Too hard to say how you'll go but I don't think it will be the gauge that will be the main issue as - as you've discovered - you can simply flip the mount and lower its position a bit. I think your biggest concern is the hand controls hitting the tank and the top brake hose being too kinked to allow the controls on the right side to go all the way onto the bars properly. When attempting to fit the new bars make sure you cover the tank as it is easy to scratch/dent and have a second person with you as the controls and all their gubbins are a bit fiddly. I still think you'll need 10-inch centre drag bars.

Gots to get one for the Missus.... Thats a damn sexy machine.

Nice Iron mate. Put a deposit on mine last week.

How long is your drag bar? 32"? Where did you get it? Been looking and i can only find chrome ones for like $70.

Have you thought  Putting of forward controls?

Nice set up.... duh-oh, I wish I'd seen yours before relocating my speedo. Yours is much cheaper.

My set up on the front (for comparison)

thats a joker machine set up chchfatboy? looks neat champ

Pete

Your onto it, and risers.. sorry for the thread hijack.

Iron 883 Sportsters are seriously cool machines IMO .

Thats a cool set up. - Joker machine make some trick looking gear.

Yeah, no doubt about it the Joker Machine stuff is killer. I personally think, however, that the spirit of the Iron 883 is to be an affordable bike and hence I have decided to follow the same these when it comes to modifying it. The Joker Machine, HD, SCreamin' Eagle, Vance & Hines and other 'name brand' routes are all waaaaaaay to expensive for an 'affordable' bike like the Iron in my view.

Put simply - I refuse to let a $13,350 Sportster turn into a $20,000 Sportster. There's just no way to get that money back - now when you can buy a V-Rod for low twenties!

I had the guy from Frasers calling me every other week to up sell me to forward controls ($680 + fitting), Vance & Hines or Screamin Ealge exhaust (another grand), Screamin Eagle air filter ($300 or $600 + fitting depending on Stage 1 or 2), and SRFERFREFET whateveritscalled race tuner kit ($780). Add the Badlander seat the missus insisted on plus rear pegs (that'll be another $550 + fitting) and the mods I had planned that I've shown so far and I'd have owned the most expensive Iron 883 ever built!

My ACTUAL costs so far have been thus:

Badlander seat and rear pegs $550 (self installed)
Night Train drag bars $50 (2nd hand Ebay USA)
Top bar clamp $25 (2nd hand Ebay AUS)
Galindo superbike grips $15 (Ebay USA)
Bar end mirrors $25 (Ebay AUS)
Autometer speedo clamp $23 Rocket Industries
SMoked front indicator lense kit HD $35 (Frasers)
Lowering block kit $100 (Ebay USA)
Touring Air Shocks Low $100 (Ebay USA)
Ikon Prgressive front springs $100 (Ebay AUS)
Scotch brite pads $10 Bunnings
Drill bit extension and bit for exhaust mod $50 Bunnings
White LED bolts for number plate $25 (Ebay AUS)
IRN88 custom plates $150 + $50 annual fee (RTA)

Tally so far: $1350

Add the $13350 for the bike and that's just under $15000 all up finished.

I can live with that I think!

and thats the beauty of HD, it suggests different things to different people and provides a different opportunity for everyone. Good on you for your build.

Well you are a better man than I... I thought the way you did but I couldn't resist & ordered mine with Vance & hines pipes, and a set of forwards. - But they REALLY, REALLY looked after me on the price, and threw in the handelbar clamp, (now wrinked black) dark custom derby cover, smoked indictaor lenses, LED bolts ect for free...

Ive got the same speedo mount, same mirrors, road 6 lowering blocks & vertical side mount curved plate holder, American spec rear shocks (11.5 inch) & drag bars to fit when thy all arrive. - Gota love US ebay.

hey damon,

 

thanks for all the info.  your bike looks fantastic.  i am in the process of re-locating the speedo too (have only ordered the au3209 clamp so far :-)&160" align="absMiddle" border="0" src="/DesktopModules/NTForums/themes/_default/emoticons/wink.gif" />... was just wondering, i assume you just double sided taped the indicator lights to the bar clamp?  also I noticed on the top of the headlight cover there is a rectangular sticker and underneath it is a cutout for indicator lights! but not quite as wide as the irons..  must be other models with less lights?? its a shame would be awesome if you could jus move em there... when i get round to starting to take everything apart I may have a closer look and see if I can somehow fit them but I dont think its going to happen.  they look great on the bar clamp anyway.

anyways, I am having trouble locating a bar clamp on ebay... can only find one which also comes with the bottom section of the clamp.   did you change both parts or just the top part of the clamp (i have the stock bars)?

