more enjoyable to ride. And after all, that is what they're for huh?

The seat is a one-of-a-kind custom built on the one-piece plastic pan from an S40. I grabbed the seat from the "Marketplace" portion of this forum. It looks a lot like the $300+ custom seats that the German outfit sells. Guess I was at the right place at the right time, and didn't hesitate.

Eglidegirl, did you get the Mephis Fats mounting hardware from Memphis, or another supplier? I got a quote from them on mounting hardware that was over $100.

Yeah, ebay is a good place if you are patient.
Yesterday I got a set of 5 (FIVE) replacement helmet visors for less than the price of ONE here at the stealership.

I was only looking for one to replace but the ebay listing was for the lot (in blue, mirror, smoke, yellow and silver), so now I am going to have a different color for every day!  

i hear ya about the aluminum, nice look, but...water spots are a real pain in the arse to get off (we have hard water here out in the stix).   our hd has an aluminum primary cover.  it's got to the point where I refuse to try & shine it up anymore.  too bad they want over $1000 to chrome out the motor.  for a few more bucks we could trade it in for one that's already chromed up!

i'm thinkin i'll go for the dull blurry look myself regardless though.  depend on how much spare time i have..which is almost none!  

Well... They have truly proved themselves now: Both the custom seat from poster "strangeling" and the tkat fork brace. Rode nearly 200 miles last night in the darkness on unfamiliar two lane blacktops. Ran through several construction zones with uneven surfaces which weren't marked as a danger! If not for the fork brace I might have been in trouble a couple of times. Amazing how rigid the long front end is on my 99.

And the seat... Oh my... what a deal! beats the heck out of either stock seat or the Sportster seat by a long shot. Since I was able to slip back on the seat a bit, I did cheat and use the passenger pegs quite a bit. And sometimes I rode froward and put my feet back on the passenger pegs like rear set controls. Then I'd switch up and sit on my bum a while in the conventional cruiser position, with is also more comfortable with this seat. I don't know just how far I can go in a day yet, but so far it is as good as any street bike seat I've ever had. Even my old much loved Yamaha XS series bikes, with the pegs under you made you saddle sore in a bit over 100 miles. If my risers/bars were another 3"-4" I could comfortably lean against the rear sissy bar and steer the bike!  Unfortunately, I don't think my cables and wires are long enough to reach that far!! But there are so many positions that I CAN ride from, that it's gonna take a long time to wear me down I think. Oh, here's a pic of the new stuff mounted on the 99:

I've got a new cat eye taillight and tag assembly picked out to clean up the rear fender, and some new aluminum mini turn signals too, that should help clean the whole look of the bike up some. It has mini-signals on it now, but they're plastic, and one of them is actually melting from the heat of the bulb!

NICE as NICE can BE!!!

S40NewYork wrote on 12/31/69 at 16:00:08:



Oh my, a girl after my own heart!    
If I were not already happily hooked up with a wonderful woman I would be sending you flowers  that I had just won on ebay for 10 cents on the dollar!!  


Ebay is my second home ... well actually, sometimes I feel like it is my primary home, but hey ...........

It was because of ebay that I was able to get started with the carb kits.  My own bike could be called a "Son of ebay"
-sportster mag wheels , 19" & 16" ($65)
-10.5" disc's and calipers front and rear ($20)
-Corbin seat for Honda 500 ($25)
-new outdented gas tank from ebay ($129)
-flat track style bars
-NOS bobber style fiberglass rear fender for '60's model sportster  ($32)
-NOS Ceriani front forks  ( $75 incl shp)
-New Metzler 880 tires  ($135 for both)
- NOS 60's era 6" alum. dogbone risers ($28)
-R wheel pulley ($25)
-NOS dirt track style fork brace ($20)
-new sportster seat ($33) ... resold later
-new forward control set ($150)
-Progressive 418 shocks, almost new, less than 1k miles ($125)
etc etc etc

Those are the items that I can remember of the top of my head.  I too, will wait for months if necessary, to find the item I want and at the price I want. [glow=red,2,300] It is a wonderful place in space. [/glow]