1976 1000cc Iron Head Sportster
It started about three years ago after giving the garden a make over and
building a large play house at the bottom for the kids, one half for my
bits and the other half for them, and after sitting down I started to twiddle
my thumbs getting board I needed something to put in there, I started to
think of what I could do, at this point a bike was the furthest thing from
my mind but I have had several bikes and done motocross when I was younger
for quite a few years, but after seeing wide ass bike cruising down the
road and the pipes singing there song, the visions soon started, so after
picking up my laptop and started looking at the classified sites a bike
was found.
This bike was found in a back garden after seeing an add, It had sat for
a number of years and was a non runner with a seized clutch, swing arm and
front wheel, the rest of the bike was in a bad way it had been butchered
and had a number of non Harley parts on it, it showed signs of both rust
and corrosion. It also had no neither v5 nor number plates nor very little
history. Once rescued and back home in my shed I had a picture in my head
of what I wanted, the duo glide look the total opposite of the machine that
inspired me in the first place, I had seen a number of these bikes and liked
the classic look it started to grow on me so the bike was stripped and started
from scratch, I wanted to give it the fat look of a big twin and a longer
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So I started by getting a few tools and cutting of all the old brackets
to tidy the frame up, the swing arm was eventfully removed and the seized
bearings knock out, a new set were fitted and the swing arm refitted to
test its operation, it was then removed again and I started to lengthening
the swing arm by 6 inches and relocated the lower shock mounts to lower
the rear by 4 inches and then added a fat boy front end this gave me the
rolling chassis.
I then could work out how long the front tubes needed to be to make the
bike level then I relocated and modified the top shock mount and used a
pair of rear fender struts from a soft tail, the next step was to find a
full rear fender but because the chain runs on the other side to most Harleys
the chain cut out was on the wrong side, so the rear fender was made from
a sidecar fender and the chain cut out was put on the right side this also
gave me the full fender, the battery was put under the seat and a cover
made to hide that and the wiring loom, next was the oil tanks, these were
not going to be bought of the selves so I had a set made, the custom made
oil tanks and chain guard were made by P&D Bikes along with all the
major welding of tank and shock mounts . the set of shovel tanks that came
with the bike were used and needed very little modifying, the solo seat
was recovered and I put the studs around the skirt to add the classic look
and modified a road king seat rail to fit and along with the seat springs
it work well. After all these parts were test fitted it was stripped, and
the frame and swing arm was sent of to be sand blasted and powder coated.
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By now I had a good idea of what was going to fit and what was not,
what I wanted and were to get it. EBAY this online auction site will have
any thing you need to
rebuild a bike and its world wide, I was looking at dorking boot sale for
parts in the morning and shopping in the states that afternoon, I must admit
I have found a good few deals on there and friends, by now I had collected
a tee chest full of new parts and started to fit them when the frame came
back, I got a deal on a pair of 16inch rims and bought a new set of tubes
and put together the front end this gave me the rolling chassis, I started
to fit the tanks and the dash unit this was very tedious as it took a lot
of adjusting to get every thing to sit right the handle bars were fitted
to make sure nothing hit. The hole thing was dry built and the engine was
replaced the rest of the parts added to ensure every thing fitted. Then
it was dismantled back to the rolling chassis.
the engine has been totally rebuilt with S&S crank set, rod and pistons,
the heads were stripped and powder coated with the rest of the engine and
then new valves, springs and guides were fitted, the oil pump was overhauled
and an oil filter added, the gear box was checked and all bearings replaced
and shimmed along with a new clutch. Crane hi4 ignition and home made wiring
loom. every nut and bolt was replaced and all the chroming has been done
local platers, Pro plate, finely the tank and fenders were painted by a
friend and the prep was a lot of work many nights of rubbing down and shaping
up, the colours are original Harley, Venetian blue and birch white sprayed
in a classic duo glide style and then I put the rest of the bike all back
together it took me about two years to finish and was more of a hobby then
a project and have enjoyed the whole rebuild, when I was down to the last
few bits silly nut and bolts, washers and sills
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This is when I found out that Harley Davidson UK was running a best sportster
competition which the first round was in less then a month and was told
that I should go in for it…so I did only finishing my bike days
before the first round.
The first round was held at stadiums Chingford London, and it was the
middle of summer but the sun weren’t shinning but it wasn’t
raining so of I went with a few mates and entered my bike...it came first
along with another 4 bikes to go onto the second round, after that I did
a few miles to run her in and fine tuned a few bits, quered a few oil
leaks and added a bit more chrome the front and rear fender rails.
The second round was just outside Watford and ounce again me and a few
mates set of, this turned out to be on of the hottest days of the year
and a great day it was…I won again me and 4 other were of to faker
see in Austria for the finals.
