belt drive system for 68 Sportster

[spankster71]

I am starting a new project. I have a 68 Sportster The bike was my fathers first bike and I was 4 years old when he took me for my first ride on it, I 1996 he gave it to me it sat for 13 years without being started, I put lots of money and LOVE into it. I rode for a few years and it was my therapy. Well one mile down the road 8 years ago, after putting more hours and money into it, the chain breaks and wrapped around the tranny sprocket and broke the sprocket cover and pulled the bolts out with the case attached, and it pushed up the starter so high that it broke the left case where the starter housing bolts to the left case, I broke the cases, yes both. So what i am going to do is cut the transmission section off the Sportster cases and mount it to my big twin roller I got and bolt in the revtech 5 speed tranny which is for a 90- up big twin and have the Sportster engine fitted to the frame and get an open belt drive system, but i have to have to find a belt drive sprocket for the shaft of my engine. How does that project sound? It will probably be the only 5 speed 1968 Harley Davidson Sportster ever. Anyone on here might be able to help me in the direction of finding parts I need would be very appreciated. My father passed away a3 1/2 years ago and i promised him I would get it going again. When I do I am going straight to his grave site and I am going to wake his ass up. I need parts to fit(front sprocket, clutch shell, belt, inner primary with electric start) 1968 XLH 1990-up revtech tranny with primary (chain, clutch) this a picture of ledsleds evo sporty with a baker 6 speed which inspired me I found this online

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[Spitshine]

That is amazing I am almost finished doing the same thing with my rigid chopper '68 sportster so you are not alone(I thought I was the only one this insane!)! I was going to sell the motor but with my shovel unexpectedly needing a motor rebuild and me with no money desperate times call for desperate measures. I always hated the kicker on that thing- it aint called sportster knee for nuthin! So I pulled the e-start five speed off the shovel, flipped the rear wheel on my ironhead frame around, fabbed a mount for the tranny from the front bumper from my old jeep( I want a tube bumper on that thing anyway), pulled the gearset and cut the tranny case off. I had to cut out the bottom of the centerposts and fab an oil tank from a thermos also. It all fits in the frame but I am using an open chain instead of a belt. (I left the derby cover portion bolted to the tranny so I can keep my e-start. For the motor sprocket I have my biggest challenge. I was planning on bolting a bt hard sprocket to an xl sprocket with four studs but now I think I will use two 1/2 in or 7/16 inch studs. If that isnt safe enough I might have the centers machined out of each sprocket and have the sporty splines pressed and welded into the bt sprocket. I needed to use a 22 tooth motor sprocket with the stock bt clutch basket for the 83 link primary chain which was the longest double row primary chain I can find. Good Luck to a fellow maniac Ill try to post some pics soon.

[sqdealgeorge]

That's one hell of a project! Great engineering

[Spitshine]

If you want the belt primary you could find a belt drive from the motorcycle salvage yard or whatever and pick up a solid motor sprocket. Have the ironhead splines machined out and pressed to fit in the belt sprocket. Then you'll have to have it welded in place. If you live in a big city it probably won't be hard to find a machine shop willing to do this and will probably cost less than an aftermarket belt drive anyway. I could only find one belt drive sportster system on the market and its for an evo so a machine shop is probably your best bet.

[Spitshine]

oh one more thing I dont know if you have cut your cases yet but be careful cutting around the two oil line fittings coming out of the top of the case. On my 68 these run up between the motor and tranny case and are right next to the chain oiler behind the rear cylinder. Just take as much material as necessary off and then trim around them once the bulk of the case is off. Either way its easy to create a bigger project for yourself if you arent careful.

[spankster71]

i chopped it