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I just picked up this '78 Sportster over the weekend. I don't care if it's a girl bike, I love it  
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| # ¿ Feb 28, 2012 17:55 |
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| # ¿ May 18, 2013 10:22 |
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clutchpuck posted:That looks like fun but the handlebars make my wrists weep. I'm not a fan either. Dude I bought it from gave me a different bar that I'll be mounting at my earliest convenience. Olde Weird Tip posted:Nice bike, but two questions: 1) No. It's a drum on the rear. Looks like this one. 2) The rear axle mounts in what appears to be a slot. I'm guessing you loosen the lugs, adjust, then tighten down.
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| # ¿ Feb 29, 2012 03:14 |
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So, I'm starting to learn that just because a part came off a sportster the same year as yours doesn't mean it's the same part. I had the kickstand snap on my bike when I had it on the trailer (it was tied down well enough that nothing else was damaged) so I ordered a new one from a parted out sportster of the same year. Lo and behold, it isn't the peg-and-screw style kickstand that mine had and it's also much longer, meaning I need a different spring. Assuming I can get a peg and cotter pin that will work and a longer spring at the hardware store, there's no guarantee that it will even keep the bike up. FFFFFFFFFF.
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| # ¿ Mar 1, 2012 15:40 |
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Am I the only one that finds almost all HD merch just plain ugly? If I ever start buying any of this type of crap for myself, CA has permission to shoot me. Hell, get some cross-forum action with TFR going on. Go nuts.
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| # ¿ Mar 6, 2012 21:07 |
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I'm having poo poo luck locating a replacement kickstand. Everything I find doesn't seem to be the kind of kickstand I have. I've found kits to replace the peg and screw for a kickstand like mine, but any kickstand I can find that is supposedly for my bike is one you screw directly onto the frame instead of mount up like the old one. I find this odd as I'm pretty sure the kickstand that snapped isn't a stock kickstand. It's very wide at the bottom. Ninja edit: Would it be a bad idea to get the old one welded? I feel like it might be..
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| # ¿ Mar 7, 2012 04:07 |
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Kind of a stupid question, but I've got a 78 sportster and it needs new fork seals. How do I know which seals to buy? I've been looking at seals, seal rebuild kits, etc, but they all specify certain front ends and different year ranges that mine could fall in. Edit: I guess what I'm asking is, how do I determine if I have a Showa, Kayaba, or other fork? IcedPee fucked around with this message at Mar 22, 2012 around 15:00 |
| # ¿ Mar 22, 2012 14:04 |
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iwentdoodie posted:gently caress the noises. A semi at a light smells like my bike is on fire. Which is a legit worry on a drat near 40yr old bike. This is why I learned very quickly not to flood the carburetor when the engine is hot. I prefer to think of my bike as "eccentric" rather than "fire hazard" or "death trap."
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| # ¿ Apr 3, 2012 18:03 |
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It's time for Adventures in Fork Seals with Forums User IcedPee! I've never done this before, but I watched a video about it on youtube, so that practically makes me an expert. Let's get started! When removing one of the brake calipers, I encountered this guy here:  rear end in a top hat. Who cuts out the head of a bolt and then just puts it back (super tight, I might add)? Had to cut the fucker out with a hack saw. Also to be noted, my nails look a mess now. Gonna have to get them did before I go out. In any case, a new set was only $17 + s/h  Unfortunately, it doesn't end there. The seal was beyond hosed. Only the rubber would come out, and it peeled off like flaky paint.  gently caress this, all this work is making me hungry.  Be careful when boiling your fork! If you over-cook it, it can get mushy. A little prying, and it finally came out.  So, now while I'm cleaning everything up, I've got the replacement here:  Now, I know where the seal goes, so I'm going to phrase this last question as intelligently as I can: Where's the other little rubber doohicky supposed to go?  Edit: afterthought: The condescending, but informative, dude at the bike shop implied that, since my seals were shot and leaking oil onto the brake rotors, they would have to be cleaned somehow before it would pass. Is there any special way I should be cleaning them other than giving them a wipe-down and then just using the brakes a few times as normal? I don't wanna go back to the guy and have him tell me he won't pass it until he changes the seals himself (for $200). IcedPee fucked around with this message at Apr 6, 2012 around 00:40 |
| # ¿ Apr 5, 2012 23:11 |
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I'm a dude, though. If I ride a girl-bike and have long hair, is that still ok?
