bobber project?

[bluayeddvl]

hey all, i know some of you out there are savvy with harleys (yes JRK5892, i'm pointing my finger at you)...me, not so much. BUT, i have a line on a bike that's 98% complete (parts-wise) and am wondering what special things i should be looking at to get the best deal. you know, 'hey that part is no good anymore', 'ya, that will need a rebuild', 'those will need to be replaced', 'that's not for this bike'...that kinda stuff.

literally, this bike is in boxes & bins. everything is torn down. but according to the current owner (a widow) her late husband had been getting ready to start the build, minus front & rear wheels.

so.. the skinny on this is, it's a 1976 XL series. from what i can tell thats a 4-speed 1000cc ironhead w/left side shift and kick & electric start. beyond that i know nothing. but am very willing to learn. i've done a bit of looking at bobbers etc for this range of bike and there are some decent ones that are similar to what plans i have (for the right candidate bike of course). one site in particular is http://www.ironhead-bobbers.com/ . apparently there are great possibilities for this engine and i think it'll be fun to try something new.

i know, i know. it's not a cafe. but i think the honda & norton & the lambrettas need a roommate in the garage for this winter. someone they can tease the piss out of . ha... is that a harley. well actually...

 

[JRK5892]

alot of diff things to look at mainly the carb... is it a CV... kelin or mukumi... etc... i have a buddy with a 71 shovel that he built... awesoem bike! kick and all, runs like a top...so i will run that past him as well... as far as what to look for, building bike you want to look at the heart first, make sure the motor has compression. you can tell if it was opened up before by looking at the bolts on the heads... often times that will often tell you what kind of a mechanic did the work as well (if they are rounded out or stripped it was done by someone who did not have the right tools and in most cases by someone that did not knwo what they where doing) it is chain driven? (should be) check the sprocket teeth to tell you how the bike was rode, bent or wore down teeth will tell you this... does that include the frame? what kind... are the motor mounts welded on already?... if it is aftermarket who made it... home built how are the welds and the tubes done, check for supports on any home made frames and check to see how the lines are... check the coils to see what kind of shape they are in... nice part about this style bike is it is alot like you are used to workng on as far as the ignition and electrical... just the motor is a bit diff (easier if you ask me) should have a drum in back and disk in front... most likely still has the push pull throttle... drags (cause that is what everyone did then) you can use lolly pops to tune it in (deal with that later) if the tank is there... look in there... but ironheads are pretty much what you see is what you get...post a few pics when you go check out the parts and we can go from there... NICE FIND! how much they asking and what all you get? look at the primary seal as well for fluid leaks... i would also open the inspection cover and look around in there for metal shavings...

 

[bluayeddvl]

some pics...as posted in the ad

i'm trading email with her and hope to see it later this week, or monday afternoon since it's a long wknd. will take more pics at that time.

thanks much for the info. gives a bit of insight for this type of bike.

more details to come.

 

[JRK5892]

ahhh... the jugs are apart... why, typically they only do this to replace the rings (burned the old ones), block is frozen, and of course the big bore, frame looks new... looks like the jugs are added to that block, if you look the weather is not the same on them, unless he cleaned up the bottom and not the top... wow that thing is in a buch of parts

 

[bluayeddvl]

i haven't a clue. i will be inspecting and asking lots of questions when i see it.
just to guess quickly tho, maybe he bought it this way after the previous owner forgot how to put it all back together cuz it sat so long in his kitchen, or maybe he pulled the crank to check/replace bearings or put new pistons & rings, etc?
either way, it's a project in the true sense of the word. but hey, it doesn't look as ratty as Noel's norton tho. HA.

 

[hotsos]

i haven't a clue. i will be inspecting and asking lots of questions when i see it.
just to guess quickly tho, maybe he bought it this way after the previous owner forgot how to put it all back together cuz it sat so long in his kitchen, or maybe he pulled the crank to check/replace bearings or put new pistons & rings, etc?
either way, it's a project in the true sense of the word. but hey, it doesn't look as ratty as Noel's norton tho. HA.

Sign up here and introduce yourself before anything, then they will help you lots with all types of harley stuff. Don't pay more than $1000 for that pile of parts... title??

www.jockeyjournal.com