Value of '67 Ironhead
#1
03-21-2015, 07:43 PM
#2
03-22-2015, 07:23 AM
The value depends on several things, including ...
1. location - for example where i am IronHeads that sell for $2500 to $3500 in other places have asking prices between $3500 and $5500. Good idea is to check Kijiji, CraigsList and eBay for your area
2. finding the right buyer - that is a nice looking traditional chop with all the right elements and without the [IMO horrible] mile high handle bars. The right buyer will want it but you may need some patience to find him.
3. condition of the bike - yours looks good. It will help to have receipts from a reputable shop for the engine work and perhaps for other work.
4. original parts - buyers looking for these will not be interested. But you do have the original rocker covers without the later years "Texas notch".
5. starts, runs, sounds good - display the exhaust sound and the natural IronHead engine sounds separately
I would post a video on any sale site of startup, running, and perhaps riding off and returning. Hold the camera close to the engine on both sides so that the viewer can hear the top end "symphony"
Check out this video. Listen especially when the camera is close to the engine on both sides. This is the symphony of sound of a well tuned, good running IronHead engine, and you can clearly hear the difference between the exhaust and engine sounds ...
I would not describe the engine as "bored out to 1000 cc". First it is most likely not true, and any technically knowledgeable person will know this. Second, overboring an IronHead engine is never done to increase power, it is only done to refurbish a worn engine. Typically you need to stroke the engine to get increased horsepower, and this is very expensive and requires a high level of technical knowledge.
Overbores are done in .010" increments. 900 cc is 3.00" bore, 1000 cc is 3.188" bore. You cannot get 18 overbores. I do not know about the 900 cc engine, but on a 1973-on 1000cc engine you can get at most 7 overbores; on the early 1000 engines you can get only 4.
EDIT: Here is a recent discussion/sale ...
Thinking of selling my Ironhead...what's a realistic price?
http://xlforum.net/vbportal/forums/s....php?t=1866645
1. location - for example where i am IronHeads that sell for $2500 to $3500 in other places have asking prices between $3500 and $5500. Good idea is to check Kijiji, CraigsList and eBay for your area
2. finding the right buyer - that is a nice looking traditional chop with all the right elements and without the [IMO horrible] mile high handle bars. The right buyer will want it but you may need some patience to find him.
3. condition of the bike - yours looks good. It will help to have receipts from a reputable shop for the engine work and perhaps for other work.
4. original parts - buyers looking for these will not be interested. But you do have the original rocker covers without the later years "Texas notch".
5. starts, runs, sounds good - display the exhaust sound and the natural IronHead engine sounds separately
I would post a video on any sale site of startup, running, and perhaps riding off and returning. Hold the camera close to the engine on both sides so that the viewer can hear the top end "symphony"
Check out this video. Listen especially when the camera is close to the engine on both sides. This is the symphony of sound of a well tuned, good running IronHead engine, and you can clearly hear the difference between the exhaust and engine sounds ...
I would not describe the engine as "bored out to 1000 cc". First it is most likely not true, and any technically knowledgeable person will know this. Second, overboring an IronHead engine is never done to increase power, it is only done to refurbish a worn engine. Typically you need to stroke the engine to get increased horsepower, and this is very expensive and requires a high level of technical knowledge.
Overbores are done in .010" increments. 900 cc is 3.00" bore, 1000 cc is 3.188" bore. You cannot get 18 overbores. I do not know about the 900 cc engine, but on a 1973-on 1000cc engine you can get at most 7 overbores; on the early 1000 engines you can get only 4.
EDIT: Here is a recent discussion/sale ...
Thinking of selling my Ironhead...what's a realistic price?
http://xlforum.net/vbportal/forums/s....php?t=1866645
Last edited by IronMick; 03-22-2015 at 08:01 AM.
#3
03-22-2015, 05:12 PM
Thanks for the info iron mick. The engine was rebuilt by a factory trained Harley Davidson technician. I was told it was bored out from 900cc to 1000cc for the reason of refurbishing the worn cylinders. The tech told me that the 1967 cylinder heads were thick walled and could take increased bore.
I'm thinking the engine itself has to be a bit rare. They stopped making them in the U.S. around 1968-69. I had a 1971 sportster that was in the shop more than on the road.
I'm thinking the engine itself has to be a bit rare. They stopped making them in the U.S. around 1968-69. I had a 1971 sportster that was in the shop more than on the road.
Last edited by ChickinOnaChain; 04-23-2015 at 12:57 PM.
#4
03-22-2015, 06:28 PM
That factory trained technician, as they unfortunately much too often are, is completely wrong and the technical information that i posted is completely, factually correct. It is not possible to overbore the 900cc engine to 1000cc.
It is typical to overbore an IronHead engine by some multiple of .010" from its previous condition, the usual multiple being 1 unless the cylinders are badly scored then 2 or perhaps 3 at the worst. This will result in a few more CCs, not anywhere near 1000.
You need to have the Factory Service and Parts manuals anyway so buy the pair now, look at the spec's for the engine and do the math yourself. You just need the formula for the volume of a cylinder:
V = pi * r^2 * h [the same as area of a circle multiplied by the height]
Parts: 99451-69
Service 99484-69
Search eBay and Google for these numbers or buy locally from HD dealer.
