Ok here is the story:
Like most of you I always wanted a Harley. Last summer, in the middle of my divorce my father buys a 96 Sportster, and offers to sell me his 72 Ironhead. I know he has ridden it for 2 seasons with noissues, so I Buy it. I loved it from that first ride (50 degrees outside on some back roads in southern Maine) I take it home. I love this bike!!!Right off the bat, my dad explains that it is an Ironhead, so I have to be sure to check her over after every ride. (no problem so far)
I deside after a few weeks of riding local, I was going to ride her to Boston to show her off to my buddies at work (about 85 miles)I ride about halfway, and pull over to put on helmet, no problem she starts right back up. I stop 3/4 of the way down to take a leak, and starter wont start just clicking. I notice tank is loose, get out tools and try to tighten tank bolt, but itis gone! no worries I know where the dealer is. I was on a hill, so I started up that way.I continue riding and I lose the little chrome end caps from my grips. So far nobig deal. (she is an ironhead) Get to Boston andI shut her down, buy the tank bolt, and she wont start! I kick this bike for maybe 20 minutes, finally she fires up. I figure better head back north!
I get on 95 north, and she is running strong, when all of a sudden I hear this horrible clanking and she shuts down. It turs out the Plate/ taillightassembly broke off and went through the fender cutting wires. It shorted out the fuse, she isn't going to run any more today. Still love this bike! I walk back and find plate and what is left of taillight assembly. call my girfriend and ask her to put trailer on the truck and come get me. Don't ever break down in Mass! only 2 people stopped to help in over 2 hours of waiting!
Ok, replaced taillight assembly and ride again. An oil line cracks, can't ride. fixed it. next ride lose the tachometer plug, get ride home. buy new plug ride again next week. Riding to Old Orchard beach, Pipe comes off! Finish out the season with a Broken handlebar riser & bad knee from kick starting, and bad back from pushing it at some pointon every ride! still like the bike!
This year comes, I find this site, and I can't wait to get her running with all that I am learning! i replace some oil lines that are dry looking, I replace starter solenoid, she cranks! but battery thatI bought last year is dead but still I am impressed to be making progress. Now my girlfriend is after me, she wants to ride! bike wont run! Kick start for hours, jump start bike she starts, get ready to go on ride, Pipes are glowing red! WTF? I adjust carbs, she runs nice now, sit on her she stalls! now she won't turn over, my girlfriend goes in the house and changes, night of fun not going to happen! I am sick of this bike!

Tomorrow I pick upthe 2000 Sportster sport I just bought!
no more waiting to be towed home! no more days spent out in the sun with Ironhead parts all over the driveway. no more avoiding long rides. I love the way she looks and rides, but need to ride more than fix.
...........72Ironhead for sale!!!

 

Uh, yeah, that was the bike from hell.

 

here's the weird thing about Ironheads: after you sell it, you'll miss it. I did the same thing, then bought a beautiful 2006 Triumph Bonnie, ran great, dependable and bored me to tears. Sold it and bought a '70 XLH and love it. There is something about old bikes in general that have a magic and character new bikes, no matter how dependable, just don't have.

 

Ironheads aren't for everyone. You need to know how motors work, have a manual, and be a decent mechanic (or rich hehe). You have to like working on bikes. They vibrate like hell on the freeway from the ridgid mounts, so yeah, **** falls off sometimes. I've lost pipes, headlight, taillight, pegs, etc. I don't go cross country on it for that reason, just ride to work and back on it every day. My blood, sweat and tears are in mine, and I wouldn't have it any other way.

"see no evo, hear no evo, putt no evo"

 

well not the most reliable ride for sure.

 

Aaaah, the good old early AMF years.

 

The answer to your question is a most definite YES.

 

Nope, now it will be sporty parts. J/K

Hopefully the sporty will be more heavenly for ya.

 

well, I adjusted the carb (read how on here) Jump started her, and she ran much better. took her out and around the neighborhood for a while. She stumbles whenI throttle her, but probably needs more adjusting. I parked her because it wasnt dark out & I couldn't tell if the pipes were glowing. It was nice to ride her again!she smelled funny when I parked her, almost like some kind of burning. Not sure if it's because it was the first ride, or because it didn't smell like oil burning on the side of thebike? but just in case I will leave her alone for today.
I miss her already, just put the for sale sign on her. hopefully she won't sell right away and I can ride her a few more times.

 

Nah, that's not the bike from hell. It's just an old ironhead. If you'd ridden it longer, got to know it better, you would have debugged it completely. After all, none of the stuff you describe is an inherent fault of the motorcycle. Your father-in-law just hadn't ridden it enough to work out the problems. In fact, having all those parts fall off--well, how can that be the fault of the bike? Whoever bolted them on just made some rookie errors, nothing that can't be fixed. In fact, other than being a little cranky when it comes to starting, she sounds like a runner.