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![]() The primary cover without a starter pocket is beautiful, like an early 1960s bike. I had an Evo Sportster primary cover welded up along with the left case half. It was done by a Lockheed Martin welder who did jobs on the side.
. ![]() People seem to freak out about the battery being mounted down low behind the front wheel. After enough ruined blue jeans from battery acid in the stock location, I wouldn't have it any other place. The weight is down low and yeah, if I get in a wreck the front wheel might crush the battery, but that would be the least of my worries. I would probably be over the handlebars by then.
I tried to adopt the chopper ethos of nothing being hidden behind covers, hence the lack of a sprocket cover on the bike. It's worked fine for decades. |
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![]() The fenders are from a set of Shovelhead tins I got from a bike shop. The tanks are Softtail flat-side tanks that work great.
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Before the Softtail tanks, I had a set of 5-gallon flat-side tanks for range.
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Here is the bike with the Shovelhead tins a couple decades ago. I had to bash the inside of the tanks to clear the Sportster rocker covers, not a good thing to do.
. I widened the rear struts to fit the fender.
. ![]() I started customizing the bike in the late 1980s, after getting a few years of stock experience. I got a little radical, but some of the major changes were a big improvement. I was living in that van in the background, so the bike was my daily driver.
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![]() !977 XLCH Sportsters did not have an oil filter, I added one to the "lunchbox" tank.
. ![]() I broke sprocket covers when I would drop the bike, so I tossed it and made a steel kickstart bracket that worked 30 years.
. ![]() I welded peg mounts on the frame to use the early model footpegs. I don't like pegs mounted on the engine.
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![]() This was the first prototype of the battery box, with a gel-cell battery no less.
. ![]() Not everything was a good idea. I tried brazing a Hummer tank ignition mount to an FX tank.
. ![]() Worst idea ever-- using the clutch ball mechanism to make a mechanical brake.
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