-Ironhead Sportsters
#41
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: Up your block and down your alley
Posts: 4,428
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Nothing wrong with Ironheads if they're "right" and taken care of. Problem is, most of the older ones have been used and abused for years and have excessive wear throughout because of it. I've owned this one for 19 years and put over 40,000 miles on it. It needs periodic oil changes, rear chain adjustment, and pushrod adjustment...that's about it.
I don't think twice about hopping on it and heading out by myself for a 200 mile ride with no tools - it's that reliable. Not leaking oil all over the place, either. Nothing wrong with Evo's, either, and you can wring more power out of one than you can an Ironhead. Here's my '83 XLX:
I don't think twice about hopping on it and heading out by myself for a 200 mile ride with no tools - it's that reliable. Not leaking oil all over the place, either. Nothing wrong with Evo's, either, and you can wring more power out of one than you can an Ironhead. Here's my '83 XLX:
#45
The Ironhead sportster set the bar for harley for performance and most of all...the look. Inspiring the super glide and all the other customs afterwards, that lean performance look set the ironhead apart from the crowd. They were the racer,the hot rod of harley davidson and if you knew how to work on ione you could beat most of the street machines of the day. The 750 was based on the ironhead and the race bike helped improve the oiling systems and engine longevity, plus it won races,Flat track championships were everpresent in the 70's and eighties with a fifties design engine,quite a feat and if you throw cams and a big SS on the iron motor ,90 horsepower is still easily possible.pistons and headwork makes over 100. Good street power with plenty of torque. Its a classic and the motors need a modern sealant to keep them dry after they've been gone through but most of all the bikes need a knowledgable mechanic doing the repair.It ain't a jap parts replacement type rebuild, you need an engine fitter to get things right and working smoothly together. Its the difference between an L-88 67 corvette and a C-6 Z06 ,Ones a performance classic and the other is a sophisticated modern technical wonder. I'm for originality,which is the basis of character.
#46
there are some beautiful bikes in this thread. thank you for sharing the photos.
i'm looking at a 74- first link, and also a second 74- second link. don't want to spend more than 2500 - 3000 $. posted an intro earlier, and i do some wrenching, but will need to take someone with me to go over any bike i'm thinking about to check it more thoroughly than i would be able to do as a fairly new wrench, and would-be first time harley rider.
here is the 1974 photo-
http://orlando.craigslist.org/mcd/3750980865.html
second bike-
http://daytona.craigslist.org/mcy/3687917372.html
i'm looking at a 74- first link, and also a second 74- second link. don't want to spend more than 2500 - 3000 $. posted an intro earlier, and i do some wrenching, but will need to take someone with me to go over any bike i'm thinking about to check it more thoroughly than i would be able to do as a fairly new wrench, and would-be first time harley rider.
here is the 1974 photo-
http://orlando.craigslist.org/mcd/3750980865.html
second bike-
http://daytona.craigslist.org/mcy/3687917372.html
#49