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JMO. If it is a basic stock bike, Keep it stock, clean it up polish what was polish and touch up with alum. paint.
If it all chopped up and not near original do as you feel.
A stock 75 is a classic. Stock pipes sound great on the Ironhead.
Are you doing a resto? Or a Rat Custom? Show some pics. Please.
I am doing a restoration of the 75 xlch I just picked up a couple weeks ago.
It's all in pieces now, sanding the fenders/gas tank and frame and painting it myself. I wanted to make a bobber out of it but now I may just restore completely stock.
Lately I have been thinking of just getting apehangers and a new seat + front spoked rim.
Debating if I should get the kick start conversion kit for it as well...the previous owner got rid of it and put an electric start on her.
Dude back in the day what you guys now are paying big $$$$ for used to be called primer
My thoughts exactly TB. Most people think this blacked out craze if fairly new...the hotrod guys have been doing it for as long as there has been black primer...and Harley made several factory blacked out Shovels. With powdercoating, you can black out a motor that will actually look good for a few years at a fraction of the cost of chrome...a blacked out ironhead will look fine.
My thoughts exactly TB. Most people think this blacked out craze if fairly new...the hotrod guys have been doing it for as long as there has been black primer...and Harley made several factory blacked out Shovels. With powdercoating, you can black out a motor that will actually look good for a few years at a fraction of the cost of chrome...a blacked out ironhead will look fine.
I had right at $3500 in this bike including a 88" motor and a custom made Corbin seat when I built it , powder coating was still an industrial coating that hadn't become the next big craze yet .
My thoughts exactly TB. Most people think this blacked out craze if fairly new...the hotrod guys have been doing it for as long as there has been black primer...and Harley made several factory blacked out Shovels. With powdercoating, you can black out a motor that will actually look good for a few years at a fraction of the cost of chrome...a blacked out ironhead will look fine.
Holy crap...the only NEW Harley I ever bought was an FXS that looked exactly like this bike. Thanks for the pic. As far as blacking out the ironhead? I say don't do it.
I am doing a restoration of the 75 xlch I just picked up a couple weeks ago.
It's all in pieces now, sanding the fenders/gas tank and frame and painting it myself. I wanted to make a bobber out of it but now I may just restore completely stock.
Lately I have been thinking of just getting apehangers and a new seat + front spoked rim.
Debating if I should get the kick start conversion kit for it as well...the previous owner got rid of it and put an electric start on her.
If it ain't got a kick it ain't an XLCH. XLCH was kick-only. Your oil bag is an electric foot XLH.
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I believe just the jugs were black, and that did look good.
Nope, the heads, cylinders, cam cover, primary cover were black. Here's a couple pics of my Dad's '73 XLH. He's on it in the first pic, right after he brought it home -used and only semi-abused, LOL! 8 over tubes on the front, stock rake. Second pic is when I had it and had put that 8-over front end on my '72 XLCH chop, found a '62 8" over front end for one of my Brother's '75 XLH, and used his stock front on the '73. Engine in the pics is stock paint. Second pic does have an orange translucent points cover, and the kick start Dad installed.
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