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It’s not an exaggeration to say Sportster Knee is a real concern on stock bikes, let alone strokers. While you can totally mitigate sportster knee with proper biomechanics, it’s still no fun if a pedal lets loose whilst you are kicking.
Well, my 86” stroker redefines what it means to kick a sportster. It’s a 4-13/16 and 10:1, so it takes a boot. So much boot, the bike would constantly kill the bendix starter clutch, rendering the electric starter useless. When the bendix was alive, the oem prestolite barely turned it over. An all balls 1.4kw starter barely did better. So, I’d have to be in the right mood to kick this bike to life even though it’s a one or two kick starter. It sat too much.
I decided to solve the problem by installing a Tech Cycle starter. In short, Tech Cycle takes a 1.4kw nippon dense gear reduction starter as used on many post 1988 Harley’s and adds a custom plate carrying a self contained Jack Shaft. This system eliminates the starter, solenoid, starter housing, and all the bits inside. It’s truly bolt off the starter housing, retrieve the copper thrust washer, and bolt in. . .but not quite.
When you remove the original parts, you also lose the central mount connecting the battery tray and oil tank, via iso mounts, to the engine cases. I wanted to retain a stock look as this bike is my Saturday night special. Not even close to stock, but you don’t notice that at first. Second challenge is that the mount itself is drilled clean through to the transmission case. You must plug the holes, but you can’t have the outer bolt more proud than a standard head thickness or it fouls the connector for the internal solenoid switch. Then, the battery tray fouls the solenoid feed wire and the starter fouls just a bare thickness at the cylinder fins and the sprocket cover.
Two seconds with a die grinder solved the interference. A rectangular cut in the battery tray solved the solenoid wire fouling. Reducing two 3/8-16 bolts to 1/2” long and a touch of sealant solved the mount plug problem. The last thing was how to remount the oil tank and battery tray. I transferred an iso mount to the right side frame rail carrier, giving me two, not one in that location. I then drilled a 1/4” hole on center to align with that iso mount. Now I had a good mount there. I had to reverse the bolt so the regulator mounted flush. I then bent a z shaped piece of 316 stainless and twisted the end 90 degrees. This let me tie the new bracket directly to the rear motor mount. The other end secures the oil tank tab. The clearance is tight. The battery tray retains the three bolt to the rear of the oil tank. I use a smaller than stock 240cca battery, so no weight worries.
All done, I added a starter relay. Rolled the bike out, flipped on the enrichener, and it instantly leaped to life. I could barely contain my excitement. I started and stopped the bike a half dozen times, something previously impossible. Woo hoo. Went on a 15 mile ride and shut down a bunch of times. Zero issue instantly starting. And that’s on a small battery.
Suddenly I have a very fun 86” bike that is as easy to start as a modern bike. Sunset rides just got FUN.
I can’t recommend this one enough. It totally solved my challenge.
The one photo has numbers:
1) clearance to cylinder fin
2) previous cut out for removing the pivot screw
3) rectangular cut out to clear solenoid feed wire
4) z shaped bracket connecting rear motor mount to oil tank lower tab
5) trigger wire for solenoid which sits 1/8” above the plugged mount hole
6) new upper iso mount hole on battery tray
Tech Cycle is old fashioned. You call to order. Starter was $485, plus $25 shipping. It arrived in three days. Totally happy.
Well, my 86” stroker redefines what it means to kick a sportster. It’s a 4-13/16 and 10:1, so it takes a boot. So much boot, the bike would constantly kill the bendix starter clutch, rendering the electric starter useless. When the bendix was alive, the oem prestolite barely turned it over. An all balls 1.4kw starter barely did better. So, I’d have to be in the right mood to kick this bike to life even though it’s a one or two kick starter. It sat too much.
I decided to solve the problem by installing a Tech Cycle starter. In short, Tech Cycle takes a 1.4kw nippon dense gear reduction starter as used on many post 1988 Harley’s and adds a custom plate carrying a self contained Jack Shaft. This system eliminates the starter, solenoid, starter housing, and all the bits inside. It’s truly bolt off the starter housing, retrieve the copper thrust washer, and bolt in. . .but not quite.
When you remove the original parts, you also lose the central mount connecting the battery tray and oil tank, via iso mounts, to the engine cases. I wanted to retain a stock look as this bike is my Saturday night special. Not even close to stock, but you don’t notice that at first. Second challenge is that the mount itself is drilled clean through to the transmission case. You must plug the holes, but you can’t have the outer bolt more proud than a standard head thickness or it fouls the connector for the internal solenoid switch. Then, the battery tray fouls the solenoid feed wire and the starter fouls just a bare thickness at the cylinder fins and the sprocket cover.
Two seconds with a die grinder solved the interference. A rectangular cut in the battery tray solved the solenoid wire fouling. Reducing two 3/8-16 bolts to 1/2” long and a touch of sealant solved the mount plug problem. The last thing was how to remount the oil tank and battery tray. I transferred an iso mount to the right side frame rail carrier, giving me two, not one in that location. I then drilled a 1/4” hole on center to align with that iso mount. Now I had a good mount there. I had to reverse the bolt so the regulator mounted flush. I then bent a z shaped piece of 316 stainless and twisted the end 90 degrees. This let me tie the new bracket directly to the rear motor mount. The other end secures the oil tank tab. The clearance is tight. The battery tray retains the three bolt to the rear of the oil tank. I use a smaller than stock 240cca battery, so no weight worries.
All done, I added a starter relay. Rolled the bike out, flipped on the enrichener, and it instantly leaped to life. I could barely contain my excitement. I started and stopped the bike a half dozen times, something previously impossible. Woo hoo. Went on a 15 mile ride and shut down a bunch of times. Zero issue instantly starting. And that’s on a small battery.
Suddenly I have a very fun 86” bike that is as easy to start as a modern bike. Sunset rides just got FUN.
I can’t recommend this one enough. It totally solved my challenge.
The one photo has numbers:
1) clearance to cylinder fin
2) previous cut out for removing the pivot screw
3) rectangular cut out to clear solenoid feed wire
4) z shaped bracket connecting rear motor mount to oil tank lower tab
5) trigger wire for solenoid which sits 1/8” above the plugged mount hole
6) new upper iso mount hole on battery tray
Tech Cycle is old fashioned. You call to order. Starter was $485, plus $25 shipping. It arrived in three days. Totally happy.
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