The Super Sportster...

Feast your eye on the XLST3, a Shaw Speed & Custom project. Check out SS&C for more info on this lean mean screaming Nascafe Racer... 

(Somebody get me a bib, I can't stop drooling at the pics)

 

Vance & Hines Side Shots...

My 883 w/ Vance and Hines Side Shots...

Customization is the heart of every Harley. Almost no two are completely alike: at some point an accessory will be added and a customization will take place. For the Sportster (particularly the Nightster and Iron 883 models) the exhaust is the first stock part to go. Those shiny chrome pipes do look rather nice on a bike that is mostly 75-90% black iron. However, blacked out staggered Vance & Hines look a whole lot better!

Vance & Hines Side Shots and Short Shots give the Iron 883 and Nightsters an understated look and bold sound. Vance & Hines Black Line of exhaust systems features full coverage heat shields coated with durable race-quality black ceramic. Contrasted with a signature chrome badge and end treatment, the Black Line takes style and quality into a brave new world.

Features include:

• Full coverage heat shields featuring race quality black ceramic coating
• Signature chrome badge and end treatment for a sleek contrast style
• Power Chamber design yields 2-into-1 performance from a dual pipe appearance
• Welded-in ports for factory Oxygen sensors

I have the Side Shots installed on my bike and they are gorgeous... I'm complemented all the time by fellow bikers. These pipes are a pretty much a must have upgrade item.

A note of caution however: like I said before I own these pipes and I wouldn't post or recommend just anything on this blog so believe me when I tell you THESE PIPES ARE LOUD and I mean LOUD. I have a slight hearing problem in one ear and they are still loud to me. VH offers an optional set of "quiet baffles" (and to save my hearing I have ordered these baffles and will have installed soon) for Side Shots and Short Shots. See video below for comparison. Nonetheless, if you're a true hardcore H.O.G. then these pipes {sans the quiet baffles} are like lullabies to your ears. Not so much for me though...

VanceandHines.com
If your interested in these pipes, last time I checked, you can't purchase directly from Vance and Hines so here are a few Amazon links to get you started:
Vance and Hines Short Shots XL models
Vance and Hines Side Shots XL models

My Bike Can Lick's Your Bike...

Finally! The almost 4 week wait is over. The Lick's distressed solo bag and tool bag I ordered finally arrived via USPS. Due to high demand and the quality of work put into these leather products Lick's Cycles is experiencing up to a 4 week wait time. Nonetheless, anyone that owns one will tell you it is worth the wait.

Lick's SoloBags are hand crafted from genuine high quality black or distressed (brown) leather. Made specifically for the 2004-2011 Rubber Mount Sportster models. Lick's also makes solo bags for Rigids and Softails -if your into that sort of thing. The design of these bags compliment the Sportsters well. They can give your bike a unique vintage look instantly and are incredibly easy to install.

 

Just to give you guys an idea of what it looks like on a Sportster... (not me, not my bike)

A note of caution however: These are not saddle bag replacements. The solo bag measures 10x3x14 just big enough for a few hand held items and thats it! Another issue Sportster owners face is that these bags mount to the lower-left side of the frame and block access to the left-passenger peg. There are a number of ways around this: the most popular is installing a bracket that extends the one passenger peg past the bag, extruding the peg a few inches out and up, cupping the solobag (see photos below). Another popular solution is placing bolt extenders behind the peg extending it as far as you need it to go. The way I plan to get around the issue is to "pinch" the bag on its lower left corner (where the passenger peg is obstructed). By cutting two tiny little holes and zip tying it down, I should have complete access to the passenger peg without having to use any extra equipment. The downfall, however, is that I'll be losing about 2-4 cubic-inches of storage space and the bag is small enough as it is.

Peg w/ bracket...

Tool Bags

Distressed Solo Bag

Black Solo Bag

My solobag and toolbag...

My 883

Lick's SoloBag...

Other solo bags...

