Hey guys

I am new to the forum and new to harley's. I bought a very much neglected 2017 sportster iron 883 a few days ago and am slowly undoing all the damage from the abusive previous owner. It seems that the previous owner had a propensity for drilling random holes, putting on random parts and using random bolts in place of original ones. One of his greatest sins was painting over the nice factory paint with a black rattle can, with horrible drips and orange skin; but hey, what can you expect for $3000.

I do need help however with figuring out how the front brake line should run. The way it sits now, it is contacting the fork when I tried to rotate the forward controls to make the turn signals to make them level with the headlight. When I got the bike, the R forward controls were rotated up 45 degrees and the L forward controls were rotated up 30 degrees. Like I said this is my first harley so I'm not sure how its supposed to look. I will attach pictures of my current situation. There also seems to be a gap between the throttle grip and the R forward control that I cant figure out how to get rid of.

So I turn to the Harley experts on this forum to guide me so I can make this bike at least halfway decent.

 

Try dropping the fork tubes back down into the triple tree. Looks like they were slid up to lower the front.
It also looks like some pretty narrow handlebars were put on, thats not helping your problem either.

 

There are outside screws that you need to loosen to move the control closer to the grips. I believe it's a star key one is on top the other is underneath it. The spot that you are holding on the brake line attaches under the lower triple tree, there is a hole dead center for a screw.
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Welcome to the Forum and Congrats on your first Harley.

For a '17 the bike looks like it's been put thru the wringer...guess the salt air is a factor too.

Like has been said, the forks were moved up in the trees and can easily be moved back down so the top of the forks are even/flush with the top of the top tree. There are pinch bolts on either side of the trees.

Have fun with your new ride!!!

 

You should read the VIN number on the frame.

 

That is one sorry looking Sportster for sure.

I hope you get it sorted.

I noticed in one picture a lead that is twisted many times. That is not correct. If you can disconnect it, it wants all the twists taking out of it.

 

Mahalo for the replies guys. Yes this bike has definitely been through the ringer... It somehow looks older than my last bike, which was a 1997 vulcan 1500 that I had for ten years. I really wish I could meet the previous owner and just ask them why. I just took off the highway bars which were held on solely by chicken wire... I **** you not. I already had to get some new slip ons because the previous owner decided it was too quiet but didn't wanna spend money so they just took the stock slip ons off and just left the headpipes. It also seems they painted every bolt on the bike they could find with red nail polish, and only about 75% of that ended up on the bolts while the rest they missed and over painted.

Now that you mention it, I see how the forks were slid down. Ill move them back up after work today; That'll be nice since I'm 6'2 and a little big for this bike.

Also, is there a good online source for used parts? I would like to get things close to stock without buying all new parts

 

Thats one of the first things I did, frame VIN matches title and matches motor luckily

 

Would I need to use a jack to do this?

 

Is it stolen? why would someone paint a two year old bike with rattle cans?