I own a 73 Sportster and have had it all but for a brief time when it was taken from me but then returned. All told it has almost 17,000 miles on it. I have done my best to take care of it by keeping valves adjusted, clutch adjusted rear and primary chains in spec, etc. and (no racing, burning out in the 'pit', forgetting to change the oil, etc.) but in the end it IS 37 years old. I am debating whether to put a few more $$'s into it for minor 'stuff', sell it and buy a new bike or keep it for short rides and buy a newer bike for long runs and daily rides (wife DEFINITELY NOT happy with that one) so my questions to you learned bike guru's are these: (1) if I wanted to take a ride (poker run, etc.) which would be several hours long and at highway/interstate speeds of 70 or so will the engine still be capable of handling it (I am thinking metal fatigue, etc.) or would it be too much for it? (2) other than the oil seal behind the points/centrifugal advance mechanism no others have been replaced. I don't see any leaks but should they be replaced or let sleeping dogs lie? (3) can an older bike still be reliable (jump on start and go) assuming maintenance is still performed? (4) at what point are parts going to become an issue (I know cables and other type is now Chinese made and crap.. what next??)? Sorry for the long post but I knew if anyone would be able to provide an honest and unbiased answer about these motorcycles it would be you. THANKS for any input provided.. happy riding..

 

So far,every part for the IronHead is available except for the engine cases!
So,I ride the heck out of mine..keeping good oil,plugs tires and brakes.But,to be safe with the cases,I bock off the speedo drives,and use primary belts rather than chains.
Freeway speeds use a 23T front drive sprocket.(51 rear) My 2 cents

 

The big problem with selling the machine is that it is 37 years old and $$$ wise it will not bring you much, compared to what it may be worth (to you) to keep.

If it were me, and I had the funds to do it,I would buy a more up to date bike to ride but keep the Sporty.

As we all know, they do not make an ironhead anymore and it has been more that 2 decades since they made the last one.
In another 10 short years your bike will celebrate 47 years of existence. add another 3 years to that and you could be riding a 50 year old bike. That would be cool!
Same difference as riding a 1960 model today. Like a 1960 model today, there will not be any large numbers of 1973 on the road then.
Most of them will be chopped up and destroyed.

I have a 1971 XLCH that I bought in 1973 and it runs perfectly today. I bought myself a 2003 Dyna several years ago and kept the Sportster.
I can get a Dyna anytime.
A Sportster is much harder to find. That's my 2¢.

And oh yeah, the little lady can be dealt with, but you just have to finesse your way through that one. Keep those 's going!
pg

 

I have a 1977 Ironhead that is a daily rider and i beat the crap out of it. I run a 22 front sprocket and at 80-85 mph it runs at around 4000 rpm. I ride it 90-100 miles per day and they are all hard miles and I'm still able to jump on it and run from one coast of Florida to the other on the drop of a hat with no problems.

 

I ride my 78 daily weather providing ! Have done several runs and like a lot of people I beat the crap out of it !! I love my old ironhead. Someday I will get something to ride to work everyday so I can carry my gear. during the summer I ride everyday after work and on weekends. That old chopped up bike still brings so many looks even parked to high dollar bikes.

 

I put almost 15000 miles a year on mine.

 

(1) if I wanted to take a ride (poker run, etc.) which would be several hours long and at highway/interstate speeds of 70 or so will the engine still be capable of handling it (I am thinking metal fatigue, etc.) or would it be too much for it?

1. I changed the front drive sprocket to a higher toothed sprocket and for my 1977 1000 cc Ironhead Sportster, at about 80 MPH or so, the motor is turning at about 4,000 RPM or so and I can run like that for HOURS at a time with no problems. I only have just over 31,000 miles on my bike and I have no problems going on runs of all types. Laughlin, NV is about 350 miles from where I live in Redondo Beach, CA and I have been going on the Laughlin River Run since the very first run back in 1982 when I first bought my bike and for the next 14 years in a row and it is not a problem for the bike going through the hot desert for 7 hours or more. I went to the first few Street Vibrations runs that are up in Reno, NV and that is about 500 miles away from Redondo Beach, CA. No problems. I get a big kick when I pull up on the old Ironhead and people on much newer bikes just start staring at my bike. Sportsters are like hammers! They are hard to brake. You should be fine on your bike. I don’t think of metal fatigue as a factor when evaluating problem areas.

(2) other than the oil seal behind the points/centrifugal advance mechanism no others have been replaced. I don't see any leaks but should they be replaced or let sleeping dogs lie?

2. I let sleeping dogs lie. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. When I see a leak then I fix the leak, but that’s just me.

(3) can an older bike still be reliable (jump on start and go) assuming maintenance is still performed?

3. Mine has really never let me down and for that reason I still have confidence in it that it will get me to where I am trying to go.

(4) at what point are parts going to become an issue (I know cables and other type is now Chinese made and crap.. what next??)?

4. Sportsters have been around for a while and there are aftermarket vendors that will still supply parts for them. I get my cables from Barnett so the quality is as good, if not better, than the OEM cable. You should be able to keep that bike running for as long as you want to ride it.

As for the wife, only you really know her and if she would be able to let you keep the Sportster that is already bought and paid for and that is not really costing you very much money to keep around and if you can afford to buy a newer model that would give you peace of mind in it’s assumed reliability factor. After all, a new bike could just as well be a lemon too! Personally, I would rather have a second bike, a just in case bike, if I could afford to have it. That way, I am not without a motorcycle to ride when the other one needs maintenance or needs an upgrade or something, but that’s just me. I live in sunny Southern California and I really ride all year long, so for me a second bike is kind of a no-brainer. I actually just turned over 50,000 miles on my other commuter bike, a 1999 XL883. Do what is best for you and your family and ride safe out there!

 

(1) if I wanted to take a ride (poker run, etc.) which would be several hours long and at highway/interstate speeds of 70 or so will the engine still be capable of handling it (I am thinking metal fatigue, etc.) or would it be too much for it?

I generally run at about 60 or so on mine but then I have the stock gearing. I think that the only way you will really know what is too much for it is when it blows up, then you will know. In my case, I will be worn out long before the bike. Several hours on it and my back blows up.

(2) other than the oil seal behind the points/centrifugal advance mechanism no others have been replaced. I don't see any leaks but should they be replaced or let sleeping dogs lie?

Easy one here. Treat the other seals like a sore pecker.

(3) can an older bike still be reliable (jump on start and go) assuming maintenance is still performed?

Kinda tough to predict what is going to go wrong. Ironheads are getting pretty old and you never know what is going to break, with me it's always something stupid that doesn't get regular maintenance, like the stupid start button.

(4) at what point are parts going to become an issue (I know cables and other type is now Chinese made and crap.. what next??)?

I'd say it will be awhile before parts become scarce. You can still buy quality cables from Barnett.

I ride my ironhead on the weekends doing day trips here and there. Any marathon stuff and I reach for the Road King. I would keep the ironhead and get a second bike. As for the wife: "It's easier to ask for forgiveness than it is to ask for permission". She'll get over it, esp. if you get something that has a comfy passenger seat and backrest. Mine did.

 

Heck ya,When I first started all my Harleys were old.Back then never feared of breakdowns because was able to take care of most anything on the road.Long hauls on a Sportster for me would be a tough one.Nothing like settling into a big inch cruiser and racking up the miles. Good Luck with your choice,keep the lady happy if you can.

 

I have a '77 with 53k miles on it. I put 42k of them on it. I can ride it anywhere, anytime, with no worries....Back when I rode it alot on the interstate, I ran a 22T front sprocket.