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XLCH Build

24K views 111 replies 48 participants last post by  4444Design 
#1 ·
I recently acquired this 1971 Harley Davidson XLCH through trading a restored 1978 Suzuki GS400. The story on the bike is that it came out of California. The gentleman who built it, bought it new and used it as his daily commuter for many year and parking it in a shed at his Medford home in the mid 80s. Recently realizing he wasn't going to be doing anything with it he decided to give it to his step son. The step son, knowing that he would probably just screw it up due his lack of mechanical knowledge decided to get rid of it. So, in the mean time he was looking for something classy and vintage that he wouldn't have to work on and he came across my Craigs List add for my GS400. He loved the bike and the deal was made. The bike also came with a bunch parts.

When I got the bike it did not run but seemed to have good compression. This is what happened later that night:



So the bike runs great but is super scketchy. Since then I just recently moved to Arizona from Eugene, Oregon. So the bike sat for about a month while we moved and I got the new garage back in order. Last night I started the tear down.

The plan is to build a low, clean as can be Sportster. I am planning on using Triumph front forks with fork covers, low drag bars, peanut tank, and to craft the rear of the frame from scratch. In the mean time I will be selling some of the parts off to get the build going.

On a side note - the gentleman who built the bike went by the name Toad. So there is toads everywhere on this bike and it was named the "Toadster."

Photos will be coming soon.
 
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#8 ·
I understand everybody is going to have there own opinion on how this should or shouldn't be built. But the fact is nothing was built "well" on this bike. For an example at one point in time he wanted to "dampen" the rear shocks, so he stuck a bunch of rope in them and wrapped them with electrical tape. This is one thing on the long list of custom hillbilly technology modifications done to this bike. Everything needs to be redone so I figure why not do it the way I think it should be built. Which is a lot different than the original interpretation but I still have a lot of respect for the bikes history.
 
#9 ·
I'm digging that frog on the tank man, pm me I have a friend that collects frogs! That front end and sissy bar is bad ass too.

Welcome to Arizona; the biggest kitty litter box in the world
 
#19 ·
Thanks for the welcome. I am planning on sending any additional toads I find in the process of this build back to the step son.

Also, the sissy bar along with a bunch of other parts will be for sale soon.
 
#13 ·
I have been making some progress. Cleaned up all the parts to sell, figured out the stance I wanted, removed the motor, cleaned the bottom end of the frame(and 40 years of sludge), and started hacking the frame. Hopefully here are some pictures:







Now I just need to sell off some parts so I can get the ball rolling.
 
#20 ·
As for the stance I am going for four inches of clearence sitting level with stock rake and wheel base.

Thanks for the nice comments. Lots and lots of practice. In case you were wondering it is a Miller Diversion 165. It is perfect for working out of the house and not too bad on the wallet.
 
#18 ·
Finished both of the legs before I start to connect the rear wheel with the hardtail. The idea here was to make them look like two cast original Harley pieces. Which is kind of the direction I am going for with the rest of the frame. Just make it look as if Harley produced a hardtail Sportster and do it as clean as I can in the process.






Here I just had to get an idea of what it looked like on the ground. I also set up my '36 Ford spare tire cover fender on there. I am currently figuring out my lines for the hardtail set up with chain and brake connecting rod clearence.


 
#30 ·
The rear is a stock 18" and I don't know what the front is off of originally but I believe it is a 19". I am planning an 18" in the rear and a 21" in the front. Hopefully both aluminum shouldered Akront wheels if I can find them for a decent price.
 
#31 ·
man i still like the way it was looking at first. Make it safe but still liked it. I also like the way youre going with it now...guess either way its a cool bike. Leave that tank as is though...some good history on it. Also, what is that rear fender from? looks great
 
#32 ·
man i still like the way it was looking at first. Make it safe but still liked it. I also like the way youre going with it now...guess either way its a cool bike. Leave that tank as is though...some good history on it. Also, what is that rear fender from? looks great
Thanks ******! The rear fender(if you are talking about the red one) I believe is an original Sportster fender. The one that is on it now and that I plan on using is a 1936 Ford spare tire cover.
 
#36 ·
Here are some major updates on the XLCH. After some long, long hours and after countless bent up pieces of tubing I finally have a "roller"! I made it a few times but I like the angles I have come up with so that it just flows. The intent was to get it low and so that it doesn't have that broken back look that so many hardtail Sportsters have. It may have taken way more work and effort but I believe it was worth it. I also completed about 98% of the welding before I ran out of argon.

My axle plates. I was able to retain the stock ones from the swing arm along with a little bit of modification.
End caps I made for each of the tubes for the hardtail. Again all of this was accomplished simple hand tools(a lot filing) so it took some time, as you could imagine.

Here it is all tacked together.
I still need to figure out the down tube from the back bone. I can figure this out after I figure out the placement of the oil bag. I am planning on using a horseshoe oil bag. Let me know if somebody has one they want to part with.
Degreased the motor pretty good and muscled it into the frame.
To give you an idea of the stance, I am about the 5'10".
We are on our way! Thanks again everybody for all the support.
 
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