What is the difference in a 74 xlh and a 74 xlch?

 

xlh Electric start ... xlch Kick start

 

Was it the other way around? I thought my 1974 was a XLCH and it was an electric start but hey that was 35 years ago and my memory is fading fast. lol

 

Nope, XLH was Electric Start and XLCH was Kick Start. I started out on a 73 XLH.

 

My bike says xlch on the front forks and is electric start only. Did someone put different forks on it do you think?

 

Could've been the forks, or just the chrome cover, or even just the stick-on label. Look at the VIN; a 1974 XLH VIN will start with 3A, while an XLCH will start with 4A.

 

In 1957 we had the first Sportster. It pretty much looked like what a later XLH would look like. It was basically a K Model with overhead valves.

In 1958 the XLCH was introduced for the first time.
The CH had a solo seat (like my machine has) and this was nothing more than the old K Model seat attached to the new CH.
The XLH had a duel seat with a handrail on the back.

The XLH had a fat gas tank of something like 3½ to 4 gals. The CH had the 2.2 gal small tank.

The XLH had fat looking fenders that covered the tires sides somewhat and the CH had trimmer fenders that made it look like it was ready for the dirt track. And indeed it was! all you needed to do was remove the lights and you had yourself a real dirt tracker for those days.

The XLCH had an 18 inch tire on the back and a 19 inch on the front.
The XLH had 18 inch wheels on both ends.

The CH had a trim and small headlight. The XLH had a big honking cowling around the headlight.

The XLH could have been purchased with saddle bags and a windshield, the CH could not.

The CH came with a lower gear ratio than the XLH.

The XLH had an electric starter after the first couple of years. This meant a very large battery and a side mount oil tank. With the electric starter the XLH also had the battery powered circuit breaker.
The CH had a Fairbanks Morse magneto. (Don't need no stinkin' battery!)
It would be a number before they hung an electric starter on a CH, but that day did come.

The CH had a small battery by 1960 and still carried the inside mount horseshoe oil tank. That was a thing of beauty!

Those were the big differences between the early CH and XLH. I know the subject is regarding the difference between a 1974 CH and XLH, but I just wanted to tell how is was in the beginning.

By the end of the 1960s it was understood that the Sporty was changing, and the direction it was headed was to become a single machine. In my opinion, Harley changed the XLH up more to look like a CH than the other way around. Back in these days the CH was preferred over the XLH by at least 2 or 3 to 1. It was just a lot sportier bike then.

At first the small gas tank was an option on the XLH. Then it became standard. By 1974, there was little difference between the two machines. By 1979 there was no difference. I cannot recall when the old CH had it's last year of production, but it must have been in the late seventies. The XLH model was a melding of the two........... pg

 

OK I just braved the weather and went out to look.It is an xlh.Thx.
JTB

 

Damn you guys have gotten my mind working. For the last few years I was thinking my 1st new H-D was a 1974 and it was an XLCH. Based on some postings here and some research with dates maybe my 1st new H-D was a 1973. Have these old pictures. I bought it new and it was green. I ended up painting, forking and sissy baring it before going to Evel Kneivel's Snake River Canyon in Sept of 74. Can't see if there was a kick start on it but know it had an electric start. Picture with it on trailer was on the way back at New Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City.

 

It's XLH -74 based: no kick start, that front brake caliber came in -74. In -73 there was "banana caliber"