 

oh  and have you seen those bar clamps made by fishboy on ebay?  they are really nice but the price he is asking is quite steep... $189.99 US + shipping!   there is also one other guy who chopped of the top speedo mount part of the stock iron clamp, filled/patched, sanded back and re-powdercoated.  looks great but would take a bit of patience!

thanks man

 

 

Hi mate,

I chose the bar clamp I used as the strip lights indeed simply double sided tape on very neatly. In fact I was just toying with that yesterday to tidy it up a little more. I just found it on eBay USA but you can get them from pretty much anywhere online if you do a little searching.

 

cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/LOT-2-HANDLE-BAR-CLAMPS-HARLEY-DAVIDSON-_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQhashZitem1c127605dbQQitemZ120568808923QQptZMotorcyclesQ5fPartsQ5fAccessories

cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Harley-Sportster-top-clamp-handle-bars-_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQhashZitem4aa11bbfc8QQitemZ320530530248QQptZMotorcyclesQ5fPartsQ5fAccessories

Hi Damon,

Thanks for the info.  I found another clamp on ebay that I think i'll get... like it a bit better cause it has a smooth top finish.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/BLACK-RISER-TOP-CLAMP-HARLEY-DAVIDSON-SPORTSTER-_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQhashZitem5192542234QQitemZ350347338292QQptZMotorcyclesQ5fPartsQ5fAccessories

 

Yes, I am the same as you and don't see the point of spending too much on the bike and turning it into a $20000 iron.   I have however done the filter, fuelpack and pipes and putting all the stock parts away in safe keeping.  They have made a massive difference in performance and well worth the money.   Thought you may be interested in seeing my tally so far....  even though I have done filter etc mine under what you have spent so far. 

All prices in Australian dollars and rounded UP.  Everything sourced from the US (except the smoked lense spray paint) and these prices include postage.

Passenger foot pegs $93.00
Passenger pillion pad $90.00
K&N High Flow Air filter kit $306.00
V&H Fuelpak $252.00
V&H Straightshot Slip ons $251.00
V&H Quiet Baffles x 2 $55.00
HD Sportster Service Manual $54.00
Shock adjustment spanner $11.00
Tank Bra $32.00
Black derby (clutch) cover $30.00
Dark Custom timer cover $53.00
Dark custom fuel cap sticker $18.00
Night shades spray paint from autobarn to smoke out front and rear lenses $17.00

Tally so far:  $1262.00

Bike total so far $13349 + $1262.00 = $14611.00

I noticed you payed way to much on the badlander seat/pegs so you could have saved heaps there!   The only other think I am doing at this stage is the speed re-location.. so annother 80-100 bucks and done.

Dan.

 

 

 

LOL.

I picked the bike up a few days before Xmas and the only way I could get the missus to agree to the purchase was to ass the Badlander seat and pegs - so I was forced to pay Harley retail prices on these even though they've been used twice...

Anyway...

Hey Damon how do you find the rear shocks? and how do they go with a pillion on the back ?

lol.. thats right cookster you got to get your priorities right and for me the iron is a fair way down the priority list!  I have several other bikes to maintain and my iron is just a weekend bike.  Harldy ride it...  got it at the end of March and have clocked up a huge 400km so far hehe.

Not spending any more money on it (other than the speedo re-location).  Absolutely no need fort me to do shocks or anything as I find the stock ones perfectly fine.   Then again, I only weigh 64kg.   And my wife weighs 42kg and she has been on the back a couple times and its fine!

I wish I could give a better assessment than 'they're OK' compared to the stock ones but in all honesty the stock shocks were on the bike for less than 2klms, which is the distance from Frasers to my workshop where I immediately removed them and put the RK shocks on. They don't have the air lines so they're at zero PSI. Bearing in mind I have lowered it four inches so there's probably two inches of travel unladen, and that I weight 80kg, they do tend to allow the bike to bottom out on certain bumps. This happens more often when the missus in on the back but fortunately she only weighs about 42kgs. She doesn't like long rides - put it that way...

Still, that's the price I'm prepared to pay for the slammed look and if you're worried about that simply us the normal height RK Shocks and not the low ones and don;t use three inch lowering blocks like I have!