Let's build a girl's bike: a 1967 Sportster XLH

[craig (DE)]

Harbor Freight still sells the lift for $299: https://www.harborfreight.com/high-p...ift-99887.html

Thanks for the update!

[chuckthebeatertruck]

Saturday saw me busy chopping down trees from wind storms during the summer and prepping another bike for delivery to its owner. As a result, I didn't get too much time in on Mrs. Chuck's bike.

But, this weekend saw us reach the one year anniversary of bringing home this wreck on wheels. So I had to get "something" done.

With that, I finished up the wiring. Just my luck, however, when I went to test the system I learned I had a bum Voltage Regulator. It was a NOS unit -- but the contacts were welded shut with corrosion. Crud. So, I grabbed another one -- and it was perfect. I wonder if someone reboxed something . . .but none the less, we got the VR issue solved and viola, all the electrics work. Even the starter works, Yippee.

So, I grabbed the fuel tank to see how it fit. Note, I'm using asphalt looms and not the backbone hole for running the wiring. The backbone is cleaner, but I just didn't want to do a bunch of connections at the rear of the bike nor run an extra three feet of wire for each circuit. I had just enough cloth wrapped wire to complete this bike. And by just enough, I mean I had 6-18" of wire left by the end and had run through most of my connectors!

Last thing to do is install the carb and throttle. Should be another week or two and this one will be to life and looking forward to the spring.

[craig (DE)]

Very cool Chuck! Should the single mirror go on the left side of the handlebars? My stock 77' Sporty came with a single mirror on the left side.

[chuckthebeatertruck]

I have no clue on bikes after federal mirror mandates like your '77. Before then, it depends on where you lived in the 60s and early 70s.I grew up in Ohio and then moved to the U.K. All the bikes I seemed to buy had right side mirrors. I got used to it and that's just where I put my mirrors.

Come to think of it, I should put dual mirrors on here as Mrs Chuck is a new rider and will be accustomed to twin mirrors from class.

[craig (DE)]

I always thought about adding another mirror on my Sporty but you can't find mirrors that don't say "Objects appear closer" .

[chuckthebeatertruck]

I always thought about adding another mirror on my Sporty but you can't find mirrors that don't say "Objects appear closer" .

Ride faster and they appear smaller :-)

[chuckthebeatertruck]

As the holidays approach, finding some shop time is getting more interesting. Still I managed to eek out a few hours and move the S&S GBL carburetor from my 1964 XLCH to Mrs. Chuck's bike. In place of the GBL, the '64 is getting a pretty much new S&S Super B.

Anyways, the nice thing about the L series carb is that it mounts up to pretty much any bendix pattern air cleaner so I used a bendix ham can air cleaner with a K&N filter.

All we are waiting on now are two things: 1) inner throttle cable wire; and 2) a petcock. It turns out the petcock I had was FUBAR - so I ordered a new one.

I hope to fire this one up before Christmas and to give it to Mrs. Chuck as part of her holiday haul.

Turns out this one took us almost exactly one year.

[chuckthebeatertruck]

The good news is that we did have the bike up and running on Christmas Eve.

The bad news is that I had the float level too low.

The day after Christmas, which also happened to be one year to the day from when Mrs. Chuck and I first tore the bike down, it fired smoothly into life.

After a couple of heat cycles, we appear to be in a good place. I'll cycle it a few more times before making a few adjustments and hitting the street for break in miles.

If anyone is curious -- that is a stock air cleaner for a bendix, which fits the S&S L series just fine. It has a NOS K&N filter element in it. The header, muffler, and clamps are all reproductions from the Gas Box in Cleveland (the company that bought out Dennis Corso's muffler/header business).

The last thing to do is to add the gland nut for the odometer reset knob. I thought I had a box of them . . .but couldn't find them. There's always one part you forget about. I also need to tidy up the wiring from the left bar to the frame a bit more. Little things always need finishing during the first couple of hundred miles. Once break in is done I'll add the refurbished bubble bags to the bike and Mrs. Chuck will have a nice little grocery getter to scoot around town on this summer and autumn.

Sorry about using a photo linking service on these ones - the pics were taking way too long to load via AMCA site for some reason.

[chuckthebeatertruck]

If anyone is wondering about why the indicator lights are different . . . Mrs. Chuck is a new rider. To help her make sense of bikes without labels, we made the generator lamp green (ie green, you can still ride) and the oil indicator red (ie red = STOP). Overall, I tried to think through how to make the switch controls as simple and intuitive for a new rider as possible. Not always easy when you're dealing with a 50+ year old machine.

[koanes]

If you love sportsters, and I do this one is a beauty. Nice work!

[chuckthebeatertruck]

As an aside -- I had half a can of the VHT epoxy paint left over and a really crusty chromed mouse trap booster to deal with. I tossed the mouse trap parts in the vibratory tumbler overnight with coal slag to remove the rust and roughen the remaining chrome/nickle. I then sprayed the parts with the VHT epoxy paint and dipped some other parts in pure aluminium rustoleum (looks awfully close to cad plating from 2 feet away). I had to bake the rustoleum to keep it well set and decided to toss the VHT painted parts in the oven as well. 200 degrees F for an hour and WOW the VHT both laid down and became super hard. Harder than letting it air dry for weeks. Not quite like powder coating -- but more like very good paint. Best part is that the gloss came up a notch or two with the baking. Can't say I expected that to happen.

[chuckthebeatertruck]

I pulled Easy Jim out yesterday and finally set the timing. That done, the bike became a one kicker or touch of the button. With that done, I started putting in some miles.

it’s a snappy, quick little bike. It stops well, rides nice, and tracks straight. It does vibrate more than our other strokers, but Not unreasonable.

I think mrs chuck is gonna adore this bike. It got a lot of looks around the neighborhood and folks are used to seeing me on bikes.

the 2:1 makes a particular and lovely noise on this baby stroker.

speed safely.

[chuckthebeatertruck]

I took Easy Jim out for some road work yesterday and had a blast!

It is just a fun, nimble bike with enough brake to actually feel quite confident in dicey Chicago traffic. I must have gotten the frame correct as it tracks dead nuts and is very easy to snap on u turns and figure eights.

The extra 9 inches of displacement make a huge difference in how the bike pulls. The torque is terrific and right where you want it for street riding. Drop your wrist in any gear and it responds instantly. There’s zero snatch in 4th from 35 mph on up. You can just roll it open and go.

I have been kicking it and using the button. It’s a surprisingly easy starter for a baby stroker. Two primes, one kick. And that’s in 55 degree weather. Summer is gonna be FUN.