The Sportster was built for a film project that happened between myself and Electric Bubble (the production company). We wanted to take six mates around Tasmania on hand-built bikes. Why the Sportster? Because that’s what I had. I picked it up for a bargain and intended to customise it; what I didn’t intend was the direction the bike took. Being completely transformed into a dual sport adventure bike wasn’t the original idea.
You can ride a Sporty comfortably all day, generally not through off-road tracks but that just adds to the fun of it. There’s no doubt it took a lot of work to make the 1200cc cruiser even mildly off road capable, but we had to take it a step further. The terrain we would hit was really testing for both bike and rider. As a 75kg bloke, wrestling a big lead weight around these tracks was a challenge. That said, my task as a builder was to drop as much weight off it as possible. The stock 2007 Sporty weighs in at 265kg ready to ride, my project hits the curb at 230kg ready to ride. I was able to shed that weight through a lot of hand-made aluminium parts, lightweight wheels, exhaust, and fibreglass tail sections among a bunch of other things.
Lectron carbs are well known in MX and Enduro circles, the way they operate devoid of jets makes them an obvious choice for long, off-road journeys of changing climate and altitude. No matter where you ride the Lectron stays tuned. My Sportster was built to go anywhere and the Lectron aids that freedom.
The airbox was yet another hand-built, original part. The design allows a few luxuries that the standard airbox didn’t. Better water crossing capability, longer maintenance intervals, and better protection from rain/sleeting weather.
Esta historia es de la edición January - February 2021 de HEAVY DUTY Magazine.
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Esta historia es de la edición January - February 2021 de HEAVY DUTY Magazine.
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Polishing The Facets
Finessing the sharp edges and making that 124 sing and dance
The Fabulous Flexi Flyer
A genuine time capsule with history oozing from every single unique pore.
Road Raves Living The Life With Doc Robinson
WORDS OF WISDOM “When I was old enough to ride a motorcycle and got my license, I bought a ’69 Sportster.” – Chuck Zito
The End Of The Line
Writing a road test about a bike that is due to disappear from dealers’ floors any minute is a bit weird. Should this be more of a eulogy?
Now It's Time To Head Down Track
What happens when I’m ready to race at an IHRA-sanctioned dragstrip?
RAUCOUS ROCKY
With our own area called the Motorcycle Precinct, bikers were well catered for at this year’s RockyNats
S&S SUPERSTREET
With a Softail Deluxe already dripping in chrome, of course Paul was easily swayed by the offer of a shiny, new S&S SuperStreet two-into-one.
SPORTS STILL ROARING
Blues skies greeted the National Roaring Sporties racers for Round Two at the challenging Morgan Park Raceway near Warwick, Qld.
NO STRINGS ATTACHED
Even some of the locals are over the yodelling and pedal steel guitars. HOG member and history nerd, Roderick Eime explores another side of Tamworth and the surrounding region.
HAPPY HOGGIES
The drought was well and truly broken with HOG members from all over Australia making it to Rockhampton.