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Still working on the Sporty!

  • tussuck
    tussuck
    2 years ago
    Given that its so damn cold in Melbourne; now is a good time to park the bike up and getting some more work done on the upswept fish tail pipes....  Several tweaks later I finally have them looking good and for once not hitting each other...lol   
    I'll slide in some baffles to help tone them down - pondering that once they are in they will be welded in place and there forever; I just know I cannot have them free flowing without baffles of 'some' sort.
    I am also thinking about chroming them myself with a kit from Casswell ( after all, how hard can it be! ) that way i could also do ALL the other chroming on the bike as well.     

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  • obisteve
    obisteve
    2 years ago
    Since you're going for old school looks with the seat and pipes, have you considered trimming the rear top of the sprocket cover back to the curve in the casting, to mimic a pre 79 Ironhead?  It's a subtle change, but it does look better.
  • obisteve
    obisteve
    2 years ago
    I'll take a pic from a better angle tomorrow  but on this one if you enlarge it, you can see that the sprocket cover projection that goes back towards the front end of the chain guard is missing. The casting has been cut back to the raised curve line, like the pre 79 ones.
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  • obisteve
    obisteve
    2 years ago
    Now you have to be a bit of a Sportster tragic to even notice the change, having the hots for 1974 Ironheads helps, the last year for the right foot gearshift and the best looking Sporty ever in my not so humble opinion.
    OK, the sprocket cover is missing from the tech drawing, but it's shape matched the curve of the back of the primary case, giving a nice symmetry.
    In the pics you can see where I've cut, filed, sanded and polished mine back to the way they used to be. I was fitting a new cover at the time, replacing the 4th one where overenthusiasm on dirt roads had punched the footpeg through the crappy diecasting again so already had the rear exhaust off. Only will be appreciated by true Sporty geeks.

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  • obisteve
    obisteve
    2 years ago
    Now these pics are just because I had the phone in the shed taking pics, OK being a bit boastful too. Trophy for dirt drags top street bike, Aratula 1990 and close up of trophy plate rivetted to aircleaner. Do you think I like this old dunger?
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  • tussuck
    tussuck
    2 years ago
    Ahhh.... I see.  So the right rear section of the side-cover that goes over the front sprocket is a rounded shape at the rear edge.  Nice look!  
    let me get the pipes and more importantly the mounting system in place first as its bloody tricky with a rubber mount motor running with rear suspension.  Must be a total piece of piss on a rigid bike. 
  • obisteve
    obisteve
    2 years ago
    Put up with that for 12 years with Norton Commandos. Their system of 2 parallel aluminium plates sandwiching a pair of rubber bobbins with studs bonded to each end worked well but the bobbins did delaminate occasionally. I found a useful supply of spares inside junk washing machines.
  • tussuck
    tussuck
    2 years ago
    Using rubber bobbins here as well.  Plus the OEM lower bracket with an extension out the rear and then a third welded onto the fender strut covers (which are actually 5mm angle steel)
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