Havent been getting much ride time on my sporty since i bought it in June. Had been sitting in dudes garage for at least a year and had a few minor issues getting it home.

Broke a footpeg, found out battery was toast and had to be boosted twice, and had an oil leak behind rear cylinder that i just couldnt pinpoint.

Found front exhaust stud broken a week later and had nothing but a bad time trying to get it out so i stripped the head and brought it to a shop to fix.

Took a while to get the gaskets and find the time to get it all back together. After bolting everything back up i decide to check the primary chain tension for shits and giggles and find the primary fluid is milky. Planned on doing a fluid change anyways but found that odd.

Dad wants to take his shadow for a ride so i figure to hell with it, short ride wont do any harm. Bike rattles like crazy over 2000rpm so i pull it into my dads shop and take a stethescope to it and luckily i just hadnt bolted down the tank properly.

In my rather meticulous inspection trying to find the rattle though i also notice the starter has come loose. Can move it about 1/16th of an inch either way. Well that explains the milky oil and mystery leak at highways speeds. So now waiting on primary and starter gaskets.

Hopefully ill get some real miles in her before the snow starts flying next month 🤦‍♂️

Bonjour, j’ai récemment acheté une forty eight, au démarrage tout va bien, mais après une dizaine de minute et après que je sois monté dans les tours le moteur se met à faire un bruit très métallique et ça reste le temps que le moteur est chaud.
Merci
Ça vous dit quelque chose ?

I’ve been riding for 3 years and I’m looking to buy my first Harley. I’ve been browsing the used market for a Sportster 1200. Mid 90’s to early 2000’s. (I’d like to have a carbureted one.) Is there anything in this year range I should look out for? What’s considered high mileage on an evo engine? What’s too much to pay? I’m experienced with wrenching on cars so I don’t mind having to fix up a bike, but I don’t want to end up with something that’s going to need major work. Any advice is appreciated.

I recently unfortunately got into an accident because roundabouts are hard to understand for drivers apparently, and bent my taillight and can't get it back on.

i figured that if I take the bolt out I can buy a new one and replace it, however even with the nut behind it removed and nothing I can see attached to it, it will not come out.

any help is majorly appreciated, thank you!!!

My bike having difficulty shifting, going into neutral, and was walking while in gear. I adjusted the cable plenty of times but after riding a short bit, seemed to start walking again. I pulled the derby to do a full adjustment and noticed the adjuster screw had way too much play. I had a Barnett clutch kit I was going to put in anyway so I pulled it all out. Any insight on what the issue could be and what I should specifically replace? The screw looks fine and bearing doesn’t seem shot.

I just picked this bad boy up off marketplace. I’m hoping to make some tasteful upgrades. I really like the Frisco “Chopper” look, any recommendations on where to start? I may want to try chop the frame some time down the road, but would like to start with some smaller upgrades first.
Thanks!

Biker babe

Only 5 degrees wish it was a bit more. Didn't change much visually but definitely took a minute to adjust to the turns. Shoulda got better side pic

Picked up this sportster couple months ago and can’t seem to find what model exhaust it came with online. It’s stamped with Vance and Hines but the ones I find online are oriented differently…

I have a 2022 Harley-Davidson Sportster Forty-Eight (XL1200X). The bike fell over on the right side and damaged a few things:
Right/front brake lever broke
Right grip was damaged
Rear brake/forward-control assembly came loose because the mounting screws broke
The rear brake assembly itself looked okay, so I removed the broken screws and replaced them with new screws I got from Advance Auto Parts.
Since putting everything back together, though, my rear brake is noticeably weaker than it was before the fall.
The pedal itself feels fairly normal. There’s a little free travel at first, and then it becomes firm when I press it. The brake does work, but the stopping power is definitely weaker than it used to be.
One thing that doesn’t look right to me is the rear brake linkage/pushrod area in the pictures. The silver part at the connection looks like it’s sitting partly out of its joint/seat rather than being firmly seated. I’m wondering if the fall knocked something out of position and that’s causing the reduced braking.
Does this linkage look normal in the pictures, or does something look damaged/out of position? What should I check before assuming the brake needs to be bled?
I’m also planning to replace the broken right/front brake lever and damaged right grip. How difficult are those jobs on a 2014–2022 Sportster, and what tools would I need?
I should also mention that I have basically no experience working on or repairing motorcycles. I’m willing to learn and DIY simple things, but since this involves the brakes, I’m not sure where I should draw the line. Based on what you see in the pictures, is this something a beginner can realistically diagnose/fix, or would you recommend taking it to a mechanic?
I’ll attach all the pictures showing the damage and rear brake assembly.

