i have a 883 custom thats got a 1200 conversion kit with vance and hince pipes and screaming eagle kits. anyways i want a different tank as i hate the penut style. i like the 2004 up tanks though. will they fit with no modding? also what about the shocks and stuff the bike sits a little to tall for my taste my buddies 2005 1200c sits nice and low. ill try to get pics tomorrow... thanks.

Try doing a search on this site for gas tank because it's been discussed in the past. Same thing for the shocks. Hope you find what you need.

i looked on here about alls i can find is the shocks will work...what about tanks though alls i can find is the aftermarket stuff for them.

I have a 2003 Custom....I did this about a month ago.......The tank is a stretch from J&P.

http://xlforum.net/photopost/data/500/medium/Side4.JPG

if it has stock shocks, it should sit as low as your buddies custom. the stock shocks are 11-3/4 inches eye to eye. now the front forks are the standard 21 inch length, which again, should be the same as your buds. so unless you (or the previous owner) did something to raise the bike, or your bud lowered his, they should sit the same (or thereabouts)

the back fender sits like 3 inches or so off the tire.... maybe its not a 883 custom although it does have factory forward controls....

the back fender sits like 3 inches or so off the tire.... maybe its not a 883 custom although it does have factory forward controls....

okay, its got forwards, those are easy enough to add.
does it have a bucket headlight or the eyebrow (custom=bucket),
does it have a 21 inch front wheel or a 19? (custom=21)
what is the length of the shocks? (custom=11-3/4)

if it passes those tests, then you may have a custom.

(i say may because i have a hugger, but it meets all the above criteria. for all intents and purposes, it is a custom. but as far as factory/insurance/kbb etc are concerned, it is a hugger.)

no their factory forwards. the head light has the metal visor over it...ill have to get back on the wheel though

I do not think that the new XL custom tanks will fit on models prior to 2004. I think it has something to do with the rear tank mount not being in exactly the same location on pre-2004 models as the newer Sporty's.

The mounting tabs are different, nothing a little fab work won't fix. :banarock

no their factory forwards. the head light has the metal visor over it...ill have to get back on the wheel though

okay, that narrows it down. its not a custom. it could be a standard or a hugger though. factory forwards are an accessory kit that could have been added after the fact. both are going to have 19 inch wheels, so that won't help, but the standard has long shocks (13.5 inch i think) while the hugger has the 11.75 shocks. so if it has either of these, then you'll be able to tell.

know what? i'm an idiot (don't agree with me here), you could very easily tell what model from the vin.

heres the breakdown (from the 02 parts manual):
[Removed by Casper, as per Forum Rules]

Skratch, sorry for having to remove the picture, but because it's from the HD manual, we can't show it due to copyright violations. However, as an alternative, I found a web page that shows the breakdown of the Sportster VIN code, including the '02 models (the VIN breakdown you referenced). Same info, no legal problems.

http://www.sportster.org/tech/vin.shtml

its a standard then cause it sits real tall. l'll be lowering it soon though. thanks for your guys input though...