how much wrenching is actually required??

[earthoverdrive]

Hey all. I've again found myself constantly thinking about buying a mid to late '70s Ironhead to chop a bit and mostly ride around town with. Right now I don't have the money but I really need to learn more about these creatures if I'm going to continue to spend this much time day dreaming about them.
I often hear stories about guys "back in the day" who spent as much time wrenching on their bikes as they did riding them because they broke down so much and what not.
I guess I'm just wondering what the most common problems are with this era of Ironheads. Are there problems that can be fixed only to return again and again with no permanant fix possible?
I ride an '04R which has proved to be very reliable in the year I've had it so I know nothing about bikes that need constant adjustment/parts replacement/etc...
I hear about the oil leaks(can they be permenantly fixed?) and I know that rigid engine bikes shake their bolts loose but that's about it.
Hopefully I'm way off here and there isn't as much to it as I think.
The virtual beer and soda is on me.

[BobbyB]

I've got a '79 XLH that I've had since '90. All I've done maint.-wise is a couple changes of plugs, tires, chains, and normal fluid changes. Never had anything shake loose or fall off. lol The only oil leak is a slow seep where I'll get 2 or 3 drops of oil on the floor over the winter. Not worth fixing permanantly.
Bobby

[mikeLI_77]

the old harleys never leaked. they just marked their turf. lol that's what the guys i work with tell me.

[earthoverdrive]

I've got a '79 XLH that I've had since '90. All I've done maint.-wise is a couple changes of plugs, tires, chains, and normal fluid changes. Never had anything shake loose or fall off. lol The only oil leak is a slow seep where I'll get 2 or 3 drops of oil on the floor over the winter. Not worth fixing permanantly.
Bobby

How many miles did your '79 have on it when you bought it?

[IronMick]

The Ironhead engine is cast iron. If you do not have good gaskets oil will seep out. If you do not allow proper warmup before hammering it, it will be more likely to leak. You need to use good gaskets, and proper warmup.

They do shake a lot, which is all part of the good excitement. After all, would you enjoy being intimate with a partner who did not shake some? So it is possible for stuff to come loose if it is not torqued properly. You need a torque wrench.

When you ride an ironhead you are part of an adventurous, select group of people. Everyone wants to look at your ride; they look in a way, and with a fascination, that does not go with a new bike, or with a chromed out ride. It is amoung life's best moments when people oogle my ironhead.

I have had mine only since last fall. Rode for 3 months then [until early Dec], spent the 4 winter months stripping it down, cleaning it up, etc. I love that thing. It is not fast like my Evo. It is noisier [yea!]. It is a beast of beauty.

With normal good maintenance i think it will be an everyday ride. Those guys back in the day did not have the knowledge, experience, or a forum like this to help them.

These are simple machines. Look at each system separately: brakes, electrical [very simple!!], front wheel, back wheel, carb, engine, whatever. Make sure each is correct and you will have faith in your ride.

I think if you are going to have the dealer do all of your service work you would not want to have an Iron. Many dealers will not work on bikes over 10 years old. Those that do may charge over the book rates. You would want to have a local inde to do your work. Best is if you can do most stuff yourself - then you can have the confidence you need to have.

I never do tire changes, wheel bearings, or fork seals as these require special tools or experience. Everything else i do myself. Some stuff that requires experience: chain adjustment, ign timing, wheel alignment, etc i have the inde check after i have done it.

Keep dreaming until you have the $$$s then go for it. It is a blast. IronHeads Rule!

[earthoverdrive]

Thanks for all the info man. The local inde is very close- I can walk there in 10 minutes. I'll keep researching and dreaming. Until then I'm having an absolute blast on my 1200R!

