Tech Talk: How to Turn Your Sportster Into an Off-Road Harley
Here’s everything you need to hit the trails.
Harley-Davidson bikes aren’t exactly the first thing that comes to mind when you think of off road capable motorcycles. But if you’re an H-D fan who can’t possibly imagine buying a Japanese dirt bike to hit the trails, there is another way. Plenty of enterprising folks out there have converted their Harley’s into off road machines.
Generally, the most popular basis for the build is the Sportster platform. Mostly because they’re relatively simple, inexpensive, and flush with a supportive aftermarket. And a Sportster is exactly what YouTuber DanDantheFireman chose to build his own off road Harley. Plus, he’s nice enough to talk about the build and provide a list of the parts he used. Dan readily admits that “taking a Sportster off road isn’t the greatest idea.” But it is certainly doable.
First, you’ll want to swap out your bars. Dan replaced his cafe style bars with Biltwell Moto Bars, which can retain the Sportster’s stock cables. No matter which ones you use, he points out that you’ll need bars that are “a little bit taller” than stock so you can stand up and ride. Secondly, suspension upgrades are a must. Dan upgraded to a set of Progressive 412 Series 13.5″ shocks, which lift the bike up for better ground clearance.
Finding a set of proper dual sport tires for the Sportster is a bit more of a challenge. Dan says that while the 19″ front wheel is easy to outfit, the 16″ rear presented “a big problem.” Admittedly, you can switch to a larger wheel, but that costs money. So after a couple of months of searching, Dan settled on a Duro HF 904 Median Dual-Sport rear tire to go with his Mitas E-07 front tire.
The next step is to ditch that low slung Sportster exhaust and replace it with something that sits higher up. Dan admits that he’s hit more than a few rocks with his pegs, which would otherwise lead to some expensive exhaust damage. To keep that from happening, he chose a Roland Sands Design Tracker 2 into 1 exhaust. Dan didn’t drop the cash on a beefier air filter or fuel pack, which are recommended for off road use. But he does suggest the Vance and Hines FuelPak and Clarity air cleaner for anyone with off road aspirations.
While that covers the basics, Dan points out that you can add on other extras if you wish. He uses a Mustang Fast-Back seat and Burly Brand MX style pegs, both of which he highly recommends. You can also go all out with stuff like a sissy bar, speedo relocation kit, brighter LED lights, fly-by-wire grips, and front fork preload adjusters.
Dan’s been off roading his Sportster for quite some time now and learned a lot along the way. So, it’s pretty awesome of him to lay things out in such a detailed manner for our digestion. If you’re interested in turning your old Sportster into an off road toy, we can’t think of a better resource than his YouTube channel.
