Have a 1971 Harley-Davidson Sportster 900 Kick Start XLCH900 I just got out of storage from 1975. Runs great - 3500 miles - but would like to convert to electric start as the current kick start housing is cracked and am sure all gears, kick starter, etc are all jacked up.

Please lead me upon the path to the dark side - randy_scott91@hotmail.com



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Even if the kicker is totally trashed, you can rebuild it for a lot less money and effort than switching to electric start. Besides, early electric start XL's were notoriously unreliable.

 

Welcome and good luck.

 

You can get an idea of the parts required by checking an on-line parts website where you can compare the two versions of that engine. At this distance in time from when your bike was made you would probably be better off looking for an electric start bike and selling your current one.

 

Sprocket and cam cover with the notch, starter, solenoid, relay, redo some wiring, battery cables, diff. battery, hump back plate for primary, clutch basket with ring gear if yours is not already, and I'm sure I'm missing a few in betweens.

 

Oh no..there are many more that want your's rather then the electric on the older bikes. Fix the kick and then if you must do the electric..You are getting ready to paint the antique that later someone on the RoadShow is going to say if you had not done it, it would be worth so much more...
And welcome from Hampton Roads Virginia

 

If you have the broken piece, try to find a good welder who can weld aluminum. The sprocket cover on my 76 XLCH had been cracked and welded, sometime before I bought it and it helped up nicely for the eighteen years I owned it.

Like other have said, it's a lot of work and parts to convert it and it may hurt the value of the bike.

 

Howzit and Welcome from Houston and a Displaced Cut N Shoot Texan

Haole

 

Yep .... Oil Tank .... On and on and on

 

Don't do it. For 10 years I had a 73 XLCH, still have Sportster Knee to prove it. I learned to just keep it tuned properly. They can be rough when cold but if you live on a hill it helps.

When I owned mine I ran into a guy that converted his kicker to the electric leg. He said it wasn't worth the cost or the effort. He said he wished he would of just sold it and then bought an electric start. Bike was problematic after the transformation and it lost value.