I just bought a 71 iron head. The bike looks good but it runs like ****. ive been on two wheels since i was seven but im still strugglin in the mechanical know how area and im tired of having other people work on my most prized posessions. Where is somewhere that i can get a good base of knowledge on this old bike. Im goin with the whole learn as i go thing right now and its a slow grind. Im just looking for anything that will break down the steps for making the repairs and workin out the kinks. thanks for checkin my post out.

 

Get a service manual for your bike. You'll learn alot.

Start with the essentials. Your bike needs air, fuel & spark. Make sure all of that is clean and then go from there. Being an Ironhead owner myself, I would also check the timing (reference spark).

Good luck, post pics & welcome aboard.

 

I agree, you should get a harley service manual, but if you can't afford it, a haynes will do ok. Youtube is also a good place to look. There was a guy that used to do a video series on there for the ironheads, he did timing and carb and a few other things, they were step by step and he had some neat tricks for doing the timing with a multimeter which was pretty cool.

 

found it for ya.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mKVh4pbyh2A

 

Everything about your bike has already been posted and discussed on this forum.
https://www.hdforums.com/forum/ironhead-66/

 

theres the ironhead. I appreciate the link to the timing video, but the guy that had the bike before me had put an ultima electronic ignition on the bike. I know its a better system but i like the old school a little better, but i guess as you can tell the only thing thats really origional about this bike is the motor n trans, i knew it had a few problems when i bought it but its a good start to a killer ride. ill get the manual ordered asap and get to work on it. Ill make sure and keep you guys posted. i built the other bike in the picture on a learn as i go system, so i bet i can figure this one out too. ( with a little help I appreciate the help, if you think of any more tips feel free to share, im always up for learnin more about harleys

 

that's a sweet looking ride! That's cool that the ignition is aftermarket, they're pretty much trouble free, that will make the bike quite a bit more reliable.

 

thanks man. im in the process of making a new seat and a new taillight from scratch along with taking the carb completely apart and cleaning it. Slowly but surely ill get it together and out turnin heads and makin noise. Its a labor of love, you guys know how it goes