As I graduated from a Softail Heritage into a Touring class FLHXS?...after a couple years of ridership and age on me I realized that "I'm not taking the bike" as much as I used to because as I became older and weaker I became less inspired to take a bike that huge and heavy for oh say?...a 20 mile ride too the beach...or a corner store run or....just hit a local lonely stretch of road for an hour or so of wind therapy and no...duck walking a bagger backwards out of a single car driveway then execute a K-turn just to hit actual pavement?...I found myself reaching for the truck keys more often than the bike keys where the wind therapy thing wasn't even on the menu and after harboring all those recent thoughts of "I need a smaller. lighter, more convenient bike"?...My bagger had a mechanical issue and wound up held hostage at a local shop for 5+ weeks as I kept my eyes on marketplace where this 2005 Sportster 1200 C initially popped up for $5,200...then $4,800...then $3,800....then $3,200 and that's when I offered $3K and?...mine...







Now that said?...this 2005 1200 C sat covered in a shed for quite awhile while it's 2nd owner developed glaucoma losing any ambition to ride and finally getting surgery...his neighbor took it upon himself to help him out by putting it up for sale on marketplace where first he had to get it running where he drained all the old gas and replaced it with fresh gas and installed a new battery but it still wouldn't start with the owner thinking the starter was weak and bought a new starter motor they never installed and gave to me NIB with the bike as the starting issue turned out to be resolved with a new coil pack however?...while the bike starts and seems to run strong midrange and up?...it won't hold an idle but being a carbureted bike?...that didn't phase me especially taking into consideration the condition, milage and selling price. The owner claimed that between himself and the original owner?...."The bikes never been rained on"...and judging by appearance?...I'd tend to almost believe that and my game plan is...

Inspect the tank, filter screen, petcock diaphragm, vacuum line, air filter, carb, plugs and change the oil & filter. The only other change I wanna make is removing the straight chrome pipe of a drag bar and put a stock oem handlebar unit back on the bike.

So yea and hi y'all! LOL

 

Nice bike. I made the same choice when I was near 70 years old. Wrestling a fat bike around the garage just lost its appeal. You got a great deal on the custom- I'd bet a dollar the problem is a gunked carburetor. Sitting with gas in them always gives trouble if they sit for too long. With carbureted bikes I filled the tank with stabilized gas, shut off the petcock, drained the float bowl and ran the carb bone dry before parking for the winter. You could sell the starter and help some brother out.

 

Nice bike. I did the same just a few weeks ago, I have a 1988 FLHTC and it started to get harder to enjoy takeing her out, i'm only 63 but have lived life to the fullest etc etc so I was taking her out less and less.
Going back to a Sportster was one of the best decisions I have made in a long time, I cant keep off the bloody thing.
As for your bike running ruff, I would take the carby off and give her a service, plenty of places sell rebuild kits and as long as you have a manual they are a piece of cake to work on.

Dave.

 

Rebuild the carb. Clean out the tank. Replace fuel lines. Do all that and I bet she runs like new.

And youre right to ditch those bars. They look like crap and I bet they’re uncomfortable too.

 

The previous owner is 6’4” so those bars probably gave him the arm room he needed but for me @ 5’8”?…they make the bike feel like I just jumped on a breakout and not in a good way.

The tank actually looked pretty clean but I will be giving everything a good going over because it’s all so simple (and inexpensive) it isn’t worth the risk of not going over it all.

 

Nice bike man