I have a 95 same color 1200. Got it relatively cheap. Turned it into a chopper and stripped her down to just a brake light and headlight. Ditched all the stock wiring. Relocated the starter to a push start. Changed the air intake and put some Bassani exhaust. Then went with mini ape hangers. So it’s a labor of love and I love it. Just have to be willing to put some time in and get your hands a little dirty. I’ll never get the money I have invested into it but I don’t plan on getting rid of her anytime soon either.
@@corydallas7279 that’s rad! The money doesn’t matter when you’re building the exact bike that you want. If you think about it, paying somebody like me to do it would cost you about 10 times as much as what you’ve spent so you’re actually ahead.
I sold my 883 to "upgrade" to a Twin Cam. After doing a ton of modifications on my twin cam to fix all the factory flaws I realized the Sportster was the better bike after all. Someday I'm going to go back to an 883.
@MasonGeorgeMotorcycles I toured 23 states on a 2006 883. Plenty of power and more range than a 1200 between gas stations on long trips. 883 is perfect for me.
That's what I done, bought a near perfect 03 and done a hammer 1275 kit in it. Upgraded shocks and fork springs/oil. Few other things. Love it. It's quicker than my wife's 02 1200C. Keeps up with my 04vrod to a hundred.
@@MasonGeorgeMotorcycles they have end of season sales every year like 15%off is when I bought mine 3 years ago,my son bought one the following year😁 eleven or twelve hundred is def worth it. Even the hooligan kits are worth it imo. They make a 883 so much fun. I cannot see ever selling it
That's a sweet bike. Love the light blue paint, the unpainted aluminum, and the chrome. I would add some more chrome to it. NO FLAT BLACK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I hate those crimped clamps H-D uses on the fuel line. Japanese bikes have MUCH better clamps. I love the little spring clips they use, and they work great. I found cracked carbs slides in two of my Sportsters. Ethanol destroys rubber carb parts. There is one thing you didn't do that ALL EVO Sportsters desperately need. Replace the clutch. EVO Sportster clutches have what is commonly called a "grenade plate" It's called that because it tends to explode, filling the primary and transmission full of bits of metal. H-D calls it a spring plate. It is two metal plates riveted together, and the rivets will eventually fail. Usually before 20,000 miles. I use a Barnett "extra plate kit", and remove that grenade plate. I also replace the release bearing with an upgraded part. I can't remember the part# at the moment. But at 20,000 miles, the oem release bearing is probably about gone.
@@geraldscott4302 all the aluminum parts polish to a near chrome finish as well and will last a lot longer. In the exception of factory chrome, it is really hard to find a chrome shop that can get the chrome to last on aluminum. I’m guessing the clutch has already been replaced on this and I actually made a separate video about that issue. When the clutches starting to go, you will always know because it will be hard to find neutral.
I payed $3200 in canada for my 91 883. That was in 2017 with 4000km on it. It needed the front tire replsced for the safety. It broke down twice. Both times was a wire end that broke and thats it. I love it. Its almost 60000km now.
Just ran into your channel, bro. Awesome content, i enjoy watching people who know their stuff when it comes to mechanics on these machines. That's a dang fine bike to be a 95 model. She will make many memories on it. 👍😎👍
@@royogden2536 welcome, and thanks for the kind words! Yeah, I was very surprised on how good of condition it was for a 95. I really enjoy working on bikes like this.
@@kendemers8821 I actually grew up in northeast Ohio and was there all of last week! I do know a great mechanic in the area, the name of the shop is Sundayz Cycles in Hamden Ohio and the owners name is Chis 4402857783. He’s a master HD mechanic and will treat you right, tell him I sent ya!
Good video , ive had a few evo sportsters , first one being an 883 , have 1998 XL1200S at the moment , its really good , , best upgrade for me was fitting BT46F Bridgestone tyres . transformed the ride.......
ive had 3 sportsters and an electraglide. i wanted another sportster till i bought my 01 vstar 650. i wouldnt trade it for a sportster. but i did have to go through it.
awesome bk in 2019 I found & bought an 2000 Sportster 1200 had 30 k miles for 2500 cash & it Ran great as is but did a few Things Like Oil of cource 1 front tire bk was new rebuild & jetted Carb new Ignition module breaks crash bar & now its My Go to of 3 Harley's 1200 & a 98 heritage evo & 12 road king twinkly Love all my bikes but My Sporty is By far My favorite
Intake manifold leaks. Check for that. In fact, with Sportsters expect that. It will run much better when you have no air leaks. I check for leaks by putting a few pounds of air into the manifold with an air compressor via a PVC pipe apparatus and connector, then spray around with soapy water. You will see the bubbles if you have leaks.
@@raybrensike42 9 times out of 10 when Harleys have air leaks it’s because somebody worked on it and doesn’t know what they’re doing lol I see it a lot on big twins
To be safe, relatively speaking, get a machine from the evolution/ block head engines to now. Forget the AMF and back. Unless you love to work on these machines. And check for the usual wear and tear.