I am not a mechanic. I go by what i have learned from these forums over the past 15 or so years, and from becoming thoroughly familiar with the factory service manual for each of the several bikes that i have owned.
It is likely that the "mechanic" is literally just a technician. If he is a younger man then he received no factory training about IronHead engines and he quite simply does not know altho he will talk and act like he does. HD technicians are dangerous in this way and there are many horror stories on these IronHead forums about such people messing up good IronHead engines. So be careful with them. Get the manuals, always ask on these forums before taking the bike to a HD Factory trained tech, and go armed with enough knowledge so that you take control and tell them what to do and what to not do.
Among the worst people are those who talk and act like they are experts and refuse to learn from their patients, customers and students. I have found that automotive mechanics and machine shop owners are high on this list - arrogance abounds, there are good ones of course, but many will not listen, cannot tolerate that the customer knows better.
It is typical to overbore an IronHead engine by some multiple of .010" from its previous condition, the usual multiple being 1 unless the cylinders are badly scored then 2 or perhaps 3 at the worst. This will result in a few more CCs, not anywhere near 1000.
You need to have the Factory Service and Parts manuals anyway so buy the pair now, look at the spec's for the engine and do the math yourself. You just need the formula for the volume of a cylinder:
V = pi * r^2 * h [the same as area of a circle multiplied by the height]
Parts: 99451-69
Service 99484-69
Search eBay and Google for these numbers or buy locally from HD dealer.
I am not a mechanic. I go by what i have learned from these forums over the past 15 or so years, and from becoming thoroughly familiar with the factory service manual for each of the several bikes that i have owned.
It is likely that the "mechanic" is literally just a technician. If he is a younger man then he received no factory training about IronHead engines and he quite simply does not know altho he will talk and act like he does. HD technicians are dangerous in this way and there are many horror stories on these IronHead forums about such people messing up good IronHead engines. So be careful with them. Get the manuals, always ask on these forums before taking the bike to a HD Factory trained tech, and go armed with enough knowledge so that you take control and tell them what to do and what to not do.
Among the worst people are those who talk and act like they are experts and refuse to learn from their patients, customers and students. I have found that automotive mechanics and machine shop owners are high on this list - arrogance abounds, there are good ones of course, but many will not listen, cannot tolerate that the customer knows better.
Last edited by IronMick; 03-22-2015 at 06:32 PM.
#6
03-29-2015, 11:02 PM
That factory trained technician, as they unfortunately much too often are, is completely wrong and the technical information that i posted is completely, factually correct. It is not possible to overbore the 900cc engine to 1000cc.
It is typical to overbore an IronHead engine by some multiple of .010" from its previous condition, the usual multiple being 1 unless the cylinders are badly scored then 2 or perhaps 3 at the worst. This will result in a few more CCs, not anywhere near 1000.
You need to have the Factory Service and Parts manuals anyway so buy the pair now, look at the spec's for the engine and do the math yourself. You just need the formula for the volume of a cylinder:
V = pi * r^2 * h [the same as area of a circle multiplied by the height]
Parts: 99451-69
Service 99484-69
Search eBay and Google for these numbers or buy locally from HD dealer.
I am not a mechanic. I go by what i have learned from these forums over the past 15 or so years, and from becoming thoroughly familiar with the factory service manual for each of the several bikes that i have owned.
It is likely that the "mechanic" is literally just a technician. If he is a younger man then he received no factory training about IronHead engines and he quite simply does not know altho he will talk and act like he does. HD technicians are dangerous in this way and there are many horror stories on these IronHead forums about such people messing up good IronHead engines. So be careful with them. Get the manuals, always ask on these forums before taking the bike to a HD Factory trained tech, and go armed with enough knowledge so that you take control and tell them what to do and what to not do.
Among the worst people are those who talk and act like they are experts and refuse to learn from their patients, customers and students. I have found that automotive mechanics and machine shop owners are high on this list - arrogance abounds, there are good ones of course, but many will not listen, cannot tolerate that the customer knows better.
It is typical to overbore an IronHead engine by some multiple of .010" from its previous condition, the usual multiple being 1 unless the cylinders are badly scored then 2 or perhaps 3 at the worst. This will result in a few more CCs, not anywhere near 1000.
You need to have the Factory Service and Parts manuals anyway so buy the pair now, look at the spec's for the engine and do the math yourself. You just need the formula for the volume of a cylinder:
V = pi * r^2 * h [the same as area of a circle multiplied by the height]
Parts: 99451-69
Service 99484-69
Search eBay and Google for these numbers or buy locally from HD dealer.
I am not a mechanic. I go by what i have learned from these forums over the past 15 or so years, and from becoming thoroughly familiar with the factory service manual for each of the several bikes that i have owned.
It is likely that the "mechanic" is literally just a technician. If he is a younger man then he received no factory training about IronHead engines and he quite simply does not know altho he will talk and act like he does. HD technicians are dangerous in this way and there are many horror stories on these IronHead forums about such people messing up good IronHead engines. So be careful with them. Get the manuals, always ask on these forums before taking the bike to a HD Factory trained tech, and go armed with enough knowledge so that you take control and tell them what to do and what to not do.
Among the worst people are those who talk and act like they are experts and refuse to learn from their patients, customers and students. I have found that automotive mechanics and machine shop owners are high on this list - arrogance abounds, there are good ones of course, but many will not listen, cannot tolerate that the customer knows better.
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
