Hey guys, I'm looking into buying a very nice custom 77 Ironhead from a gentleman. It's a complete bike and has all sorts of new parts for 4500. It's styled slightly like a 70's chopper and is in really good shape. Motor has 400 miles on it since it's been rebuilt and it looks to be rebuilt very nicely. It's either this or have a shop in Houston build me a bike for the same price out of a Honda VLX 600.

My question is; are there any problems with the 77 Ironhead motors that I should know about? I watched the 21 Days In The Sky documentary on Netflix and a gentleman on it had a 77 Ironhead chopper and he didn't seem to have too many troubles other than what comes with maintenancing an old bike. My concern is buying this bike and it end up having problems when I could have had a bike built brand new for me with zero problems. I've already had the headache of buying a chopper from Wayne county TN, and as you could guess, it fell apart on me while riding. I want to go into this 77 with as much knowledge as possible. Any knowledge would be appreciated.

 

As an owner of a '77 XLCH I would be cautious. The '77 does not share a lot of parts with other year Sportsters (not as bad as the '79), and has an inherently flawed transmission known for blowing out the bottom crank case. Also, the Ironheads are notorious for leaking oil. If you're looking for dependable, trouble-free operation, the '77 Ironhead is not for you. If you're looking for a bar hopper that demands some frequent maintenance and you enjoy working on your bike, there's nothing like an Ironhead!

You might want to take a gander over on the XLForum for more insight: http://xlforum.net/vbportal/modules/Jig/index.php

Good luck with whatever you decide.

 

That documentary, while a good movie, doesn't really reflect the actual work behind keeping one of those running well across the country or the massive labor to get it in good condition to begin with.

 

It's a forty year old bike that has been modified along the way. If you are handy and enjoy getting involved with maintenance and upkeep, you may be fine, but it is well worth taking a step backwards and asking what you want of a bike, before making a decision. Check the dates on the tyres, which is a quick way of seeing what you may be letting yourself into. If they are recent and in good shape you can be more confident of it than if they are 6 years or more old, which suggests neglect.

 

Mine was a '76, at the time the "joke" was, you better buy a second one for parts.

 

I heard that ironheads have head gasket issues.

If I were to buy it I would use it as a "bar hopper" or take it to local bike nights. I'd have something else in the garage a little more reliable too.

 

Friend of mine bought a 1977 XLCR some time in the early '80s IIRC. Looked the bees knees, but really was an awful thing to ride. We took the timer cover off to check the points and found a note inside, presumably from a frustrated mechanic and directed at a PO: "If you didn't f@#k about with the f@#k*r the f@#k*r wouldn't f@#k you about". Just thought I would share that!

 

Thanks guys. Looks like I'll go with the more reliable first and then buy the bar hopper.

 

thats great !! lolol