The Build: How I Chopped My Sportster

By Matt | Death Metal Cycle

The result: A hardtail Sporty that actually gets ridden. It took a lot of grit (and a few mistakes) to get here.

1. The Point of No Return

 I started with a 2002 883.  With all the bells and whistles.  Live to ride on every cover, also wasn't the nicest. Perfect for what i needed, a bike no one would care if i messed it up.  I picked this up off of Marketplace.  At the time there were no Sportster coming up.  I low balled everyone from Humboldt to SF.  I sent Everyone with a decent bike $2000 offers.  "CASH"....I finally snagged this one for $3500.  Not a good price, but i was getting desperate....

2. The Hardtail 

I think I road it three times before i decided to go full send.  I immediately tore it apart.  I had coupons from LowbrowCustoms.com for 20 percent off.  I had a bag of cash, so I purchased what i need to get started.  Hardtail, oil tank, Gas tank, and i tricked myself in to some invader rims....

Along with buying parts, i knew my tools would have to also be apart of the deal.  Christmas time I took advantage of a sale Harbor Freight had.  I got the best Tig welder they had for a decent price.

3. LORD OF THE RING

 

Immediately I made a mistake.  I cut the back bone to short....  I was already kicking myself in the ass.  But with a phone call to someone who had done a few hardtails.  A solution was devised.  LORD OF THE RINGS!  I cut a ring, the distance that was needed for the hardtail to be square. After that, I was off to the races....

4. Dialing in the Stance 

With the tins all fitted up, and my welding skills getting a little better.  I had the rims powder coated, and the roller was born.  This was the funnest part.  Seeing what was taking shape.  It was like I already had done it.  Just seeing the frame looking so good, it was a win.

5. The Start

 It was a miracle.  Everything worked out in the end.  Making a lot of simple mistakes with motor mounts, wiring, and of course oil lines.  It started the first time it was dialed in.  It even sounded mean. I road it around for a summer, bare metal.  It was awesome. 

It needed that summer to break things, realize the sissy bar i made sucked, and the motor was slowwwww...  It was cool to ride around on, but the freeway was a bare.  It was slow off the line, freeways at 65 were brutal, and i was over it...

6. Final Product

 

As soon as winter time hit, i tore it apart.  I got all the essentials, 6+ tubes, and re-wired it properly.  The reason I got an 883 is because I wanted to re-do the top end.  I had been looking in to Hammer Performance top ends for a few years.  Again, when on sale, I ordered a complete 1275 top end kit.

After painting the tins, and redneck powder coating the frame.  It was back together again...

7. 1275 Sportster

This photo was taken  two years after it was fully finished.  I spent a good summer trying to figure out a starting issue.  Re-building the starter, wiring, and almost giving up.  The wheel bearings cause a lot of grief and the oil lines would not seal to save my life...

After every rookie mistake was made.  It turned out to be a runner.  With the top end its a missile. I sit on the free at 75 easy.  It sounds good, its fun, and most of all its exactly what I wanted.

I now have multiple projects, and am deeper than i would like to be.  After Riding this to EDR, Virginia city round up, multiple weekend trips.  This bike is my daily.  It fires up everytime, and barely leaks (haha)....