Go-Anywhere Dirt-Kicking Sportster Has Milwaukee Soul
By Bruce Montcombroux

Dirt-flinging Sporty Custom feels just as good as it sounds.

 

I think these type bikes are gonna be the next craze. Plentiful, cheap, easy to work on and run damn good with a few bucks in the motor. Imagine a little bar hopper you can take off road any time.
seems like a lot of fun to me.

 

Harley "Dirtsters" have had a minor cult following for several years now. I read on ADV bikes about a guy that converted a 2003 sportster to and adventure bike and rode it across Russia. He chose a carburated sportster as adventure bike as parts are plentiful and the technology is fairly simple.

 

I think you get the idea...

 

Those are really nice. I wonder if the swingarms are customs, or pre-mades, that were adapted? The one with the silver tank is perfect. I would probably need a step stool to get on it, but fun once I got there.

 

Here is the entire thread including the build process, why he picked a sportster, and finally the ride. Long read, but interesting. No where to go right now anyway.

Bike Build;
https://advrider.com/f/threads/dicki...garage.516355/

Ride:
https://advrider.com/f/threads/can-a...agadan.681994/

 

Scramblers have been really popular for the last 5 or 6 years. I can't understand why Harley hasn't made a Sportster and Streetrod based scramblers yet. HD is really missing the boat on this one.

 

Vafish
I agree. Even if they had the long term plans to go to the newer water cooled bikes, the scrambler would have been a nice transition to the eventual release of the TransAmerica we keep seeing pics of. Those look like quite a bike, but honestly, for me to ever consider one, the maintenance would have to be no more than the sporty. Otherwise, I would look at a KTM. A proven design, and performer. Price I bet will be similar.

To me though, the term scrambler, MEANS retro, so that means a Sportster (I know never made one, but still) or Triumph, or Honda and not the newer "adventure" bikes. Those are more of a "touring scrambler" to me. Designed for folks that want to cross the country, or more. Scramblers are for someone that wants to go from point A to point B and if a dirt field, or dirt road happens to be in that line, then so be it.

When I lived in the SoCal area, I used to use motorcycles to ride the dirt roads in the Angeles Nat Forest. Those are perfect for scramblers. Mine were most often street bikes but the limited suspension and street tires were the biggest limit. Dirt bikes today, turn me off with their 37" seat heights for 9" of travel, and a seat that is more like thong underwear, than a seat.

 

The ones pictured in Ricks Ultra's post are more dual sport than scrambler, but I like them just as much.