1st things 1st. Hello and thanks for even clicking on this thread. (I'm sure you vets are tired of seeing newbie’s with questions.) I have searched a little and looked around before deciding to post. Never rode a HD, barely even sat on one, however I have a chance to pick on up on a trade I can’t refuse. It’s a 1976 XLCH Sportster 1000 (bored out to a 1100) so there has been recent engine work, new battery, clutch, alternator conv, custom paint is nice though not my style and will be changed eventually (I mean you have to make your bike your own right?) I guess I will get around to the reason to this post. The question is will this bike b/c of the dreaded AMF curse take around the clock maintenance? Anything I should be on the look for? I’m expecting oil leak(s). From glancing around they look like one of the easier bikes to make your own (interchangeable parts and such) So can some one please give the low-down on the famous bicentennial 1976 XLCH

Thanks again

p.s. I am a true newbie even to rodebikes and no info will go unappreciated.

 

Depends on what you are trading.....

 

It's a 30 year old harley that was built in the AMF days. Ya I would expect problems. How much depends on what's been done to it already and how well it was taken care of.

 

my '94 wrangler with 146,000 and a tranny getting ready to go for the bike and an old blazer. The way i see it i cant loose, keep the 4w4 with the blazer and still have wind in my ears with the bike. Im satisfied that the deal is worth it, just wondering what i'm getting into here.

 

Looks very clean and the cat who has it now takes care of his things but in 30k years you never know what other morons have done to it. just didnt know if the AMF years, 1976 in particular, were susceptible to things I might not know about. (i.e 1994 jeep wranglers have a bad habit of having crappy transmissions etc) See, i didnt know that when i bought it 4 year and 3 transmissions ago


thanks for the help, keep it comin'!

 

Hmmmm, this is a good one for skip to answer. He's like the forums guru IMO. [sm=exactly.gif]

 

and where can one find this "skip" fellow?













"skip....... SKIP!! Hey skip! This bonehead new guy wants to ask some stupid questions!"[sm=dontgetit.gif]

 

BTW this came from another forum where i asked the same question

I'm a factory trained mechanic, and even I won't touch an old sporster. The reason? They've been SO cheap that anyone who wanted a Harley could afford one with the XL bikes. Lots of BAD things done to them to keep them running that often leave the bike in terrible condition. Greanted, there are Some out there that have been cared for properly and I wouldn't have an issue with, but those are the VAST minority. You could very easily be taking on a project that costs you thousands and never gets you a reliable bike. Something a seasoned mechanic and HD rider Might take on, but certainly nothing I'd suggest for a new rider.

That said, for the newbie stuff, take a riding course. either the MSF or the HD course ~ there are so many things a person needs to know before riding a motorcycle, and they're not all intuitive. A class designed for teaching complete newbies is the best solution. Then get some gear... personally, I never get on a bike without head to toe coverage (and I'm talking more than fashion leather and jeans here, but slightly less than full on roadrace leathers). With those down, you can easily pick a cheap bike from your perfered style, be it cruisers, standards or sport... with a little looking, you can keep the bike price below $2000 (most of mine are below $1000, but I'm a mechanic).

There are some good threads further on back in this forum covering the same stuff, give them a read and you should be fully caught up on the basic advice. Best of luck with the endevor if you choose to go with that XL....

 

Howdy, don't worry about being a newbie and asking a lot of questions, that's what we are here for. Everybody was a newbie at one time or another. Feel free to ask all that you want, somebody shoud be able to answer your questions. Enjoy the ride

 

hey thanks!!