can anyone tell me where i can buy a bolt on hardtail for a 1981 sporty xlh?any help and suggestions would be greatly appreciated.thanks in advance

 

i saw a couple on ebay

 

The 79 to 81 Sportsters share the cafe racer frame. You do have to ensure that the hardtail that you choose matches this frame. I do not know which brands myself. The ones i have heard of recently are Paughco and HIH - Hammer In Hand. If you do not get an answer here you could try a Google search of these two and go from there.

 

have you thought of doing a hard tail frame? i have seen a few pop up for sale, i myself had a paughco for years, the bolt on hard tails to me just dont look right, i would feel better with a weld on ( but then you ruin a original frame)

 

there are a few on ebay for your 81

 

thanks for the info.i guess this would be a matter of opinion,but is it wise to cut up an original frame?that was my reason for the bolt on,but i was considering going with a different frame altogether.once again,any opinions are greatly appreciated.

 

I do not have any direct experience, just what i have learned from these forums over the years. Generally, guys do not like the look of the bolt-ons, frown seriously at cutting up an original frame, and much prefer an aftermarket hardtail frame. You can find many more experienced opinions at other forums like jockeyjournal.com, XLForum.net, etc.

 

my original frame had a weld on and yes it looked like ****, got a paugcho and after straightening it it was fine, try another brand though

 

I stuck with the bolt on hardtail option. The Hammer in Hand Straight Back is a fine piece of work in itself. I think I paid like 220 for it also...which is a really good deal considering how well made it is.

I thought about a frame also, but ended up keeping the frame I have and I'm glad I did it. Just didn't want to spend the cash to buy another frame, and I have something that looks just as well in my opinion.

 

I second what IHone says. I have the HIH. Didnt want to spend the money on a new frame and thanks to the guys on here I didnt want to chop up yet another original frame. The lines of the HIH stay very nice unlike most other bolt ons.