[Y2K]

I lived with one as a daily rider for about 8 years and it was never a leaker.
Routine maintainence is a lot more than most modern bikes for starters.
That can be minimized by not running them too hard.
The old Sporties might do 100 mph flat out but running them that hard will put you at risk for major engine damage.Try and keep it under 70 for long hiway rides and let her cool down often.Remember it's only a 4 speed trans and won't like freeway speed for extended periods.The weakest point is the valves, they will let loose and destroy the whole engine if you over rev it.No valve seals will mean a quart of oil every 500 to 1000 miles so check it often.
No rev limiter with the points ignition on most iron heads,the later models had electronics but that came along late in the game so watch that tach!.
Sometimes the flyweight springs on the ignition advance(cone motors '70 and later) will break and make starting a real pain so I used to replace them with every tune up.
Most are also solid lifter engines as well and will need periodic adjustment.
There again not over revving it will help minimize that issue as well.
There is a chain lube bleeder that uses engine oil that is best shut off.
I ran a good o-ring chain on mine and if it wasn't run in the rain I only lubed it every couple three thousand miles.Go easy on the clutch as they tend to be tricky to keep adjusted,even on the wet clutch models.Early dry clutch models can be switched to wet using Barnett wet or dry clutch plates.
They run better in auto trans fluid than oil IMO.If I were you I'd try and find one with an electric start,if you want a kicker you can add one.
the kick starts(XLCH) are notorius for not only being hard to start but prone to problems like the bushings on the kicker shaft washing out and the kicker covers often break at the shaft hole.The kicker ratchet is prone to troubles as well and will give you fits if it's worn.Nothing like coming down full force on the kicker only to have it freefall and throw out your knee and hit the back of your leg on the top shock mount(OUCH!)
Bottom line is it will make a great around town bike as you said was your plan if you don't mind a bit more maintainence and treat it like the antique it is ie: not hotrodding to much and it'll last a long time providing you get one in good shape to begin with.
Y2K :smoke

[earthoverdrive]

Wow! Thanks for all the info.
Didn't some of the Irons come with electric and kick start?
Do any companies make a 5 or 6 speed tranny that can be put in? I know somebody does for the 4 speed Evos and maybe Shovels. I'm guessing something like that would run about $2,000 though... :yikes
I've seen these bikes go for that amount, probably in bad shape though.

[flathead45]

dive on in and get a good used ironhead , earth

if it gets to be too much for ya , I'll buy it off ya ;) ya got a great indy near ya as they did a fantastic job on my ride

once a ironhead is set up right it will run and run and run , yes things will go south on ya but if ya stay one step ahead of the parts that wareout then it is just as dependable as a new bike

I once hear a man say (about chainsaws) that for every hour of use you'll spend 15 min. on maintanance, that works with ironheads too

[Irondrake77]

Wow! Thanks for all the info.
Didn't some of the Irons come with electric and kick start?
Do any companies make a 5 or 6 speed tranny that can be put in? I know somebody does for the 4 speed Evos and maybe Shovels. I'm guessing something like that would run about $2,000 though... :yikes
I've seen these bikes go for that amount, probably in bad shape though.

Some iron's are elec and kick, mine's just electric. I'm sure there probably is a 5 spd tranny for it, it would be expensive, but you can do alot with a 4 speed, even change the gearing a bit, and you can get alot out of those 4 gears, you won't even miss the 5th.

[geraldxlch]

[I]"I've again found myself constantly thinking about buying a mid to late '70s Ironhead..."

If you are constantly thinking of an ironhead you are probably on your way to being an owner of one. These old bikes have an innate appeal to those who are most vulnerable. Motorcycling is different things to different people.

The sportster in 1957 was a high tech machine, today, it is decidedly low tech. IronMick is truthful in his comment that they are simple machines. They require maintainence as any machine does, no more no less. Most can be done yourself and probably more can be done yourself than you can do on the 2004 you have. Get a manual and you will be fine (lots of people here can help guide you as well). Additional help can be found in the searchable archives at www.sportster.org (http://www.sportster.org/). Just about every possible problem, repair, modification has been discussed on these two fourms.

Machines built after 1967 can be found with electric start, some with both elec and kick. For the bare essence of the type, the xlch is the bomb. A good bike can be had for 3-5k, those with kick only will fetch lower prices. Look at the other threads here on what to look for when you are ready to buy.

The riding is the end result, loads of low end torque, vibration and noise without compare and the accute awareness that this is what cycling is all about. Besides, someone has to preserve these relics of the past, might as well be you.

Keep dreaming about em, you'll get there.

[earthoverdrive]

Well I think I've convinced myself that getting an Ironhead would be a good idea. So it's a money and time issue. Perhaps next year, I'll have to see.

You guys rock!