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When we got to Austria it was amazing there were bikes every were trade
tents and stalls and some of the most amazing bikes I have ever seen,
all walks of life and what really opened my eyes was how friendly the
people were, it was such a buzz to see people from all over taking photos
of my bike and there mates taking photos of them next to my bike and people
taking the time to ask questions and congratulating me on a nice job,
now my bike may not appeal to every one but I have put all I had into
it and would like to think that its finished off to a high standard and
its what I had in my head when I first started out. any way the judging
was on and the three judges were taking a good long look at al the bikes,
there must have been around 20 bikes in the final and they were all nice
bikes……the judges took there places to announce the results
and I was over the moon to win 1st place for custom classic, and never
thought I would be entering any completions but when other people look
at it or take photos it does make me happy, and to think I done most of
it myself. Many of the new parts have been bought from the states via
eBay auction a well worth place to look for new and old parts.
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Here's The Gory Details, er
I mean the Spec Sheet
OWNER: DAVE PATMORE
ORIGINAL MAKE, YEAR & MODEL: HARLEY DAVIDSON SPORTSTER
ENGINE: 1000cc IRON HEAD
ENGINE MODIFICATIONS:.. The engine has been totally rebuilt
with S&S crank set, pistons and rods,S&S Super E carb rejetted
and running open drag pipes I also drilled the main jet air bleed hole
out to .050 to help stop some of the midrange hesitation that is likely
to plague me on the iron head the heads were stripped and powder coated
with the rest of the engine and then new valves, springs and guides were
fitted, the oil pump was overhauled and an oil filter added, the gear
box was checked, an Andrews main shaft and counter shaft were fitted all
bearings replaced and shimmed along with a new clutch. The generator was
repaired and new brushes the starter was overhauled and new brushes fitted,
heavy gauge audio power cable was used to get the power to the starter
along with a Crane hi4 ignition and home made wiring loom.
FRAME: Original 76 XLH with modified rear shock mounts and fat bob petrol
tank mounts added and then powder coated black
FRAME MODIFICATIONS: I wanted to give it the fat look of a big twin and
a longer wheel base, so I started by lengthening the swing arm by 6 inches
and relocated the lower shock mounts to lower it by 4 inches and then relocated
and modified the top shock mounts and used a pair of rear fender struts
from a soft tail, the battery was put under the seat and a cover made to
hide that and the wiring loom, the custom made oil tanks and chain guard
were made by P&D Bikes along with all the major welding of the shock
mounts . the set of shovel tanks that came with the bike were used and needed
very little modifying, the solo seat was recovered and I added the seat
studs around the skirt to add the classic look and modified a road king
seat rail to fit around the rear of the seat and along with the seat springs
it work well.
EXHAUST: Half length straight through fish tails, these were on the bike
when I bought it and was one of the things that attracted me to it I never
wanted to change them as they have the classic look, so I had them rechromed,
heat shield are not available but I was given some odd ones by biff and
I will have a go making them fit this winter.
FORKS: Harley fat boy 41mm front end with chromed lower sliders and tin
ware, one off stainless steel bearing cups
WHEELS: 16 inch chrome wheels with stainless spokes and chromed hubs and
hub caps, Dunlop white walls
BRAKE(S): Standard H/D front caliper, rebuilt and chromed, rebuilt Lockheed
rear caliper with custom made bracket and chromed, homemade goodridge braided
brake lines with hydraulic brake switch mounted behind rear fender and 11
˝ inch vented disks…………..and chromed
HANDLEBARS: knucklehead style 1 ˝ chubby bars with chrome controls,
switches, levers and braided cables.
LIGHTS: Beehive rear light with the Harley trio up front and no indicators
MUDGUARD(S): Heritage front fender dressed with chrome trims and spears
and a classic fender rail, the rear fender was made from a sidecar fender
and the chain cut out was put on the right side,
TANK: Twin 5 gallon fat bobs from an early shovel and using a cat eyes dash,
one off leather tank panel my own design
SEAT: Single seat was with the original bike and has been recovered and
studs added to the skirt for the classic look, one off seat rail made from
an old road king rail then rechromed, 3 inch springs add the finishing touches
ELECTRICS & BOXES: One off wiring loom made by me and relays added for
passing lamps and horn
PAINT: Classic colours and style from the duo glide and painted in two pack
by my mates peter and Alex
POLISHING/PLATING: a lot off the one off items were chromed and the modified
parts were rechromed a large amount of the new bits were bought chromed
OTHER STUFF: One off forward controls incorporating oil filter and running
boards made from bit a pices,rear fender rail made from an original duo
glide rail modified to fit, one off classic looking full chain guard, of
coursed all chromed, old style horn
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