My family owns to brew pub I our small town and we live about seven miles away next to a very cool lake. I thought of this as a bar hopper/ bobber. I ride it around the lake and to the pub for lunch or dinner. My main ride is a 2008 XL1200C and so this one is just for short rides.
My first Harley was a 42 wla and I love flatheads. I used to build bikes for a living, back when there was no money in it. I was jonesing for a winter project and met a local guy who had a G model trike basket kit he was willing to part with and my main riding buddy had an extra XLH sportster with no engine. So I built my fifth LAST motorcycle.
I cut the rear section (which was bent) off the trike frame and grafted on the swing arm of the Sportster. It is a bit overbuilt, but very stable. It really turned out great and rides straight. There are over ten different years of Harley parts and several custom and home fabricated parts to complete the project. I will tear it down this winter and pretty it up for next year. When i described the bike to my insurance company, the identified it as a XLG model – only one I’ve heard of.
Most proud of the support and help from family and friends. At 74 years young, I think some folks wondered if I would follow through the build. Also of overcoming fabrication hurdles with very limited shop tools. With LED lights and 5ohm Sportster coil, Ive been running off a lithium ion battery only and have not been able to run it down. A generator is in the next winter plan though. The G model engine had not run in decades, and fired up in less than ten kicks. Now it is one kick start – if I remember to turn on the fuel supply. The local police do not care if bikes are loud, so straight headers it is.
What the hell were you thinking? Several friends wanted to take it for a ride but decided they were not up to foot clutch- hand shift system. A local, quite famous Mercedes restoration expert, offered to do the powder coat and new seat when I do next winter facelift.
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4 Comments
Very cool, definitely not something you see every day.
Thanks – just a bunch of left over parts rednecked together. Been riding it every day.
FLATHEADS FOREVER
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5
Nice! Has character.