:smoke

[Gone]

regarding the bolts shaking loose issue, there is a "new" invention or two that cure that, Ny-lok Nuts (nylon locking inserts) which I use where ever possible, and Lock-Tite thread locking compound where ever I can't. Alot of the old wrenching woes, oil leaks, and dependability issues you have heard, which are part of the Harley mystique IMO, are leftovers from the pre-electronic ignition age, tin primary cases, and the image of your "typical scruffy biker" fixing his "ratty old Harley" which BTW the jap bike industry used repeatedly to lure American buyers. Personally, I would NEVER take my bike (whatever brand) to a "shop". If I can't do it myself, I have friends that will show me, tell me, or help me. And if I need or want a part that I can't afford or find, I'll make it, or make it fit. Harleys don't require any more attention than the average bike rider SHOULD pay to his ride. And I don't think of it as work, but as loving care. And the wrenching I do before a ride, is like the foreplay before sex

[earthoverdrive]

Cool man.
One of my issues now is that I really want to form a band so if that happens it will eat up most of the free time I could spend wrenching and chopping an older bike. But if that doesn't work out and I for some reason sell all my gear, an Ironhead will be in my garage quick. Z-bars, flat black paint, rear shocks w/ chrome covers, chopped rear fender, no front fender(I have my R for rain).
:smoke
And if enough $$$$ is available... stretched and raked frame with a long springer.
:smoke :smoke

[IronMick]

No 5 speed trannys for Ironheads.

[Gone]

I can still dream can't I?

[nmaineron]

I started out on a 70 XLCH that sat in a snow bank for a couple of winters.I offered the guy a straight up trade for a 750 Honda that I had and he took me up on it!

This bike was a classic example to what is concerning you.The people that had it before me didn't know how to wrench on it.And I think that is more important than anything else.They did things that were nothing short of booby traps simply because they didn't know what they were doing.Some people have no business putting a wrench in their hands.

Learn all you can about your machine,how to do the normal maintenance the right way with tools that will do the job the way it should be done and you won't have any problem.

Some of the things that I had to learn was how to polarize your Generator/regulator,adjusting your pushrods,setting your timing and keeping the clutch adjusted along with the primary chain and drive chain.Get a company manual specific to your model and read it! Remember!!!!!tight is tight, not just a little bit more and if it doesn't want to go don't force it,there is a reason.

I say go for it!!

[Y2K]

Learn all you can about your machine,Get a company manual specific to your model and read it!


Absolutely...the factory H/D service manuals are very good,get one from Harley for whatever year/model you wind up with.
Y2K :smoke

[voneville]

If you give me your 1200R you could have my 78 electric start only ironhead ;) It's already flat black :)

[earthoverdrive]

If you give me your 1200R you could have my 78 electric start only ironhead ;) It's already flat black :)

HAHA!
:p

I suppose I might be able to sell my R and buy a '70s Iron and an '80s Evo. But I wouldn't have a bike that didn't make my hands numb on long rides. Even my R's handle bars do that sometimes. I should stick some rubber in there.

[flathead45]

theres plenty of cheap ones out there , just gotta look

I've found a couple in the 5k range, thats not a cheap one but they are nice, get on and ride bikes

just herd one drive by right now , nothing sounds like an iron goin by

[voneville]

HAHA!
:p

I suppose I might be able to sell my R and buy a '70s Iron and an '80s Evo. But I wouldn't have a bike that didn't make my hands numb on long rides. Even my R's handle bars do that sometimes. I should stick some rubber in there.

I've conditioned my hands for vibrations with 1000's of hours on a 4" angle grinder, I think my hands are always numb, I don't even notice the handlebar vibes :)

The cool thing is that since you already have a runner you could find a project that's dirt cheap. Just the other day I heard a guy talking about a 68 basket for 2 grand. The engine was rebuilt (it even came with the build sheet) and everything was painted, just needed to be assembled and wired up. It got my mouth watering, but I promised my wife I wouldn't start another project until I finished my Model A hot rod... Not to mention I only have a one car garage and three bikes, a model A, and all of my tools have the monopoly on real estate in there.

-derek

[earthoverdrive]

Yeah, it seems like 2k is about what they want for a basket case. From there it seems to start at about 3 for a complete bike, maybe a little less if it's in bad shape. Next year perhaps...