1978 Harley Davidson Sportster 75th Anniversary 1000 XLH
A surprise birthday present from my father back on June 6th 1993, which was kind of a big deal as motorcycles…..are not his favorite things.
This was my first and only Harley-Davidson. It came with 1,500 miles on the clock and we had to pull it up out of a basement with a block and tackle. I thought we were doing my Dad’s friend a favor by moving it somewhere. When we eventually had it loaded in the truck and took off, I asked him where we were taking it. He turned and said “Back home. This is yours!” I didn’t quite believe it at first, but he was smiling.
Riding it, and knowing it was my very own, was a true California experience.
At the time I was living in Scotland, but I found myself touring with bands all over the world with most journeys concluding in the States, so I would end up in Carmel, CA staying at my Dad’s while setting up the next tour and riding this Harley up and down Highway 1. After spending much of my childhood dreaming of returning to California, (to my dismay we had emigrated to Ireland in ‘66) this was literally a dream come true and made the end of tours extra special when I could look forward to getting back to the Coast, pull off the tarp, start it up, and hear those drag pipes echo off the pine trees as I headed down to Big Sur.
The bike is still with me…as long as it’s kept on a battery tender it starts up everytime. Only major thing I had done was in Spring of 2019 have Frank Kays (the Triumph guru) tend to the transmission. It had been jumping out of 2nd ever since I got it. He also installed the classic Lockhart oil cooler that came with the bike. I rebuilt the brakes, replaced the master cylinder and installed stainless steel lines but the twin disc set up is still as wooden as ever…you just have to take things easy…..ride it like a truck driver….always think very far ahead.
Most recent thing I had to do in summer of 2020 was a parking lot install of a clutch cable….wasn’t easy!
It’s official name…1978 Sportster 1000 Electric Start Anniversary XLH1000
In Pacific Grove, CA
Monterey Bay
and finally...Tennessee plates...
Outside our first Nashville address, ironically and coincidentally: Inverness Avenue, a particularly Scottish name.
At Franks workshop....
Transmission out....
Just four gears....not much too it....
This was the culprit....worn brass shift fork Made of brass primarily so they would wear first before the transmission cluster. Frank did a great job. Shifts fine now. Only bike I have that has only four gears....but you can start off in any one of them. V-twin torque.
This is what you have to do to replace a clutch cable in a parking lot. July in Tennessee. It was brutally sweatastic and as the sun dipped to the west the mosquitoes breeding in that air conditioner condensate woke up and ate me alive...in short...never go for the budget clutch cable on a late model Harley...
The best part....Dave Lee Roth had the same bike, although sometimes I'm not sure if this is a cool fact or not...