I know there are a ton of similar forums, but I will try to shed some light on the problems and answer some questions we had and solved.
My son is 17 and is doing all the work himself. He also works at the local harley dealer on Saturdays, so he does have some ins on take-off parts
My son fell in love with the Sportster 48 - so went out in search of a sportster to ride and gradually modify. He picked up a super clean 1994 883, great bike. He started to gather parts and look into what he needed. After we thought we were ready we realized a 96 and newer with an electronic speedo was going to save a lot of heartache and problems (if you want to run a speedo). We searched for a deal, found a 2003 and he just sold the 93 tonight. There are deals out there, just need to find them.
Here is what we came up with.
Triple Tree (Most important piece is the triples) - There are some affordable aftermarket ones out there, but we were fortunate enough to find a set on ebay listed as "Sportster Triple" The other issue you will run into is the steering lock. The earlier sprtsters had the tab to use a padlock, the newer locks are internal. We were not concerned with this and will just cut the tab off the frame. The triple bolts right on - No issues.
Forks/fender - The actual 48 fork and fender are unique to the bike. The fender mounts actually bolt down instead of to the side. Not a big deal, but worth mentioning. We were able to come across a set used with the fender. But stock forks can be used, you will need to change to lowering springs and fab up a fender.
Wheels - Sportster wheels came with three different sized bearings for the axles. I believe up to '03 were 3/4", then went to 1", then the later models switched to 25mm. If you are using actual 48 forks, You will need the 25mm bearings and axle. The good part is you can swap bearings in the wheels your using to fit the forks you decide on. If you use a 48 rear wheel, just swap out the bearings to fit your rear axle. The 3/4 bearings fit in the hub fine, but the flange is a little narrower in the hub. So, your bearing will be a little wide and stick out about 3mm (vs being inset about 2mm) you will need to take 5 mm from both wheel spacers.
Speedo - If you are using an older bike with a mechanical speedo you will have fitment issues with the cable and the pickup. It seems simple, but the pickups are 3/4" and will not work with the 1" or 25mm axle from the 48. If you are still using an older set of forks you may be fine. Also the electronic speedo's changed between 03 and 04. 96 - 03 work independently of the ecu. 04 and newer run through the ECU and operate on a different voltage. They are not interchangeable.
Tires - If you want to make it easy use the 130/90-16. The 150 may fit, but it will take some work and modification.
We were lucky to find a 2003 with low miles that had light front end damage, a broken fork, dent on the tank and twisted rear fender. Perfect for our project except the dented tank. Here are a few pics where he is at now. We should have the rest of our front end parts next week and hopefully get the bike on the street.
Craigslist pic
Got it home, Right fork is sheared from sliding into a rock.
Front off - 48 triple on
He got take-off bars and signals from the dealer.
Bent fender off, Take-Off 48 shocks on.
Rear wheel off
Tire, Pulley, Brake Disc and Bearings swapped over to the 48 wheel. Spacers cut down.
The new front end made it today. Ben was back at it right away. A couple of unforeseen issues:
Flat back tire.....Didn't check the tire when we swapped it over. There was a nail in it, scrapped a $40 tube.
The stock aluminum spacer we ground down cracked. Had to remake a spacer using steel.
Front rotor is warped...need to find another
Front wiring is a bit of an issue. There is more wire to hide , not a huge deal but something we need to work on. Here are a few more pics.
I have take-offs from my 48 with less than 400 miles when I replaced them for floating rotors... yours if you want/need them. These are off a 2013 Forty-Eight
Wachuko - that would be awesome. We just stopped at the HD dealer to see if they had any take-offs, but no luck. We are in Greeley, CO. Let me know what you would want for the front or both shipped. Thanks
Wachuko - that would be awesome. We just stopped at the HD dealer to see if they had any take-offs, but no luck. We are in Greeley, CO. Let me know what you would want for the front or both shipped. Thanks
Besides the warped rotor, which sounds like we got covered (thanks), everything is going great.
We replaced the glass/bezel on the 2003 speedo with the good one from the "48" speedo.
He wrapped the exhaust
Been tuning the carb. Always stuff to learn!
06-09-2015, 01:11 AM
2003 Sportster 883 "48" - Swap info
