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Building a bobber from a Sporty. ok...discuss

Butch

Butch

Active Member
For a winter project I'm thinking of getting an old sporty and building a bobber (similar to the pic). Want to use a sporty because they're fairly cheap, don't take up a lot of space (small garage), and the wife says "you need something for yourself to tool around on." :D (god I love that woman!).

Thinking 86-ish evo, heard to many complaints about the older ironhead sportsters, unless they're pre AMF era (then why would I want to bob it)

Anybody done it? Advice you can pass on? Pit falls or do overs you may have. Anything.
 

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just getting parts together for winter work on my 70 iron head. found a tank and oil tank. now im looking for the right fender. good thing about the old sportsters is it doesnt hurt so much to chop and weld. now i gotta find the time to get some work done.
 
nuthing wrong with ironheads if there tuned right my bro has a 74 thats starts first or second kick in the winter he talked about selling it awhile back ( too many bikes ) if theres such a thing so we made a deal he keeps it in my shop with a understanding I have dibbs on it he is building one for his wife as we speak so much for too many huh anyway I think he is close to selling it to me when he does it will be a bobber probably flat black

Hey Hobbit cool bikes while they all look cool I like the orange one with the chrome fender cant get more retro than that
 
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Sounds like a good winter project but id look for a slightly later sportster one with a cv carb and preferably 5 speed 91-on for a 1200 or 93-on for an 883
although 94 was a big revision of the sportster with most early evo problems sorted out

Brian
 
Bobber out of a Sportster? Go for it. They look cool if done up nice.

My first Harley was a '58 H model Sportster. I rode that thing back and forth while I was in the service. I bought it well used. I didn't realize it, but from all the things that fell off of that thing in all the years it was sort of a bobber or maybe even a rat bike :D

I went over to the local Harley dealer this week to buy some parts. Out front they had the new Sportster, I forgot the designation, but it has upswept pipes and all. I normally pass right by Sporties, but the inverted forks caught my eye. They looked great and the tubes were painted vivid black to boot. They almost looked to be a large as my forks (49mm) and it got me to thinking. Nawww, I better not. :s
 
I have one about half done would have finished it but got redployed with little notice so is waiting till i get back inb the states again. I started with a 97 sporty and am tuning it into a mid to late 60's style chapper. used a 4" extended hardtail from bitterend , king and queen from drag specialties, upswept fishtails from paugho, some used and vintage pats i found in the shop and at swap meets, 8 over DNA spriger, removable fender tabs. 6" flat fender, and 38" Bar, 4" old style FL risers and 14" apes. The biggest tip I can give you is plan out exactly where you are trying to go before starting and reseach the parts you are going to use and be sure they will work in conjunction with one another. Rolling chasis ae ok and do a lot if the work for you but I prefer taking a torch, grinders and a welder and doing it myself that way no matter how close it will look to something else it will always be an individual as i did it myself. most rollers will run between 2500 and 4000 while doing it yourself mine will be complete for 1800 in parts and some work.... oh the reason it is so cheap is it painter with rust-o-leum hey it's a chopper not a show bike lol it's supposed to look like a rat...
 
i think you can do this project fairly cheap buy a mechanically sound running sportster.then get a weld on hard tail kit.take the front fender off....14inch ape hangers
up swept pipes bame you got a bobber!
 
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