Rigid and Softail Brown Leather Right Side Solo Saddlebag -Frontiercycle

Garage Leathers bags

La Rosa Leather Solo Bags

Putting the Sport in Sportster

Dan Laird tricking out on his 1200 Nightster making it look so easy... This is for those that think the Sportster is just a confused cruiser that wants to be a sports bike...

History of the Sportster

1952 Model K

Harley Sportster Motorcycle – Brief History of the Ironhead

The Harley Sportster is considered by many to be America’s first Musclebike. Light and fast the Sportster was America’s answer to the narrow and lithe British sportbikes of the time. Available now as Sportster 1200 and Sportster 883 rubber mounted models, the Harley Sporster was launched in 1957 as the replacement for Harley K flathead motorcycle. The 1957 Harley Sportster featured a solid mount 55 cubic inch Ironhead engine.

1957 Harley Sportster XL Motorcycle

The Sportster is a line of motorcycles produced continuously since 1957 by the Harley-Davidson Motor Company. Harley Sportster models are designated in Harley-Davidson’s product code by beginning with “XL”. In 1952, the predecessors to the Sportster, the Model K Sport and Sport Solo motorcycles, were introduced. These models K, KK, KH, and KHK of 1952–1956 are not always considered to be Sportsters, but are definitely the precursors and inspiration for the line. The Harley Sportster became nationally famous in the United States in 1968 with the hit TV series Then Came Bronson, starring Michael Parks.

When launched in 1957 no one could have known that the Harley Sportster would become the longest running motorcycle model in history. Not only is the Harley Sportster still in production more than fifty years later, but the new Harley Sporster looks and is based very much on the original 1957 Sportster design shown above.

2009 Harley Sportster Motorcycle

Because the Harley Sportster is the least expensive new and used Harley, it is very popular with entry level riders as well as leading to a great number of custom Sportster motorcycles. And thanks to it’s many years in production there is a large and growing list of Sportster parts and other Harley accessories available from the Motor Company as well as the aftermarket industry.

Harley Sportster XLCR Cafe Racer Motorcycle

The earliest “Ironhead” Harley Sportster models are becomong more desirable by the motorcycle collectors and restorers, especially the Harley Sportster XLCR Cafe Racer and dual carb XR1000 Harley Sporster.

Harley Sportster XR1000 Motorcycle

Many of the later Ironhead Harley Sportster models continue to sell at low prices. But even the less desirable Harley Sportster years are likely to rise in popularity and price in the future. The Ironhead “classic” Harley Sportster motorcycles were built from 1957 until 1986 when the more modern Harley Evo Sportster was introduced.

Harley Davidson offer the following designation Ironhead Sportster motorcycles between 1957 and 1986:

Harley Sportster XL
Harley Sportster XLH
Harley Sportster XLC
Harley Sportster XLCH
Harley Sportster XLR
Harley Sportster XLRTT
Harley Sportster XR
Harley Sportster XLT
Harley Sportster XLCR
Harley Sportster XLS
Harley Sportster XLX-61
Harley Sportster XR-1000

Like to learn more about older Harley motorcycles? Check out www.caimag.com - the Classic American Iron Magazine on line site where this article was first published. Also check out www.aimag.com the American Iron Magazine forum.

Find More Info and Articles @ Harley Motorcycles Articles

Find a comprehensive timeline of Sportsters @ http://www.sportster.org/history/

Harley Davidson Motor Company { in under 5 min. }

Before anyone can really know the Sportster they need to know the history of the company... Here's a {very} brief summery.

FIRST POST!

Welcome sportsters,

This blog was created for one simple reason; I LOVE MY SPORTSTER IRON 883! But, for some odd reason finding a one stop Sportster blog is like looking for a needle in a barrel of lug-nuts. Forums are a plenty but blogs are few and far between. This blog intends to fill that particular void by providing a comprehensive chronology of Harley Davidson's beloved Sportster. Dedicated to informing, educating, and getting visitors and passersby excited about one of Harley Davidson's most successful models. This blog isn't my blog though, this blog belongs to all Sportster and motorcycle enthusiasts, so please feel free to share info and links. Cause, the more we know about our bikes the better bikers we become...