We're pleased to announce that we'll be running an FXDF throughout the summer of 2010, which is great news for us, but also for anyone considering the potential within their 96-inch Twin Cam, and their FX Dyna in particular.View Blog

The benefits compared to a regular two-week slot is that we will be able to follow the bike's evolvution over the summer, and rather than being restricted to a near stock bike in a world where owner modifications are prevalent, Chester Harley-Davidson have been charged with reshaping it month-on-month along sensible themes set our by our old friend, Allan Brownridge at Harley-Davidson UK.

Having put a few miles on the motor at the end of March, April will see some simple personalising touches that typically accompany a bike off the showroom floor, before we explore the touring potential of the bike with a wealth of QD accessories in May and proving that potential with a lot more miles. Come July, it will be back in the shop for the 1690ci / 103ci upgrade and some performance accessories, and again in August from a serious make-over with a radical paint kit, and finally in September to prepare it for the long dark nights again, with some serious attention paid to the lighting.

Yes, I am underplaying it at this stage, but then the art of blogging is keeping it short and simple: there'll be plenty of time to get massively enthusiastic once the process begins, and we're going to be giving this, and its as-yet unconfirmed running-mate, plenty of frequent coverage here – it's one of the reasons we set it up – and in the magazine.

I thought it would be simple, but it’s not. It’s not that dealers haven’t been helpful and it’s not that there’s a lack of information out there – they have and there’s plenty.

The problem is that it’s all qualitative and I want it to be quantitative. I want to know what I’ll be paying for. One exception is Thames Valley HD. I’m very impressed with them although they are talking about a 96 and not my 88. They have a quantifiable product that I can get my head around – check out their web site.

So, what have I found out? Well, for those on a smaller budget, stick a flatslide carb on, with a high flow filter, ignition module, slip-on exhausts, SE-203 cams and adjustable pushrods for around £1,500. On paper, probably the best bang-for-buck option.

I thought going from 1450 to 1550 – without doing much else - would increase torque. Well it doesn’t much, because it’s still a short-stroke motor. This pushes you towards focussing on power improvements, so add some rather exciting SE heads and hot cams and you’ll get a lot more power for about £2,500 all in. Spend 50% more and increase the stroke by going to 1690cc and you suddenly get a lot more torque as well.

Do I want power (big bore, heads and cams) or do I want torque (stoker) – or both (all the above)? I dunno, I just want to have a bigger grin when I’m riding what is now an 8-year old bike.

And I think that my bike’s already torquey. What effect would a lot more have? Would it change my life? And is it worth paying about £4,000 for? Go for power then. So would 100bhp+ turn my bike into an animal – probably not. Bugger, I think I need everything from the SE catalogue and I can’t afford that.

I need to try some bikes…

Many thanks to: Karl, Ian & Paul, Elliott and Fraser

We're a couple of final conformations away - hopefully by the end of next week - from revealing the long term testbikes we'll be running in 2010, which were instrumental in our setting this blog up.

If you think our normal roadtests are in-depth, they'll pale into insignificance compared to these two, although our unfolding experiences will be in bite sized chunks for easier access. Both bikes are awaiting the new plate in March, and will sneak into AmV40, but then you can follow them here on an almost daily basis ... and no, you can't borrow them when the regular roadtests come in.

At least one of them will be evolving over the summer, which will just about write its own story, while the second will be a common sight on British roads throughout the season, because we're going to ride the wheels off it.

As the Vegas comes down for paint. I'm thinking harder about what it will ultimately become, and a chat with CJ Hanlon at Guilty Customs reminded me that I was going to look at the possibility of fitting the sprung seat he let us play with, which works well with the style I was considering.

A quick glance shows it could work, with a much bigger seat pan than the bobber one we used in the tech feature in AmV33, although that has given me something solid to start from, and the base for a bit of paper cut to the right shape and size that dovetails into the stock stretched Victory tank.

I've settled for a laid back shock mounted on the stock seat mount on the frame, but possibly dropped by 10-15mm, tucking the bolts beneath the sidecovers. Another piece of cardboard has provided the base shape for a frame cover that extends a little wider to meet the side panels for a good fit and some of the trick is going be to make that unobtrusive. There's the issue of what to do about the flat front of the rear mudguard that the original seat butts up against, but in the metal, that seems to tie in nicely with the flat back of the seat as though it is intended to provide clearance for it.

This is starting to get more radical by the day, but it will also make it more distinctive.