Ironhead I'm beginning to hate my bike...

[SLS]

Originally Posted by 1979ironhead

Which just shows you know squat about Ironheads. A well sorted Ironhead will not require "chasing problems all of the time" That is just an ignorant comment from a poorly informed source.

I have to agree. Either face the fact that owning and maintaining a CLASSIC motorcycle is going to be a learning experience and a challange......or forget it and buy a cookie cutter late model.

I cursed my Ironhead and it's previous owners many times over that first year of sorting it out.....LOL!

[beekay]

my brother in law bought a 74 BMW 90/6 with a sidecar the same time I bought my sportie 1.5 years ago. We both started out with carb and gas issues, I also had electrical issues (PO, of course!). I got mine running in a few weeks (while trying to move into a new house and living in an RV in his back yard). His is STILL not running 1.5 years later!

Its not a Sportster or Harley thing.... its an Old mistreated bike thing. in 30 plus years, there are many opportunities for many owners to "make it theirs". LOL.

[Hopper]

Originally Posted by beekay

my brother in law bought a 74 BMW 90/6 with a sidecar the same time I bought my sportie 1.5 years ago. We both started out with carb and gas issues, I also had electrical issues (PO, of course!). I got mine running in a few weeks (while trying to move into a new house and living in an RV in his back yard). His is STILL not running 1.5 years later!

Its not a Sportster or Harley thing.... its an Old mistreated bike thing. in 30 plus years, there are many opportunities for many owners to "make it theirs". LOL.

I would rather have an old Ironhead than an old BMW - and I say this as an owner of both.

The BM effing W is a total pain to work on and parts are way expensive.
I bought it thinking it would be a good reliable ride to work bike needing no work, but so far it has been one very expensive thing after another.

Gearbox rebuild - $700 in parts, including special bearings. All sorts of special tools needed.
Rear end diff - $600 just for the bearings. More special tools needed.
Clutch - $300
Brakes - $80 per caliper rebuild kit, $100 master cylinder rebuild kit

I now have it up on the workbench going through everything from the ground up. Like old Ironheads, it is easier to just go through and fix everything first and end up with a bike as good and reliable as new than it is to keep riding it and having to fix things along the way.

All it takes is money...

[JackFrost71]

No comment on the iron vs evo stuff...

I can relate to the frustration from having the itch to ride when your bike is under construction for whatever reason. I'm looking at Ironheads now but I won't part with the evo, it only left me stranded once (new gas formula killed the petcock). I don't think I'll resent the busted bike as much if I know I can hop on the other while I wait for parts etc.

[Ferrous Head]

BMW's ? I once worked for a major dealer/distributor. The owners of the business drove Ferrari's and lived in Mansions. Our basic markup was about 70% on parts. There are virtually NO aftermarket suppliers for BM parts so they have no competition. Monopolies keep prices higher. AND ! Guess what ? They break just as often as anything else.

[drhach]

Originally Posted by Ferrous Head

BMW's ? I once worked for a major dealer/distributor. The owners of the business drove Ferrari's and lived in Mansions. Our basic markup was about 70% on parts. There are virtually NO aftermarket suppliers for BM parts so they have no competition. Monopolies keep prices higher. AND ! Guess what ? They break just as often as anything else.

I too own both a BMW and a Sportster as well as a couple of Japanese bikes. Some day I'll have a bike from Italy and England and I'll have all of the major players from WWII (France doesn't count).

Anyway, in defense of BMW, you can still pretty much buy any part you need for pretty much any BMW model you have. I wish HD did that. The reason aftermarkets exist is because OEM's drop the parts. Frankly, a lot of aftermarket stuff is junk. So, say what you want about the markups, I have found that buying OEM is at least something that I can trust in terms of quality. I wish I could still call HD and get what I need. It would be much easier. Instead I find myself scouring ebay for NOS parts because I don't trust/believe that what I buy will last or fit the way it should. So much for saving money and time.

I have cursed every bike I've owned. That will probably never change either. I bought the Ironhead because I wanted something to tinker with. I got it in spades. I just need to remember that when I'm elbow deep in frustration. "I asked for this" and when it works I'll be glad for it. In the mean time, damn.

Honestly, I wanted a Triumph or BSA, I stumbled accross the Ironhead and figured "why not?" It seemed that in the end, it would be just as fun, just as reliable and just as quirky as a Brit bike. So far so good.