[kickstarts]

All things aside, I still think that neck looks fantastic and I wouldn't have thought under all that stamped metal, a nice looking head stock was hiding. After seeing what you've done, I'd love to put my hands on a spare frame and try the same thing. If they ever drop below $300 I'll maybe give it a try.

Keep the pics comin as you make progress! Very interesting.

 

[bobscogin]

I'm going to finish up the work on the headstock and down tubes I've already started before cutting up the subframe.

Sounds like a plan. If you proceed with the modification, let us in on it. As an option, if I could get my hands on a pre '74 Ironhead frame that was bent or junk, I'd see what it would take to mate the rear half to the Evo frame. Alternately, I wonder if the backbone of an Ironhead frame could be raised to accommodate the Evo powerplant.

Bob

 

[kickstarts]

Sounds like a plan. If you proceed with the modification, let us in on it. As an option, if I could get my hands on a pre '74 Ironhead frame that was bent or junk, I'd see what it would take to mate the rear half to the Evo frame. Alternately, I wonder if the backbone of an Ironhead frame could be raised to accommodate the Evo powerplant.

Bob

Sorry to hijack but please look the other way for a second...

http://www.cycleworld.com/2009/11/01/building-the-web-surfer-special-pt-1/

Back to the cool frame mods.

 

[bobscogin]

Sorry to hijack but please look the other way for a second...

http://www.cycleworld.com/2009/11/01/building-the-web-surfer-special-pt-1/

Back to the cool frame mods.

Good article. After reading it, I'm thinking that it would be easier to modify the Evo frame rear section to resemble the Ironhead than modify the Ironhead frame to take the Evo motor.

Bob

 

[kickstarts]

Good article. After reading it, I'm thinking that it would be easier to modify the Evo frame rear section to resemble the Ironhead than modify the Ironhead frame to take the Evo motor.

Bob

I'm with you on that one!

 

[worn]

I noticed they put new upper front engine mounts on the frame - I lopped mine off with the gusset just because it was near impossible to work around it. I've been considering just leaving it off, Ironheads didn't have them and Evo Sportsters didn't have them until 2000(?). Also noticed quite a few aftermarket frames don't bother with it. The frame is much skinnier, open and cleaner looking without it.

 

[bobscogin]

I noticed they put new upper front engine mounts on the frame - I lopped mine off with the gusset just because it was near impossible to work around it. I've been considering just leaving it off, Ironheads didn't have them and Evo Sportsters didn't have them until 2000(?). Also noticed quite a few aftermarket frames don't bother with it. The frame is much skinnier, open and cleaner looking without it.

I doubt you'd need it. Attaching the front cylinder head to the down tubes on the Ironhead frame probably serves to stiffen the frame and prevent steering head flex more than it serves to secure the engine in the frame. That could be important on a bike built for handling performance. Not so much on an ordinary custom.

Bob

 

[kickstarts]

You said originally that you were trying to get an Ironhead look for your frame. I have no experience with this but I've seen Evo swingarms on Ironhead frames but how about the other way around? Is that even possible? I've never made a side by side comparison. I'm sure someone else has by now.

Just a thought.

 

[worn]

You said originally that you were trying to get an Ironhead look for your frame. I have no experience with this but I've seen Evo swingarms on Ironhead frames but how about the other way around? Is that even possible? I've never made a side by side comparison. I'm sure someone else has by now.

Just a thought.

I like the late box section swingarm, I would even put it on an Ironhead if I was building one.

 

[bobscogin]

You said originally that you were trying to get an Ironhead look for your frame. I have no experience with this but I've seen Evo swingarms on Ironhead frames but how about the other way around? Is that even possible? I've never made a side by side comparison. I'm sure someone else has by now.

Just a thought.

Of course, most anything can be interchanged with modifcations, but for stock swing arm interchanges, here's the deal. You can put a box section swing arm on your pre-'82 Ironhead by using the '79-'81 disk brake swing arm. In '82, the frame changed and none of the '82 and newer swing arms will fit earlier frames.

Bob

 

[kickstarts]

Of course, most anything can be interchanged with modifcations, but for stock swing arm interchanges, here's the deal. You can put a box section swing arm on your pre-'82 Ironhead by using the '79-'81 disk brake swing arm. In '82, the frame changed and none of the '82 and newer swing arms will fit earlier frames.

Bob

Well, there it is! Thanks.

 

[bobscogin]

Well, there it is! Thanks.

But wait--there's more to the story. If you use the '79-'81 box section swing arm on your' pre-'79 frame, you'll need to address the differences in shock length. Since the box section swing arm has the shock mount much further back than the round section arm, it's going to change the ride height. I didn't bother to mention that in the previous post about interchange because ride height is a personal preference thing, not a real factor in interchangability .

Bob

 

[Normandybrit]

I think the Japanese site for the guy who changed the back end of his Sportster is this one.......

http://inuchopper.blogspot.com/

Have a look back to around the end of June 2010 to see what he did. You can translate the page using Google's translate facility.

I'd like to do this to my 2000 sporty, but you don't fall across the parts too easily in Normandy!!

 

[worn]

I think the Japanese site for the guy who changed the back end of his Sportster is this one.......

http://inuchopper.blogspot.com/

Have a look back to around the end of June 2010 to see what he did. You can translate the page using Google's translate facility.

I'd like to do this to my 2000 sporty, but you don't fall across the parts too easily in Normandy!!

Thanks. I had seen that before but haven't been able to find it.

 

[kickstarts]

Here's the general area in the blog.

http://inuchopper.blogspot.com/2010_06_01_archive.html

Thanks Normandybrit.

 

[bobscogin]

I think the Japanese site for the guy who changed the back end of his Sportster is this one.......

http://inuchopper.blogspot.com/

Have a look back to around the end of June 2010 to see what he did. You can translate the page using Google's translate facility.

I'd like to do this to my 2000 sporty, but you don't fall across the parts too easily in Normandy!!

That's definitely the look. I tried Google translation and the results in English were practically meaningless. The photos are somewhat self explanatory but I sure would like to be able to read the commentary. Anybody here speak Japanese?

Bob

 

[kickstarts]

Here's the bike I was thinking about with the relocated shocks. A little late but...I'm always late.

 

[bobscogin]

Looks pretty good. I'm not sure if the builder was trying to replicate an Ironhead frame. If so, he's a liitle off but it still looks better than stock. I like the forward mounted bottom shock mounts on the swing arm.

Bob

 

[kickstarts]

There's another site that I can't find that has much better pics of the upper and lower mounts. I'll find it eventually, but that'll be years from now cause I'm just not organized. I like the look myself.

 

[worn]

After thinking about it and staring at my frame, I ordered hardtail for it! Just decided that's the look I want with the stripped out headstock. So as it sits now, 2" stretch in the downtubes, 1 1/2" stretch in the top tube, 32 degrees rake. Nothing welded up yet and the hardtail arrives tomorrow, so I'll be at either a buddy's place for a day or two or at the welding shop next week. Pics up after it's welded up and maybe roller assembled. Maybe I should start a separate thread about the stretch, hardtail, etc?