1973 ironhead 1000. "the dark side" dead tail

Hurco550

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Welp, until yesterday ive never owned a Harley. Dad never owned a Harley. Grandpa never owned a Harley. We have always had jap bikes, even some of the newer retro styled cruisers. I have always kinda wanted a hardtail and when this CL ad came up, it was to good of a deal to pass up. Swapped the guy some cash for the bike and the title. I don't know how important it is, but the engine and frame are matching numbers. I don't know if that even means anything being as the frame has been cut and hardtailed.

The good.
1.) Its a Harley with a title
2.)The engine was supposedly rebuilt with:
Sifton cams and bearings
.020" over with weisco 10:1 pistons
valves ground and reseated and all new gaskets, besides the primary cover, which leaks (imagine that)
3.) It was Cheap
4.) I live in Mid Ohio, the roads are straight. The only turns to be made are from one straight road to another.

The bad.
1.) Its a Harley ;)
2.) It needs odds and ends like the right size chain, brake light, seat, ect
3.) I am running out of room to turn around in my garage.

Plan for it is to fix it enough to "own a Harley" for a minute and hopefully sell mid spring/early summer for a profit, or trade it for the next thing. I am going to search out a stock length disc brake front end to get rid of that "lean back" look and get the frame a bit more level. Also, juice brakes are good. Losing the 5 foot tall sissy bar too.

If I had to label a look im going for, it will be closer to a bobber than this which I consider a chopper.

Disclamer: I know that hard tails work less well than stock bike. I know that form follows function, but this is a bobber to be, so your point is invalid here. This is not nor will it be a well handling machine as compared to other bikes, but a round town, stop and talk about it bike. I will take constructive criticism, but any remarks about your opinion on hardtails in general being sub-par or non café bikes will be met with this "disclaimer" copy and pasted as a reply.
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Re: 1973 ironhead 1000. "the dark side" dead tail

Cool


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I'm in. Stock height front end, ditch silly bars/sissy bars/silly tank and double your money in one fell swoop.
 
Erskine said:
I'm in. Stock height front end, ditch silly bars/sissy bars/silly tank and double your money in one fell swoop.

you pretty much got my exact plan... besides the tank, I kinda like it a bit for some reason... bars are gone too, cant see in the pic but they are only like a foot and a half wide maybe. I don't see how you can even steer that thing down the road with those bars..
 
I suppose if push comes to shove you could simply shorten those forks and spend the budget elsewhere .
 
Okay... now were cookin, The tank needs to go back to where ever came from, I thing the CB forks fit with all balls same as my BSA has, get a long tank and make it dead tail cruiser, ride it for grins then decide.


I know that hard tails work less well than stock bike. I know that form follows function, but this is a bobber to be, so your point is invalid here. This is not nor will it be a well handling machine as compared to other bikes, but a round town, stop and talk about it bike. I will take constructive criticism, but any remarks about your opinion on hardtails in general being sub-par or non café bikes will be met with this "disclaimer" copy and pasted as a reply.
 
Re: 1973 ironhead 1000. "the dark side" dead tail

Tune-A-Fish said:
Okay... now were cookin, The tank needs to go back to where ever came from, I thing the CB forks fit with all balls same as my BSA has, get a long tank and make it dead tail cruiser, ride it for grins then decide.
Yep, that's what I'm thinking already. I have a rebuilt set of cb forks sitting here that I keep starting at. I'll probably call all balls Monday.
 
I have drag bars I won at last year's Meltdown. I will never use those kind of handlebars. Yours if you want.
 
Re: 1973 ironhead 1000. "the dark side" dead tail

deviant said:
I have drag bars I won at last year's Meltdown. I will never use those kind of handlebars. Yours if you want.
Awesome! I'd be interested for sure! Are they 1"?
 
Re: 1973 ironhead 1000. "the dark side" dead tail

Pretty sure they're 7/8"


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Re: 1973 ironhead 1000. "the dark side" dead tail

All kinda rough and temporary for now, but I busted out the grinder and removed about 10lbs of sissy bar. It was 1/2" solid round, not tube. Also rigged up some Honda bar risers to get rid of those hideous bars on it before. I see some hope. I just can't wait to get that front end down a bit. I think that will help a bunch. I'm planning on trying to figure out how to get my cb front end mounted on soon.
d817bb7a8f0d5278b05fa06873b63c98.jpg
 
Looks better already. For all the guff i give about harleys I have ridden several and do know what they're all about. That ones gonna be a trip to ride and with your skills I am looking forward to the final product. Shit you might even get hooked on em. The money is better as far as flipping, as long as you wait for a deal like the one you got.

P.S. with a twin shock swingarm and the right frontend that could be a pretty damn good handling bike. Just sayin.

P.P.S., i see some indian larry influence...never a bad route for a stripped down ironhead. Except, I'd keep the front brake.
 
Re: 1973 ironhead 1000. "the dark side" dead tail

Yep, growing up watching biker build offs with Indian Larry (who usually built Harleys). I can dig em.

More than likely getting a cb front end/disc.

Justin, you got an extra?
 
Your sawzall is getting a workout already! There's a set of drag bars out in the shop w/ your name on 'em... no postage that way. Looks good and has lots of potential.
 
Unfortunately, I do not. They are readily available and on the cheap from eBay. I used one on a 360 chopper a handful of years ago.

A terrible pic, but it gives you an idea of the shape
 
Re: 1973 ironhead 1000. "the dark side" dead tail

Nice Justin. I can dig the "wrap around" look
 
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