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In the fall of 2019 I started the third take of chopping a 1980 Ironhead XLCH. The bike was originally my younger brother's, and we started the first chopper project back in 1998. That project stalled and was abandoned as my life took a different course (I got married).
I thought my brother sold it, but back in 2008, I discovered it in pieces literally buried in dirt in my dad's barn. My brother sold off most of the aftermarket parts we had gathered (Paughco frame, oil tank, sissy bar, tins) but the chassis and engine were still there. I bought it from my brother and chopped it in my basement and garage.
I posted a thread of the build at the time on xlforum.net : http://xlforum.net/forums/showthread.php?t=337211
This is how it looked in 2011:
I rode it for a year and made some minor changes: seat, 10 inch z-bars, cocktail shaker mufflers.
In 2012, I moved from Cleveland, Ohio to the Boston, Mass. area to attend law school and planned on taking it with me. I was moving into an apartment, though, and wouldn't have a garage or my tools to work on it. I took it on one last ride the day before my move and the front cylinder stopped firing. I pulled over and popped off the pushrod covers and discovered that the front intake pushrod was just rattling around free. I assumed that either the rocker or valve broke.
I took the bike back to my dad's barn and pretty much gave it back to my brother. I thought (mistakenly it turns out) that after law school I'd be rolling in enough money to buy myself a Panhead chopper.
Fast forward to 2019, and this is what I find in my dad's barn:
It had been sitting at the receiving end of my brother's planer and was covered in sawdust.
So, I loaded it up and brought it home:
This is it cleaned up a little.
I then set out on the third remake. There were a few things I really wanted to change on the bike.
First, the chain had nearly eaten through the drain plug on the oil tank, and I didn't like the skateboard wheel I had rigged up. I originally planned to cut and weld a slot through the tank for clearance. Second, my wife took issue with the lack of a place for her to sit, so I wanted to add a p-pad and tall sissy bar, along with passenger pegs. I would also need to beef up the fender support which was lacking. Third, I wanted a frisco tank. Fourth, I wanted new handlebars that directly mount to the tree. Fifth, I wanted to get rid of the crappy exhaust mounts and weld solid mounts to the frame. And finally, I wanted a better paint job.
To be continued.
I thought my brother sold it, but back in 2008, I discovered it in pieces literally buried in dirt in my dad's barn. My brother sold off most of the aftermarket parts we had gathered (Paughco frame, oil tank, sissy bar, tins) but the chassis and engine were still there. I bought it from my brother and chopped it in my basement and garage.
I posted a thread of the build at the time on xlforum.net : http://xlforum.net/forums/showthread.php?t=337211
This is how it looked in 2011:
I rode it for a year and made some minor changes: seat, 10 inch z-bars, cocktail shaker mufflers.
In 2012, I moved from Cleveland, Ohio to the Boston, Mass. area to attend law school and planned on taking it with me. I was moving into an apartment, though, and wouldn't have a garage or my tools to work on it. I took it on one last ride the day before my move and the front cylinder stopped firing. I pulled over and popped off the pushrod covers and discovered that the front intake pushrod was just rattling around free. I assumed that either the rocker or valve broke.
I took the bike back to my dad's barn and pretty much gave it back to my brother. I thought (mistakenly it turns out) that after law school I'd be rolling in enough money to buy myself a Panhead chopper.
Fast forward to 2019, and this is what I find in my dad's barn:
It had been sitting at the receiving end of my brother's planer and was covered in sawdust.
So, I loaded it up and brought it home:
This is it cleaned up a little.
I then set out on the third remake. There were a few things I really wanted to change on the bike.
First, the chain had nearly eaten through the drain plug on the oil tank, and I didn't like the skateboard wheel I had rigged up. I originally planned to cut and weld a slot through the tank for clearance. Second, my wife took issue with the lack of a place for her to sit, so I wanted to add a p-pad and tall sissy bar, along with passenger pegs. I would also need to beef up the fender support which was lacking. Third, I wanted a frisco tank. Fourth, I wanted new handlebars that directly mount to the tree. Fifth, I wanted to get rid of the crappy exhaust mounts and weld solid mounts to the frame. And finally, I wanted a better paint job.
To be continued.
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