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1973 XLCH1000 Ironhead Sportster - In Deep

  • Asher
    Asher
    11 years ago

     

    I decided to start this tread to loosely document my first attempt at owning a HD, Importing from Canada and doing any major mods to a bike since I ported a TS185 AG bike back in my late teens!

    I’m currently living in Toronto, Canada. Heading home to Perth WA in March 2013. I saw this as unique opportunity to bring back my little piece of American history. A 1973 XLCH1000 Sportster in this case.
     
    I spent a heap of time scouring online classified etc looking for early 70's Ironheads. Finally on the way home from a trip to lake Erie I took to look at a 1972 XLCH that turns out to be a dog, I spotted this bike parked out the front of a farm property on a back road just of the main interstate. After nearly getting my nuts bitten off by the German Sheppard hiding under the porch, I got the number of the owner. A quick phone call and it was mine. The guy even trailored it to my garage in Toronto! Here is how it came after hosing off the dust.
     
     
     
    The guy, more into cars than bikes, had purchased it from a deceased estate, paid 1K to get it running, scared himself off riding it by nearly tearing his calf off trying to kick start it (like a MX bike), parked it in his barn and gone back to working on his Chevy….


     

    IMG_1864_reduced.jpg
  • marco1982
    marco1982
    11 years ago
    thats nice love the old school look what did it cost u landed
  • allde
    allde
    11 years ago
    You'll have lots of fun Asher, congrats on your purchase.
  • daddyracer56
    daddyracer56
    11 years ago

    hi 1972 is the 1st of the  1000 c,c, sporties , 72 & 73 had thinner barrels being a different head bolt  pattern  the 1st of the 1000 's can only bore out too 0.040" o.s. piston ,  1974 to 85 have thicker barrels & have a 0.060 " piston over size ,

  • Asher
    Asher
    11 years ago
    Marco,
    I recon I should be able to have it parked in my garage in Perth for well under 5K. Shipping is a bit hard to work out as its getting shipped with a bunch of household stuff I’m bringing back too.

    Daddy,
    Good info on the cylinders. I have no info about whats currently bolted onto it. The guy I bought it from had done little riding on it. What the previous owner had done to it has gone to the grave with him. The PO had an offer of 3500 (which is what rough ones were going for on trading posts) from the bike shop where he had it serviced. So hopefully they didn’t find anything too scary to put them off….

    One interesting thing, it has No.4 plugs in it ATM (spec says No.5 after break-in). My research says these hotter plugs were used for break–in period. So maybe some cylinder work has been done recently…. Or 'I hear ya', its burning oil!.. I’m hoping for the former. I guess a compression test will reveal all.

    Is there any other way/trick to quickly identify cylinder condition/work?

    Cheers
    Asher
  • daddyracer56
    daddyracer56
    11 years ago

    you wouldm't be the 1st too chop up a good bike , but the 1972 & 73  as well as 1975 & 6 are not the most sort after models away ,   XLCH 1968   & 1974 were the real mans bike these models bring good money in good con'd ,    i have a 1974 here kick & electric start

  • Filthy
    Filthy
    11 years ago

    Your bike - do what you want.

    Crying shame to see an old survivor chopped up in my opinion though . . .

    Philthy

  • terroristone
    terroristone
    11 years ago
    wish it was in my shed, the things i could/would do to that. Hardtail stripped down bobber!!!!! fuck yeah!

    T1
  • Asher
    Asher
    11 years ago

    Am dreaming something like this:

    Planning something like this: Just a quick CAD mock up of an Aussie legal, realists version of the above…

    Asher_Concept.jpg
    Dreaming.jpg
  • Asher
    Asher
    11 years ago

    License Transfer (in Canada):

    Pretty Simple. The main difference here is that the Plates belong to the owner of the bike, not the bike. To get plates you need third party personal protection insurance on the vehicle you want to be plated. This is not part of the vehicle license like it is in Aus. Now due to the litigative culture up here insurance premiums start at around $1200 just for third party personal on a bike with a market value of round $3000!

    So no plates for me. I’ll have to stick to scooting up and down my laneway for now until I get home.

    Good news is you can transfer ownership to an un-plated bike. That’s what I did. You pay the retail sales tax due and have the signed papers from the previous owner and you’re good to go. Purchase price of the vehicle is filled in in a similar way to Western Australia so you can pay as much or as little sales tax as you are willing  to risk on the sale price you choose to write down... if you know what I mean.

    I went with a real low number as I am hoping this will work in my favor when paying the import taxes. If I need to on a 30+ year old bike?

    Next step:
    Get vehicle Import Approval!

  • Asher
    Asher
    11 years ago

    Been a while....

    Import approval done – I’m Importing it under the pre 1989 scheme. Paid my 50$ and emailed the IO2 form and a word document with photos, ownership papers and descriptions of mods (pretty short list in this case) off..
    Got a response via email a few weeks later with copy of approval paperwork attached.
     
    Spent the rest of a Canadian winter cleaning in readiness to import & tinkering in a sub zero garage with minimal tools.
     
     
    I managed to source an 18”rear & 19” front OEM Boranni alloy rims on ebay, polished them and the existing 73 front hub up, respoked wheels with new ss spokes and threw on some new Dunlop K70’s.
    I bought an aftermarket chrome rear hub and drum. When bolting the rear wheel back together it seems the drum is not machined true to the shaft. I’m getting sticking on new drum pads at one angle when rotating the rear wheel? I have just backed everything off for transport home and will throw the wheel on the truing jig to see if this is the case or not when get there.... cheap aftermarket chrome crap trap number one (of many to come I think...)


     

    Asher

    CA_Garage_Cleaning.jpg
  • daddyracer56
    daddyracer56
    11 years ago

     check inside of the brake backing plate  too the sprocket rivets that go thru the drum you might need to put a 2m.m. thick washer that fit's  over the axle nice inbetween the wheel bearing to the brake backing plate ,   i would check with some plastersine even on the outer of the shoe's too inner drum , the drum should be a good spiggot fit over the hub for central location 

  • Asher
    Asher
    11 years ago
    Stew, I like it! Those shocks must have been wound in tight looking at the travel allowance!

    So my bike is now in the middle of clearing customs.
    - I've had to pay for an vehicle valuation. $185.
    - GST on the bike will be ~ $500
    - No Duty due to age.

    Have to pay up before bike can be released from Customs
    Next stop. Quarantine Clearance..... Please don't pressure wash it!

    Asher
  • daddyracer56
    daddyracer56
    11 years ago

     with the back brake  make sure wheel adj is central , loosen everything off spin the wheel put the brake on hard 1 to 2 time's spin the wheel hold on the brake hard & do up the axle nut etc then release the brake pedal,   try not too do the backing plate torque bolt up,   & see if the wheel is free

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