Hello Everybody ,
I am thinking of making the jump on an IronHead, I am not the most mechanically inclined, but that is the plan, i am the most mechanically 'willing' if you say

I have a softail and I can do things like small carb tuning, wrapping my own pipes, removing wheels, I even had an attempt at lowering my frong forks (unsuccessful because of lack of equipments but I got the damn things out ).

I have basic good understanding of how engines work etc..

So, what should I be looking for ? what questions should I ask ? the bike is a 'bobber' by the way, so rigid frame, custom pipes, etc, so I am curious on what to look for in a rebuilt engine ? maybe electricity questions etc.

I am looking forward to hear

 

Hello from a fellow Cannuck. I am in London.

So you are looking at this specific bike rather than just looking around? First you can tell a lot by the general condition of the bike, and of its current owner. Bike stored inside? Owner's property reasonably well kept up? Bikie clean? Starts easily? Just the usual IronHead top end noise? Clutch works OK as you ride down the street? Brakes work OK? Lights all work?

 

Hi There,
Thank you man, I will follow the routine, the bike i near you too (Niagara), but it is a Hard tail frame bobber, so I will have to judge the bike by the house as you said !.
Although I am hearing many stories of how hard it is to get parts for IronHeads these days.
Is this true ?

Regards

 

Parts are still easy to come by. eBay is a great source. J&P Cycles has a vintage catalog. Sporty Specialties in California is a terrific place to do business with. Many more.

There are naysayers who lament and cry that parts are becomming more difficult to get. May be true but is not a problem for any of the many IronHead owners i know thru these forums.

 

Encouraging words indeed specially if I am fantasizing about wrenching more and more

Here is the Kijiji add, what do you think personally ?

http://toronto.kijiji.ca/c-cars-vehi...AdIdZ192702077

 

Evel Knievel would be proud

 

Mostly IronHeads is a motorcycle shop in Elora, ON ...
Mostly Ironheads
7457 Speer's Rd
Elora ON
N0B 1S0
519-846-0040
Owner: Lloyd [forget the last name???]

He advertises from time to time in the biker mag.

Here is Lloyd's website ...
http://www.marshel.com/mostly_ironheads/about_us.htm

I have met Lloyd. He is a good guy. He has been a member of our Sportsters club. I do not know him well, personally. Give him a call and ask about the bike and about the owner.

I would not be at all interested in that bike as my interest is in near stock ironheads - for me the absolute minimum is original frame and engine with matching numbers. Then i want original tins and instruments - including turn signals. And original wire harness. Hard to find.

The $6000 asking price, IMO, is a reflection of the amount of cash that went into the bike, not a reflection of its retail value. For that much money it must be in reliable running condition with no major problems. This is, IMO, most unlikely.

The value depends on if it is exactly what you want. Most likely you would sink a few thousand $s into this bike before it would become both reliable and what you want. It is rare for an ironhead to sell for more than $3500.

There is a very limited market for such a bike. I would bet that no one will seriously answer the ad. If he really wants to sell he will have to take the [small] amount of $s a wise buyer will offer. The seller will not like this. But IMO he has to learn. You can never get out of an ironhead the $s that you put into it. Never.

Very Very Very uncomfortable to ride. May be impossible to get a safety. May be impossible to get insurance. You will want to remove the F@ck The World logo from the air cleaner. The handle bars are probably illegal at that height. I wonder about the capacity of the oil tank - ok as long as it holds a full 3 liters.

For less than $6000 you can buy and engine and an aftermarket frame and build your own.

 

Good news.
That bike will make all your dreams come true.

If you also happen to be fantasizing about buying a money pit, I have more good news............

This is how people think.

They think...."I have paid $1000.00 for a front end, therefore my bike is worth $1000.00 more."

Wrong, way wrong.

For starters, every bike has to have a front end.
Every dollar spent on an illegal or "custom" part, is usually a dollar less value to the motorcycle.

If you are not as concerned with originality as IronMick(and I do not think he would be insulted by my saying that probably most are not)
you could at least go for something rideable and functional.

There is frequently an underlying reason why bikes like that are for sale.

There is an immaculate sportster near me for sale(nowhere near you), quite original, extremely tidy, owned by an oldie, whose days on an old kickstart sporty are over. Thats the type you want. Price is not relevant as it is not canadian, but it is only about the same as the junkers, which is often the way.

My advice is to be patient, and look carefully.

 

Thanks guys for your thoughts,
I was concerned about a few things too, and you are right, I knew it is good to talk to people here.
I am hoping to get into an evening welding class this fall and electrical class (George Brown and other colleges offer them) , and if that happen I may just grab me an older Honda or something like that and see what type of fun I can have with that .
In the mean while, I hope once my Softie wheels get together I will be less eager to sink more money into bikes.

Regards

 

I know I'm a little late here, but here goes. You are right not to buy that ironhead in the link, but there are more out there. look to Craig's List or ebay. I'm in LA area, and bought the following 71 XLCH for $3000, a few months ago. I have been buying parts from ebay like a drunken sailor. There are plenty of parts and sites

Right now ironheads are cheap, but that won't last forever. In the long run they will increase in value. Look at 45's. A running 45 is worth 8-10 K when 20 years ago they were hard to sell for ironhead prices. I think an ironhead is a good investment and it's an ironhead!! Compared to other Harleys its a bargain.

Here's mine. I am going to change a few things, this is what I bought.





Take that welding class and build yourself a bobber.