...I noticed some others posting street tracker-related stuff in the old cafe forum... you can see my bike at http://www.leger.net/sportster

http://www.leger.net/sportster/spp3.jpg

I've been riding bikes since my '67 CL90 back when I was 9 or 10. This is my first Harley, prior bike was a 2001 Speed Triple. Bought this '99 1200S with the intention of doing an ersatz XLCR conversion, then decided on what you can see at the above URL. Glad I did.

cleger,

Nice Looking Bike!! How does it handle in the twisties?? :D

Well enough I suppose, though not on par with recent sport bikes by any stretch... takes real effort in the transitions. But I can get down fire roads better than I could on some of my recent bikes, which was a more important consideration this time around.

Looks like a cafe to me. If you say so it is, or its a street tracker. Whatever it is, It looks cool and I like it, Thank for posting pics!.

Thanks Edman!

I don't think our rear fenders could be much more similar!

cleger

Hi great looking bike. Is that an 18" rear wheel off an older sporty? Can I ask what it took to mount it to a newer bike? Thanks shoei

Yeah, it's a '79 wheel.

It will bolt up with the right combination of spacers, though I can't remember the measurements. The flange is short on the pulley/sprocket side, and the races both seat too deep for the spacers from the later wheels.

cleger

Good looking bike - I can't ever get enough of the 2:2 Supertrapps. Too bad nothing for the '04's on the way.

As far as what's a Cafe and what's not, I say anything that's "sporty" will suffice. Cafes, roadracers, flat trackers, etc.

Cafe all the way. Have you considered a set of rear sets. Maybe that will help the handling out more. I remember the 80's gpz kawa having 18' front and rear and how much the riders loved them. Steering dampner and fork brace are also a nice useful addition. I bought my dampener after I had a 100 mph speed wobble that just about got me killed. All great additions to a fire road bike. Don't forget the clip-on bars as well. Lots of little things to help your obvious hellion riding style.

Thanks Ralph,

I took this route as replacement for an old A65 Lightning I once owned, that I used to ride through the woods, in the yard, over stone walls, etc, and still break 100mph out on the road every now and then. Never should have sold that bike, but fun as it was, it was fragile as an egg, and I got tired of fixing it. Of course, I spent the first 3 months of Sportster ownership chasing oil leaks all around the engine... finally tore it down to the barrels. Pretty dry now.

I guess it was either this or a KTM Duke or similar... but only the Sportster could vie with the A65 for panache. The Duke looks like a Tonka cement mixer I remember from my youth...

Rearsets & clip-ons are not realy what I'm trying for here, neither is a damper. Had all those things on my last few bikes! Maybe we need a street-tracker thread... I have added a Superbrace fork brace since those pictures were taken though! Thank God for eBay! I think I'll go look for a good pair of trials boots...

cleger

It sounds like you ride the heck out odf this bike. I was wondering about the really high suspension now I know why. You actually need the travel. I have not done much trail riding except in Norway on a 3000 mile 5 day trip. We only did it because the tarmac just ended. 100 miles later we were back on tar. I snapped the bolt that held my headlight on a huge rutt but other than that it held up well. I have seen some photos on the old site of a dirt bike looking sporty that was probably right up your ally. Good luck with the bike and enjoy those woods. Ditto on the ebay. By the way, the best seat I ever had was a 94 sportster sport that kept you right in place. It sounds like you need that but once again my trail riding is limited. You probably ride like a friend of mine. Throw the rear end arond the turn and drive like you stole it. He had a KTM enduro(600 I think) and a pan chopper. Road both bikes the same. Suicide clutch and hand shift and still treated it like it was a dirt bike. Unfricken beleivable but true.

Maybe we need a street-tracker thread...

cleger

Very cool bike. Excuse me for my ignorance, but I don't know what a street-tracker is... could you explain it to me?

TIA

Great looking bike!
Are your wheels painted or powder coated?
I am planing on painting my wheels, pretty much like yours,
anyone have insights on HD texture paint vs. powder coating on wheels?

Amen on E-Bay! May have Supertrapps in 7 hours(or may not!)
Also planning on black ceramic type coating on header pipes or on complete
supertrapp exhaust system, don't care much for the S.S. turning golden.

Very cool bike. Excuse me for my ignorance, but I don't know what a street-tracker is... could you explain it to me?

TIA

Hi Havoc,

A street tracker is a road-going bike set up in the style of an American flat track racing bike. This suits them for occasional off-road use. Closest European analogue would probably be a supermotard.

cleger

Great looking bike!
Are your wheels painted or powder coated?
I am planing on painting my wheels, pretty much like yours,
anyone have insights on HD texture paint vs. powder coating on wheels?

Amen on E-Bay! May have Supertrapps in 7 hours(or may not!)
Also planning on black ceramic type coating on header pipes or on complete
supertrapp exhaust system, don't care much for the S.S. turning golden.

Hi 883RRR,

My finish on my wheels is original, and is still used by Harley... it's a black finish, maybe powder coat, with machined-back-to-metal rims & spoke ridge-things. You've seen it before.

If you want a black-finished set of wheels like mine, and you don't mind a 16" rear, there are always tons of take-offs on eBay.

cleger

Thanks for the info on the wheels.
No Supertrapps for me this time, had to go out to work and forgot the auction, $305.00 !! AUGHHH! :drinkup