I actually ride all year. 300+ days. I still have nights to tinker though. LoL

 

Much as I tried over the years to love iron-heads enough to buy one, I just never could! So my money is on the 1250 kit, but then it is much easier to help other people to spend their money.....

 

'79.'80 &'81 were all "bastard" years where they seem to have built the bikes with whatever they had on the shelf. Be careful when buying stuff for them.

 

Doesn't an Evo sound the same if intake & exhaust are equivalent?

 

You'll love the Ironhead for bar hopping and around town "whooping it up". I have a '77 XLCH plus my 2005 Roadster. The Roadster is my reliable ride, the XLCH is for pure fun - I love 'em both, plus, if one is down the other picks up the slack. Get the Ironhead! :-)

 

I had a 79 Ironhead for years. Love/Hate relationship. 79 is a strange transition year that sometimes parts from only a 79 fit. Exhaust and certian rear brake parts come to mind. I did a lot of wrenching on that bike but on the upside I rode it all over the country, 2up most of the time. SO if you like the older bike and don't mind wrenching it has a cool factor. Apples to sotra Apples, I like my wife's 07 1200 Sporty better.

 

I've had carbed Evo Sportsters and have heard quite a few Ironheads in my day and I can tell you from my ears they sound different. Just as the Shovelheads and Evo BT bikes sound different.

 

I totally agree, there is a definite difference in sound. The Ironhead is more raw and "old-school" sounding. When my '77 is at idle I can close my eyes and see all the way back to the late 1950's, no-can-do with the EVO.

 

Worse yet are the current EFI Sportys and the Twin Cam BT bikes. I had 2 Sportsters with a carburetor and if you adjust the idle low enough you'll sort of get close to an Ironhead. Not really but it sounds a hell of a lot closer than the EFI bikes do. Especially at these high EFI idle speeds.

 

The EFI's are set high not because they need to be for the sake of the EFI running properly, but to protect the lower ends from damage due to too low of an idle. Shovelhead flywheels look monstrous compared to the newer bikes and had the inertia to afford a slow idle. TC's ( and maybe Sportsters?) can't afford a low idle.