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| # ¿ Apr 6, 2012 02:36 |
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In all fairness, it's a pretty god drat stupid campaign. Anyhow, I have an actual biek question. My carburetor is running too rich (actually belches fire with its dying gasp sometimes  ) and while I can get lots of great info on how to adjust it, they don't tell me WHAT the gently caress to adjust, nor do they tell me a good way to know what carb I've got on the damned thing.What I have is this:  The stuff I read acts like there should be only the mixture screw and the throttle adjustment screw, but as you can see, I have three screws. The one in the center of the image (left hand side of the carb) is obviously the throttle adjustment, but what are the other two on top? IcedPee fucked around with this message at May 17, 2012 around 19:12 |
| # ¿ May 17, 2012 19:06 |
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Olde Weird Tip posted:Apologies to any Nascar fans in the room Actually, I'm more offended that you imply I like to watch rednecks drive around in a circle for three hours because I ride a sportster.
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| # ¿ May 17, 2012 20:02 |
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KozmoNaut posted:I like that a lot. Harley should make bikes like this. They made what they called a cafe racer (the XLCR sportster. It doesn't look anywhere near as cool as that one) back in the 70s, but it wasn't popular. They're sought after these days, though.
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| # ¿ May 23, 2012 14:09 |
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Does anyone know of anywhere to get speedo/tach cables in non-standard lengths? I ordered a set that are supposedly stock length for my bike and, lo and behold, they are both too short. Everywhere I see online selling them advertises the same length that I ordered, but nothing longer.
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| # ¿ May 23, 2012 18:02 |
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GnarlyCharlie4u posted:sportster wearing a spiderman costume The rear end end of that looks so heinous. In other sportster news, I'm sick of my crappy Bendix carb and I just ordered one of these. Did I overpay? Probably a bit, seeing as a Mikuni VM38 can be had for about $75-$90, but I didn't know where I was gonna get the throttle cable and mounting hardware or even what version of the drat VM38 to buy and this is being sold as a bolt-on replacement. I am undecided on the air cleaner. I think I could learn to like it.
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| # ¿ Jul 12, 2012 16:05 |
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Marv Hushman posted:Crap, I would have sent you a VM38 for postage, though I also have no idea if it would fit your application and what wizardry would be involved to hook it up and dial it in. Yeah, trying to avoid voodoo is why I'm replacing my old Bendix in the first place. Yesterday it was running ok. Today, it's backfiring and popping a lot. I have changed nothing. Now watch, I bolt this new carb on and it turn out to be an exhaust leak problem all along (pretty sure it's not).
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| # ¿ Jul 13, 2012 16:43 |
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Put on the VM38 over the weekend. It fired up no problem, but it was running at 3.5-4k RPM and adjusting the idle speed screw did sweet gently caress-all to help. I figured out that the slide was leaving quite a gap and not coming even close to closed. This raises a question: how much gap do I want in there when the throttle is completely "closed?" If I leave no gap at all (I adjusted the cable at the top and now it will close all the way provided I don't roll off slowly), the bike won't start or run even with the choke on. I have read that with this sort of carb, you're not supposed to give it gas at all when you're starting it and just use the choke. The bike won't kick over unless I'm opening it up a little now that the slide is fully closed, though. Any thoughts? I can't really find any information on how to set up this carb other than "adjust the idle speed screw and air screw.  " (and more than half the time, they say the idle screw is on the wrong side of the carb - both the idle and air screws are on the right side)Edit: After some more searching, I found this guy here. He went through all the same stuff I've been going through (and more. I hope this means I'm slightly less retarded) and I think I've got most of my answers now. Hopefully the rain lets up today and I can get it back on the road after work. IcedPee fucked around with this message at Jul 24, 2012 around 16:45 |
| # ¿ Jul 24, 2012 14:43 |
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clutchpuck posted:I don't know about you folks but I am mentally on my way to Sturgis. I am pretty much an oil change, wheel bearing replacement, and 40 clocked hours away... and I am useless. Not I, good sir. When you consider what I'm working with  It's pretty, but that's a long way from Pittsburgh for an old ironhead sportster. Yes, this was an excuse to post a picture of my bike.
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| # ¿ Jul 27, 2012 14:38 |
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It's been ~55 degrees today and yesterday mornings. My ironhead will not turn over with the electric start and has no kick (it's a 78), however, later in the day, it turns over flawlessly. Is my battery hosed or something? I just charged it about a week ago (wiring on this bike is absolute poo poo. Someone did a DIY and it's a piss poor job). I'm contemplating taking it over to one of the harley shops this weekend and dropping a new one in.
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| # ¿ Sep 13, 2012 15:38 |
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| # ¿ May 18, 2013 10:22 |
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babyeatingpsychopath posted:Almost certainly fuel delivery. How's your choke? Technically, there isn't one. I just put a Mikuni VM38 on it. However, the enrichener is now labeled "choke." Fires up perfectly when the bike is room temp. The bike acts like the battery is dead and the starter clicks when the bike is even at 55 degrees, but when it's warmer it fires right up. Jim Silly-Balls posted:Turn over != fire up Agh, god dammit. Don't know what I was smoking when I typed that.
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| # ¿ Sep 14, 2012 14:45 |
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