Joestuff's Stroker starts!!!

[joestuff]

Check out the period modified ironhead stroker I built outta a basket case this year. Got her in June, retired race bike(ran 9.9 in early 70's) that had been broken down for de-tuing so street use, then left to sit for 20 years to get it's paint all dinged up. I repainted the frame black, and left the rest for patina.

The engine is 4 5/8 T+O stroker flywheel, 3 3/16 bore with S+S 3700, sifton -- cams, Dytch cylinders, branch heads, all the cool period goodies. 73 inches. Should run mid 11.

The Beast Fired up today!!! Three kicks in. Not really too hard to kick(yea, I'm 150 lbs, and I can just stand on the kicker when it is at compression), but I can get her to kick thru.

Right now I have baffled drag pipes on it. I have a staggered duel system to put on it, but I'm still missing some brackets.

Also, I have a rare S+S GB side bowl carb. It has no choke, and I just could not get it to start with that carb. So I put my old bendix on it. It is really not going to flow enough air for the motor, but it will do for brake in.

If anybody has parts for old S+S side bowls, or wants to trade a GAL, MGAL, ect for a GB, let me know.

Still alot of little stuff to do, and I have to get it out of the basement.

This basket was for sale at Oley last year. I got it a bit after that. With any luck she will be up there running this year.

Pictures....well they should be loading...

[Rooster]

Looks great! Thanks for posting.

[Paps]

Beautiful...but please ! swap the white seat for a black one.

[Rooster]

I think the white pinstripes and the white seat complement each other. The white seat is nothing a few thousand miles in the saddle won't cure..........

[billpedalino]

Joe,

Beautiful bike! Looking at those pics REALLY brings me back to the 1960's.

Were did you find those Dytch Cylinders! I would assume that they were part of the basket case..

I have two 1964 XLCH Sportsters that I've owned for 40 years. I am restoring my first bike, which I chopped way back then. The other '64 XLCH is now 96" (4-5/9" x 3-5/8"). I acquired the 2nd one soon after puchasing the first and I initially rebuilt it in 1971 as a 77" motor (4-5/8 x 3-1/4), increased it to 86" in 1973 using custom made Blitz steel cylinders and finally in 1974 to 96", again with Blitz steel cylinders. These cylinders were custom made by Wally Brower in New Jersey, who was part of the company I worked for at the time, which later became Eastern Morotcycle Parts under Gil May.

I ran the 96" motor on the street for a VERY short time. Even at 24 years old I realized that it was far too much for the street. Also, at that time I only welded the right case and did not build up the left case side. Even then, after putting it together an running it on the street I realized that I was far to impatient and that the left side case is FAR to thin at the spigot/base stud area for comfort. I disassembled it at that time and the motor still sits on my shelf.

Your 73" configuration was one of the most common the best sizes for Sportster stroker motors in the late 1960's and throughout the 1970's and I would love to return mine to the 77" configuration. I had built a number of 77" Sportster motors throughout the 1970's and it seems like that size was the most efficient bore/stroke combination. The carb of choice back then was the S&S GBL, as it was the 'biggest hole in town'. I'm happy to brag that I own a NOS one, still in the box. These motors really ran strong, stayed together quite well and were relatively easy to maintain. But some guys always managed to blow them up.

This project will reguire a lot of welding and re-machining but will certainly be worth the effort if mine ends up as nice as yours - And I would have resurected one of of my 'childhood' bikes! But...... Now try to find 3-1/4" Axtel or even the older Dytch cast cylinders!. Especially sized for a 4-5/8" stroke. I would bet that 3-1/4" cast pistons wih the correct deck height can be found or $$pecial-ordered.

I you or anyone else have a lead on these parts, I would loeve to know ...or maybe not. Do I really need a 4th simultaneous restoration to be acquiring parts for!!!

Thanks,
Bill Pedalino

P.S. - sorry for the waxing nostalgic - but those pics realy brought me back. Gotta love this club, as its more than just machines.

[joestuff]

The white seat is a bates scrambler model. It is pretty worn in. I like it. The bike's frame was custom painted to match the rest of the bike, but it had too many chips and dings. So I painted the frame white to match the pin stripes. It looked like ****. So I went with black. As the paint on the rest of it is in pretty bad shape(dent in tank, chips, crackling), black will let me repaint it years from now without pulling the frame back out.

P.S. - sorry for the waxing nostalgic - but those pics realy brought me back. Gotta love this club, as its more than just machines.

Bill, that is the best part.

The Dytch Cylinders cam with the bike, already bored for .80 over S+S 3700. Pretty much all the fun parts cam with the basket. I'll really need to pick up some spares, as I don't think it could bore it any more with out getting custom pistons made. I'm treating this bike as "out to pasture". I'm gonna have a lot of fun on it, but I'm gonna be careful as if I blow it up I'm screwed.

Interesting to here of your adventures with big bore strokers. Your talking some crazy inches. I'll pm you about some parts.

[Glenn]

good luck looks like fun is ahead