I got the itch. I want an Ironhead. Where do I go for straight scoop on what years are good to work on, which ones to stay away from, hard to get parts for, etc... and what am I getting myself into?

 

Much depends on what you are expecting to do after getting an ironhead. Are you equipped to do some serious wrench work? Most I/H's will require continuous tinkering to keep them running smooth, but they are a fine machine. Most Harley shops will not work on the old ironheads, independent shops will. Be prepared to have to do most of your own work. Depending on what you choose to buy, this could be a small or large project. This forum is a very good place to get information and help from other members. I have not found another site like it!

An ironhead had disc brakes in 1973 and later. Earlier XL's had drum brakes, which left a lot to be desired.
A 1976 XL (and later) had the shift lever on the left side and the brake on the right side. This is what you may be used to.
Earlier than 1975 had the shift on the right and the brake on the left side, the traditional setup.
1969 and earlier could be found with either a magneto ignition (XLCH) or a battery powered circuit breaker (XLH).
1970 and later used a battery ignition. Magnetos were not used after this time.
1970 and earlier used a dry clutch. 1971 and later used a wet clutch. The dry clutch was fine unless the plates got oil on them, which happened to me more times than I can remember.

These are just some of the differences in the models of the early machines. I am not familar with the later ironhead features (1975 and later) so perhaps another member can chime in here with some info on that, or add to what I have listed. The older the machine, I think the harder it will be to find. Most Sportsters back then finished their life as a chopper. After the chop, the next event was being relegated to a cardboard box as a heap of parts. Why so many of these fine old machines get 'chopped up' is something I have never understood. There are a limited number of them still out there, so why destroy an endangered species? That's just my two cents worth however, and a lot of folks would disagree.

In any event, whatever you decide to get for a machine.....The very first thing to buy is an official HD manual. Not a Clymers or other such publication. Get the real thing.
J&P Cycles has almost anything you may need in the way of parts. There are other sources as well. Good luck, and let us know how the search turns out................pg

 

just happened to find this on ebay a bit ago:
link

no affiliation, and no idea if its worth a penny. maybe someone else can comment.

 

Thanks for the feedback. I appreciate it.

I'm not at all intimidated by needing to do a lot of my own wrenching. In fact, that is much of the reason for wanting to get one of these. I really enjoy working on bikes or anything I can take apart and futz around with.

I'd like to find a project bike that I can fix up to ride and not necessarily be a historically accurate restoration. That said, I’d like to have disc brakes and current clutch/brake setup; 76 and later then would appear to be my sweet spot.

Any ideas what I can expect top pay? I was hoping to get a rolling and/or running bike (the blank canvas) for around $5K or less. Is this realistic for something 75 or newer?

Since I’m looking for a fixer-upper, I’m not too concerned with looks, paint, etc. I’d just like it to be in relatively good mechanical condition. Which leads to the next question, how do I tell if the engine is good to go or trashed? Obviously I can take a trusted wrench with me but what if I am looking on Ebay?

Thanks again.

 

another thing to consider is the older bikes lack turnsignals. which is preferred by myself. the less dodads and dohickys the better.

also i may be horribly mistaken, but i remember reading people having problems with the modern side(right brake, left shift) era bikes. possibly this was a specific case, but its sticking in my head for some reason.

 

You should be able to easily find a '75 or newer for a lot less than 5G's, provided it is not a show piece. There must be quite a number of Sportsters sitting out there right now that have not been ridden in quite a while. The owners may have lost interest in riding them, or maybe it was a project bike that they tired of and just want to dump it. That is what I would try to find. My Sportster rebuild started as a pile of junk after sitting for 13 years. It took me about an even $5000 to restore it, and that was doing all of the work myself. Maybe that will give you an idea of what you may face......pg

 

I would stay away from the '79 that year was an oddball and you have to find parts for that specifice year. I'd go with a '74 or '75 with the right side shift. It takes some getting used too but now I can switch from my ironhead to dyna without any hesitation. I'm sure the ones made in the '80's are fine they have standard shift, but I don't know too much about them. If you find something that interests you just tell us sbout it here, we can tell you if its a good deal or not.

 

I will second that ironhead. The 1979 was an oddball. Better off with something older as you say. '74 or '75 would be a good year choice. Had better brakes than the drum hubs and parts are easy to accquire.......pg

 

I personally think that 75 and 76 are not good option, those wornout shifter links can be nightmare... they have lefthand shifting
Year 77 there were new cases to accommodate the left side shifting... without those links.
74 is technically same bike than 75 and 76 with righthand shifting.

 

Sounding like I might want to stay 74 and older. When did kick start go away? Kinda want to have that.