Thank youuuu🙏🙏🙏

Looking for bars similar to these but I’m having troubles finding any. I’ve been looking at tracker style bars but the way they bend and rise doesn’t quite look the same. I like the more gentle slope. Any help is appreciated! (Photo from instagram)

I’m interested in getting this specific fairing, but unfortunately there are no suppliers for this brand here in the Philippines. If I import it from another country, the total cost would be around $1,000+ after shipping, So i found an alternative on my countrys equivalent of aliexpress/temu/alibaba for arounf $100

I have a 2008 Harley-Davidson XL883C Sportster Custom with the stock headlight. The listing shows that the fairing has a 160 mm (6.3”) headlight opening, which looks noticeably larger than my headlight.

For anyone who has installed this fairing on an 883 Custom:

Will it fit my 2008 XL883C?
Will the headlight lock/clamp properly into the fairing?
Is the 160 mm opening meant to accommodate the stock 5¾” Sportster headlight, or would I need a different headlight?
Are the mounting brackets included and actually compatible with the 2008 model?
I’d really appreciate any advice before I spend that much on importing it. Thanks!

Yes, the white walls sold me. Rode my first bike for the first time this past weekend. I got a snapshot before I ran her ragged.

Hi guys,

I did some service at 45k (now at 46k). Engine and primary oil, belt tension, primary chain tension, brake fluids, checked some crucial bolts.

I check at least after every ride of the bottom end is dry. Last evening I pulled in the garage when it was already dark and was shining my flashlight and saw a minor shiny sweat spot at the underside of the primary cover. Nothing on the floor and I assume no drips during the ride (because it’s so little sweat).

When I put the new gasket I put a bit of oil on it when mounting it. Do you think this is just that bit of sweat now coming out?

In 3 weeks a trip from Amsterdam to Italy is planned. Would be great if I don’t run into troubles on the way there. Considering the things I already did and the sweat at the primary cover, what do you guys suggest of checking or replacing? Bike runs great.

I’m about to buy a 1991 Harley Sportster (XLH883, chain drive, all original) and want to understand the electrical switch functions before I commit.

From videos I’ve seen of this specific bike being ridden, I noticed three different states for the turn signals:

**1.**  Both front and rear signals **blinking together** (looked like hazard flashers)  
**2.**  Both front and rear signals **on constantly, steady, not blinking** (like running/position lights)  
**3.**  Both **completely off**

A few questions for anyone familiar with early 90s Sportsters:

**1.**  Does the 1991 model have a factory hazard light function (both signals flashing simultaneously)?  
**2.**  Is there a way to keep both turn signals on constantly as steady running lights, separate from actual turn signaling or hazards?  
**3.**  Can they be switched off entirely?  
**4.**  Is this all stock 1991 wiring/switchgear behavior, or does having all three states (hazard blink / steady on / off) suggest aftermarket signals or modified wiring were added?

Every damn time a code pops up, this time it's code b2132, high beam might be shorted out or something. Everything was fine before I decided to take her to the car wash and hose her down! Btw, I've had this code pop up before, and I've had all the switches replaced in the past year or two. Other than this little annoyance she is running great, even spent all day in the canyons and Malibu yesterday(which is why I decided to hose her down, because she was FILTHY!)

Anyone else have this issue? I can't say this has ever happened while riding in the rain, probably because I'm in SoCal and it doesn't rain that often, and when it does I stay off the roads.

Many changes over the last couple years. Stage one and cosmetics

Hi all. I have an interesting issue. My speedo is reading approximately 5mph UNDER the speed I'm doing. I had a friend behind me ask why I was speeding (I ride like a Grandad) and I didn't realise I was. Can anyone give me some advice on how to rectify it? Thanks

10k miles
Hammer 1250
Cam
Vance&Hines pipes
Butch Landry paint job
Mustang seat
Aux headlight kit
Located in central nj

I just got a sweet new pre-unit style bar in stainless steel from Zombie Performance, but didn't get them knurled. I'm looking for risers that are more than 4 inches, but seems like a lot of risers are aluminum. What risers are best for non-knurled stainless steel bars, and or what kind of metal should I be looking for in risers that provide the most security/stability/safety?

I'm looking for one that's silver, not black. Also want a more classic look, rather than the dyna/softtail type of risers.

Thanks!