It's great fun to blow a pile of dough irresponsibly.

Love the one you're with.

 

So I've been told. I've heard Ironheads, Shovelheads and Knuckleheads with idles as low as 600 rpm. You really hear that loping sound at that idle. You can't do that with the current crop. Although I have a buddy with an EG Evo hack with a sub 750 rpm idle.

 

I've always kept my idle as low as it will run.
After 86,000 miles, motor hasn't needed work.

 

I'm late to the ball here, but I'd pass on the '79 solely because it's a '79. They are a bastard year for Sportys. You're going to have a hard time finding parts. A lot of the stuff is a "one year only" deal for them. You'd be better off finding an earlier or later Ironhead.

 

if you have to ask then an iron head is not for you.

 

Ain't that the truth.

Had to convince a new-to-bikes friend not to buy one as a second bike (he really can't work on his new one even). I was finally able to convince him after telling him it's about 3x as much work as I do on my second bike, an '86 Kawasaki 454 LTD I picked up for $390...

I'm still working on that Kawasaki, two years later.

 

Here's the bike if that helps:

 

I'm not sure if that's it or not. I've wanted an Ironhead or Shovelhead for years. I just never did it. I'd plan on doing my own work.

That said, I also want to (eventually) get my 883 finished to exactly where I want it. Unfortunately I just don't have the funds to do everything.

 

Your pics are the deciding factor. If I were buying that bike, I can see it with a solo seat, forward controls and WWW's, but that's just me. And no Harley says potato, potato, potato like an Ironhead. I'm really impressed that you ride as much as you do on your part of the U.S.A.

 

Well, more power to you to if you want to do it. I guess a lot of us like madnss and me see people get way in over their heads.

I can say, expect to drop double the asking price over the next year or so just on fixes. That goes for anything historical (25+ years old).

Edit: Just noticed from the pics, but are you sure that is a '79 Ironhead?? It doesn't have the curved fender struts or the oddly place rear master cylinder. Those parts can definitely be changed (to make things a lot easier). It's just atypical for that.