When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
I haven't had it out in quite a while. Changed the oil to Quicksilver 20-50 Synthetic & it runs cooler & quieter. 109 degrees in the shade & the oil temp maxed out at 205 riding to Squaw Valley & back . With dino oil it would have been 235-240 & clattering like a Maytag washing machine on spin cycle. Dog is happy, too.
Nice bike but wait till she starts bleeding on you, old iron and synthetics are not a good mix unless every gasket & seal are spanking new. Syn wants out and the old bikes give it way too many opportunities to do it.
Nice bike but wait till she starts bleeding on you, old iron and synthetics are not a good mix unless every gasket & seal are spanking new. Syn wants out and the old bikes give it way too many opportunities to do it.
Last change was synthetic, too. Motor is not a leaker. The Baisley heads have stem seals so no problem running 20-50 either.
Nice, every time I've tried syn in an iron motor they leaked like an old panhead.
The front rocker box is seeping a little but it was doing that with dino oil. Me and this Sportster have been through a lot of wild times in the 36 years I've owned it. It's aging better, though.....;-)
Gorgeous bike. I took mine out for a couple hours last weekend. I think I finally got that stupid intake seal nailed down. After being spoiled on my road couch I got quite a reminder on how stiff the old sporty is.
That's a great lookin' Sportster Tommy! Looks well cared for too. Maybe I'll get to see it in person one of these days.
I've got an old Sportster I'm working on as a project. With these hotter'n hell days here in the central valley, even though I have a bit of time, I just can't find the ambition to work on it. Not nearly as nice as yours, it'll be a short range deal that's sure to **** off the neighbors!
Good looking old (75-76?) Ironhead. I normally like laced wheels on the old stuff but those wheels are sharp. She looks well fed and cared for.
It's actually a 1974. I put the 75-76 shifting linkage & brake setup on it so it shifts on the left like my other bikes. The wheels are Lester wheels. I ordered rocker box gaskets for it last night so I'll get her sealed up tight again. You guys are an inspiration & thanks for the kind words.
7 Surprising Harley-Davidson Products that Are Not Motorcycles
Slideshow: The bar-and-shield logo shows up on far more than motorcycles, some of the company's most unexpected products have nothing to do with riding.
Slideshow: From the troubled AMF years to modern misfires, these bikes earned reputations for reliability issues, questionable engineering, or disappointing performance.
Crazy Bunderbike Build Looks Amazing, But Is It Impossible to Ride?
Slideshow: The Swiss custom shop has taken a Harley Softail and stretched it into something so long and low that it looks closer to a rolling sculpture than a conventional motorcycle.
Engraved Rebellion: Inside Bundnerbike's Glam Rock II
Slideshow: A standard cruiser becomes an intricate metal canvas in the hands of a Swiss custom house known for pushing Harley-Davidson platforms far beyond their factory brief.
Slideshow: Harley-Davidson's challenges aren't abstract; they show up in dropping shipments, shrinking dealer traffic, and strategic decisions that aren't yet translating into growth.