Right hand shift ?? (year ended)
Answered in the other thread.
Road Master
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 751
Likes: 6
From: 500 miles south from Artic Circle
Yep it isn't so hard to use that SEARCH option above...
I don't know, but would it be good idea to put one topic as "sticky" where you can find "all" important Ironhead related web links ?
As SPORTSTER came to my mind first... good place to seek info about sportster models. Just go to History. Who can do this Administrator ?
I don't know, but would it be good idea to put one topic as "sticky" where you can find "all" important Ironhead related web links ?
As SPORTSTER came to my mind first... good place to seek info about sportster models. Just go to History. Who can do this Administrator ?
Advanced
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 54
Likes: 0
From:
Im looking at getting my 76 back to right hand shift, where did you get the parts from. Paul
Stellar HDF Member
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 3,035
Likes: 17
From: Houston Texas
As was stated before, the 4A means the bike is an XLCH. If the last 2 digits are unreadable, then you cannot tell the year model. More importantly, you cannot determine the displacement without pulling the head to measure the bore.
Don't be too concerned, there is not a dime's worth of difference between the two............... pg
Stage I
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 1
Likes: 0
From: Birmingham, AL
quick question. i recently bought an "82" ironhead. except for the fact that its a right hand shift.... when i first got the bike it had a linkage that went around the back of the motor and wrapped around to the left side to a traditional foot shifter, it was soo damaged and looked home made that i took it off and just set up a right handed jockey shift. basically what i want to know is if they even made right handed shifters then and if not what year model am i most likely looking at....thnx
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 8,852
Likes: 2,494
From: Decatur, Alabama
I don't think you have an '82. Probably a 1975. Welcome to the forum. I'm just North of you in Decatur.
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Stellar HDF Member
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 3,035
Likes: 17
From: Houston Texas
quick question. i recently bought an "82" ironhead. except for the fact that its a right hand shift.... when i first got the bike it had a linkage that went around the back of the motor and wrapped around to the left side to a traditional foot shifter, it was soo damaged and looked home made that i took it off and just set up a right handed jockey shift. basically what i want to know is if they even made right handed shifters then and if not what year model am i most likely looking at....thnx
In 1975 the law was changed (made) that said all motorcycles must shift on the left side.
Harley took care of this on the 1975 model by cobbing together a bunch of hardware garbage that moved the shifter over to the left.
In 1976 Harley made a design change which had the shift rod coming out on the left side of the engine.
So to answer your question, the engine you have could be a 1975 or older.
The easiest way to tell is to look at the engine serial number.
It should be:
3A (for an XLH) or 4A (for an XLCH)
5 number digits
Then an 'H' (for the manufacturer- Harley)
The last digit will be a number.
A 'zero' is a 1970
'1' is a 1971
'2' is a 1972..........etc.
'9' will be a 1979
After 1980 a different type of numbering system was used.
There was never a right hand shift model made after 1975, so yours is certainly not a 1982 model.
pg