(This is the third 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 and the second post.)
So, where to start? The obvious place to start is by tearing down the bike. However, I’ve learned that before jumping into it, it is very important to take a lot of pictures and then take more photos of how the bike sits before taking it apart. These include things like how the wires are routed and where they connect, how and where the brackets attach, and which wheel spacer goes where. These pictures will serve as an important reference when reassembling the bike. Making notes and labeling parts and connections is important, too.
The other thing I always do right away is get my hands on an original factory service manual. Since you can’t buy them new, I almost always buy one in good shape off of eBay. This one cost me $95—not cheap, but absolutely worth it. I know there will come a time when I need as much detailed information as possible, and the service manual has proven to be invaluable in those situations.
I started with the easy stuff. I took off the seat, the front and rear wheels, and then removed the rear fender. After that, I started taking the front end apart. Off came the wheels and fork tubes. Then I removed the switches, brake and clutch levers, as well as grips from the handlebars so that the bars could be removed. Lastly, I took off the triple trees. The 39mm narrow glide front end is gone, never to return. Going to sell it on Marketplace, Craiglist, or eBay. Looks like I should get about $400 for it.
Then it was on to other parts of the motorcycle. Off came the wheel and fender, followed by the gas tank. I then went to work on removing the wire harness. I have to say Harley’s engineering is very crude at times, and the way they installed the wiring on the bike is a good example. There were lots and lots of zip ties holding things together and a tortuous routing method. As I reassemble the bike, I’m confident I’ll find ways to improve on their process.
I’m sure you don’t find teardown very interesting, but it is part of the process, so I think it is important that I include this type of information. Hopefully, you are not completely bored with it. I promise it will get more interesting as the project proceeds.
While working on the teardown, I am also starting to think about what parts I want to put on the project bike. Hunting for and selecting the parts is fun. As I choose each part, my vision for the final build comes more and more into focus.
Before purchasing any parts, I begin by determining the key elements that will define the overall design of the final build. In this case, I knew I wanted a different beefier front end, wire wheels that would let me run a fat front tire, a solo seat, and a chopped rear fender. I also decided to change the forward controls to mid-controls.
With those thoughts in mind, I started my parts search. Where to begin? Of course, it was on denniskirk.com; there, I found that we sell over 3,000 model-specific parts for my Harley Sportster 883C. In addition, we offer over 10,000 universal fit parts. Talk about being the Hard Parts King. This is an example of what makes Dennis Kirk dominate the motorcycle aftermarket products business.
This blog post highlights the way I do a bike build is not a direct 1, 2, 3, etc. step process from teardown to final construction. Early in the project, I work on tearing down parts of the bike while at the same time I am mocking up new parts, modifying metal, fabricating a few pieces, and deciding what additional changes I am going to make.
Keep an eye out for the next post, which will focus on the seat. That may not seem intriguing at first glance, but you will find out that the seat plays a pivotal role in the development of my bike build. You might be surprised by how fascinating the next post actually is.
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