Pulling up the website for craigslist dot org and typing in the word “Project” remains one of my favorite pass times. Every once in a while it turns up a gem like this mid-1990s Harley Sportster bobber. According to the for-sale ad, this bike is in perfect running order aside from a snapped clutch cable. And for that simple failure, the bike has a hefty discount. Come on, that’s a cinch.
I’m on the fence as to whether I’m a bobber guy, and I certainly couldn’t handle the tall chopper-style Z-bars, or the iron cross motif on this bike. That said, I could probably make a bike like this work for my aesthetic preferences with a few minor changes. If it’s as solid as the seller says it is, which I’m fully aware it never is, this could be a great buy at just $2,800.
There’s some old-school charm to this style of bike, and I’d love to polish it up to find the diamond underneath the rough. Fix the clutch cable, ditch the ebay LED headlight, put some lower bars on, and maybe a cooler set of wheels, and you’d have a pretty neat bike here for minimal cash outlay. Personally, I’d go full Radwood-era with it, and have some custom pink and teal neon graphics added to the tank. Can you dig it?
The seller advertises that they have a ramp, so if you show up with a truck, they can help you load it. That’s all well and good, but the vibe of this bike surely is that you’d ride it home with a broken clutch cable, right? Sportsters ain’t that heavy. Jam it into neutral at every stop light, then shove off from a stop and hork it down into first to ride away. Rev-match every shift, and be firm about it, and you’ll get it home.
Don’t let a silly thing like a broken clutch cable get you all down in the dumps about a project bike. Hell, I broke a clutch cable on my daily rider once and had to ride it to work like that for four days until I could get a replacement. What’s the worst that could happen? Okay, don’t answer that.
Anyway, if you’re a braver soul than me with more money, space, and free time, check out the listing right here.
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