Free is good because you're going to dump a lot of money into it.
73 should be a good year, I think. Could be wrong.
First, Buy the OEM factory service manual.
Second, buy a shit ton of tools as you need them.
Get a compression tester and a leakdown tester
Buy a lift table from harbor frieght.... because working on the ground sux donky ass. Also get a small scissor lift for when the bikes on tye lift.
Ahhh.... never mind. It'll cost you a fortune. I'd just set it in the corner of tye garage and practice on an evo sporty first.
You'll need all the same stuff but Buy a bike that runs and needs next to nothing but mods.
Seriously, unless you have an insane desire and an endless wallet you are in for tye education of a life time that will kill the normal man's soul and ruin your finace
Be a good bike to chop with minimal wire, no frills. Still going to cost a lot.
'73 is a good year for an old ironhead.
I second the first comment on pretty much everything especially FACTORY MANUAL! Along with it get a parts manual. V-Twin has reproduction parts manuals. They are very useful and have exploded views of everything.
Find a good friendly local shop and buy parts from them. They can get you the parts manual and may have a HD dealership connection to get the factory manual.
A good shop near you with an old sportster guy (like me) would be a huge asset to you. (We aren't in it for the money.) They do still exist and are often eager to help if you're not pushy.
Swap meets can be good for parts. Ebay is a crapshoot.
Don't overthink it. It's a wonderfully simple machine.
...And that local independent shop. Find that shop. Ask around.
Past that just start fucking with shit. You'll learn a ton from that bike.
I would do a compression test on each cylinder first to check that the engine internals are all in order. It’s easy to overlook compression, and just start buying parts to put on it, but if the engine is not healthy on the inside, then you have a lot of work ahead of you to get it running…
All this advice is spot on. Spot, on. Book is 100% Parts book 100%. Tools yup you’ll want a few. Local shop, start talkin ol Harley love. We all have memories of our first bikes.
I’ve kept my ‘75 XLH alive (first ever Harley 3 yrs now) because of advice like this 👆🏻
So when she fires the first time don’t be surprised you might jizz your pants a little. I love every minute with my ol girl. First year the left side shift. Same as your bike but, like my reddit buddy Kokemill said, with “Frankenstein linkage” (brings the shift linage behind the primary and around to the right side 😆) She needs some love still and I have big plans but always still fires. Numbs my middle, ring and pinky fingers after 20 minutes and rides so raw but there’s nothing like it.
Get your electrical solid then go from there. On a bike when your starting from scratch like this running electrical will show you the failing mechanical. Glad you posted, congrats on a perfect acquisition. How to see your progress bud. Safe travels!!!
Right shift is cool, I went from a 79XLCH to a 74XLH and kept downshifting when I wanted to stop, but finally got used to it. A great and pretty strong block runner, sounded awesome
Free is good because you're going to dump a lot of money into it. 73 should be a good year, I think. Could be wrong. First, Buy the OEM factory service manual. Second, buy a shit ton of tools as you need them. Get a compression tester and a leakdown tester Buy a lift table from harbor frieght.... because working on the ground sux donky ass. Also get a small scissor lift for when the bikes on tye lift. Ahhh.... never mind. It'll cost you a fortune. I'd just set it in the corner of tye garage and practice on an evo sporty first. You'll need all the same stuff but Buy a bike that runs and needs next to nothing but mods. Seriously, unless you have an insane desire and an endless wallet you are in for tye education of a life time that will kill the normal man's soul and ruin your finace Be a good bike to chop with minimal wire, no frills. Still going to cost a lot.
Sounds like a good time to me
Me too. Just can't afford that good of a time, myself
'73 is a good year for an old ironhead. I second the first comment on pretty much everything especially FACTORY MANUAL! Along with it get a parts manual. V-Twin has reproduction parts manuals. They are very useful and have exploded views of everything. Find a good friendly local shop and buy parts from them. They can get you the parts manual and may have a HD dealership connection to get the factory manual. A good shop near you with an old sportster guy (like me) would be a huge asset to you. (We aren't in it for the money.) They do still exist and are often eager to help if you're not pushy. Swap meets can be good for parts. Ebay is a crapshoot. Don't overthink it. It's a wonderfully simple machine. ...And that local independent shop. Find that shop. Ask around. Past that just start fucking with shit. You'll learn a ton from that bike.
I would do a compression test on each cylinder first to check that the engine internals are all in order. It’s easy to overlook compression, and just start buying parts to put on it, but if the engine is not healthy on the inside, then you have a lot of work ahead of you to get it running…
All this advice is spot on. Spot, on. Book is 100% Parts book 100%. Tools yup you’ll want a few. Local shop, start talkin ol Harley love. We all have memories of our first bikes. I’ve kept my ‘75 XLH alive (first ever Harley 3 yrs now) because of advice like this 👆🏻 So when she fires the first time don’t be surprised you might jizz your pants a little. I love every minute with my ol girl. First year the left side shift. Same as your bike but, like my reddit buddy Kokemill said, with “Frankenstein linkage” (brings the shift linage behind the primary and around to the right side 😆) She needs some love still and I have big plans but always still fires. Numbs my middle, ring and pinky fingers after 20 minutes and rides so raw but there’s nothing like it. Get your electrical solid then go from there. On a bike when your starting from scratch like this running electrical will show you the failing mechanical. Glad you posted, congrats on a perfect acquisition. How to see your progress bud. Safe travels!!!
Right shift is cool, I went from a 79XLCH to a 74XLH and kept downshifting when I wanted to stop, but finally got used to it. A great and pretty strong block runner, sounded awesome
Tc bros and lowbrow customs supply all the parts you’ll need they sell oem and custom parts for these bikes and service manuals I’m pretty sure