Bob’s Garage Build: The Donor Bike

(This is the second article in a series detailing the Garage Build project of Bob, the President & CEO of Dennis Kirk. Catch up on the project by reading the first post here.)

Finding a 2009 Harley-Davidson 883 Sportster Project

I have a very good friend named Bear; he has operated a one-man Harley aftermarket shop for over 40 years. He is a master craftsman who knows just about everything (if not everything) about Harleys from a mechanical perspective. I call him the Oracle of Harley (a person who possesses all knowledge). He likes working on old stuff and specializes in engine rebuilds. He is meticulous and capable of rebuilding any V-Twin ever made.

Over the years, I have come to know Bear well. He is a very smart, creative, and interesting man. Everyone calls him a character because he goes about things differently than most anyone else does. I’d start to tell you what that means, but then this post will go on forever. Trust me, he is a very unique guy.

We’ve had a lot of fun together and become part of each other’s personal lives. He has not only helped me out with my bike projects, but he has also helped me work my way through some of life’s challenges. He has become a lifelong friend who inspires me to be a better bike builder and a better person.

Bear comes into this story because I stopped by his shop a while back just to see how he was doing. As usual, it became a fun, wide-ranging conversation covering many topics. On my way out, I mentioned that I was looking for a cheap project bike and that he should let me know if he came across anything.

He winked at me, crooked his finger, and started walking away, and I followed. He took me into an area he rents out for winter motorcycle storage. There was a lone motorcycle sitting there. A 2009 883 Harley-Davidson Sportster. Bear said the guy never picked it up last spring, and Bear didn’t think he intended to ever ride it again.

It was not in great shape, but it was all there. Bear hit the button, and the bike started right up and seemed to run just fine. It soon idled right down into that familiar and much-loved “potato, potato” sound. At that point, I asked how much he thought the guy would sell it for. Bear said, throw $1800 at him, and he’ll probably take it. That sounded like a good deal, so I told Bear to go for it. He got the guy on the phone and made the offer. The guy came back and asked for $2000. I said OK, done deal.

Then it was on the trailer and headed to my home workshop where I do my winter “Garage Build Projects.” The bike was soon on the stand, and teardown began. I intend to strip it all the way down to the frame and build it back up from there.

I am going to create a high-performance Bobber-style bike. What does that mean? I never know for sure until it is done. However, I have made a few initial decisions that will influence the look and improve performance. I’ve decided to swap out the stock narrow glide 39mm front end for a wide glide 49mm front end. That will let me run fat front and rear tires on 16″ wire wheels. I will also be installing an S&S Hooligan Big Bore kit (part # 1400615) that will increase the horsepower from the stock 47 horsepower up to 84 horsepower. That is a lot of get up and go for not that much money.

You can follow my blog posts as I do my Garage Build Sportster and see how and what I do that takes me to the finished project.