If you have one brake pad that has obviously worn much fast than the other, you might have a sticking caliper. Clean it well around there, and you might even want to take the pucks out and clean / rebuild it as necessary.
@@raybrensike42 yes that’s a possibility but in this case it wasn’t the issue. I find with a lot of cruisers people will drag the rear break just by having their foot on it while they’re riding. I always take the bikes on a nice test ride afterwards and then put them back on the left and go over all that stuff.
I've got a 2000 1200 Sportster runs great but takes forever to warm up! Once you stop for lunch and she cools a bit she kinda resents starting again. All is good after a mile. Ha-ha
@@jb-bu4vl I would recommend backing the idle mixture screw out quarter to half turn. You have to drill out the plug first. plenty videos out there on how. There's a long idle speed thumb screw that replaces stock one that makes life easier on carb bike too. All my bikes are stage one tho so they warm up easier than stock, but I really like the thumb screw, it lets me turn enrichener off right after starting and use the idle speed screw to keep it high idle until warm
@@radricster you’ve obviously never worked in a motorcycle shop😂 a lot of new riders think motorcycle are just like cars and you can just drive them, change the oil every once in a while and throw a new tires on them every five years. Half the people don’t even bother to get a license before they start riding… that’s actually kind of why I made this video to give people a little heads up about what they’re getting into.
I even put a new battery in my last bike before I sold it. Every bike I have ever sold was ready to take cross country. I also ride them regularly so they stay road ready. If i get a decent day in January my bikes ready to go. Last guy said I’m kicking myself for not asking for a cheaper price, but the bike needs nothing and it’s a fair price.
@ that’s the way I sell mine too! Thankfully, this person was straight up and knew that it needed work so they priced it in such a way that the work could be done and it would still be a fair deal. It’s few and far between, but there are good people out there.
What was the total “hours”? for the whole service? good video tips….Michelin Commander II are really good tires. Not cheap…so, I guessing about 10 hours plus tire and parts cost…nice bike.
@@rodcoulter997 it was just about 7 hours of “billable time” of course I had more time into it than that but I never end up charging for all my time because I like to not rush things and be thorough… I’m also big fan of doing a lot of cleaning lol
@@SpaceRanger187 everything is cheaper in Texas from houses to gas and that’s why a ton of people are moving there. I was there last year looking at bikes and I will say they’re cheap but they’re also not in the best condition, for some reason people just don’t take care of them as well out there. I’ve never seen so many clapped out $3500 Dyna’s with ape hangers in my life lol
Would a bike run ok, say at 1/8 throttle with the accelerator pump in the condition you found that one? My experience in carbs ends with AMAL Concentrics
@@MasonGeorgeMotorcycles i have a honda magna that is a v4. yes the carbs are not fun to clean. if i find a good deal on a sportster, ill get one. i think all harleys are beautiful. but sportster is the only model i want. i dont like heavy bikes😁
@@EvendimataE I’ve done enough magna carbs where if I never did another set in my life I would be totally fine with it lol the sportster is such a great bike and the cost of ownership is way less than big twins for sure.
You buy a older bike for good price and it needs work and $ to get going-but now you know the history of oil change, service and tires. Buy a more expensive bike and end up doing these things anyway since you dont know.
@@Wayne-j5j I have a 2010 Road King with over 60,000 miles on it...Never had a major problem. I change the oil, all three holes, every 2500-3000 miles with red line and K&N filter, keep things adjusted. I run the crap out of it. I have a few friends that have twin cams with high miles they also have had no problems.
First time viewer and really liked it.
@@donculp9094 awesome, thanks for tuning in!
I have a 95 same color 1200. Got it relatively cheap. Turned it into a chopper and stripped her down to just a brake light and headlight. Ditched all the stock wiring. Relocated the starter to a push start. Changed the air intake and put some Bassani exhaust. Then went with mini ape hangers. So it’s a labor of love and I love it. Just have to be willing to put some time in and get your hands a little dirty. I’ll never get the money I have invested into it but I don’t plan on getting rid of her anytime soon either.
@@corydallas7279 that’s rad! The money doesn’t matter when you’re building the exact bike that you want. If you think about it, paying somebody like me to do it would cost you about 10 times as much as what you’ve spent so you’re actually ahead.
I sold my 883 to "upgrade" to a Twin Cam.
After doing a ton of modifications on my twin cam to fix all the factory flaws I realized the Sportster was the better bike after all. Someday I'm going to go back to an 883.
@@jamessouthworth1699 get a 1200, same size but way more power!
@MasonGeorgeMotorcycles I toured 23 states on a 2006 883. Plenty of power and more range than a 1200 between gas stations on long trips.
883 is perfect for me.
That's what I done, bought a near perfect 03 and done a hammer 1275 kit in it. Upgraded shocks and fork springs/oil. Few other things. Love it. It's quicker than my wife's 02 1200C. Keeps up with my 04vrod to a hundred.
@ the hammer kit looks rad! I might have to do that to the yellow one🏁
@@MasonGeorgeMotorcycles they have end of season sales every year like 15%off is when I bought mine 3 years ago,my son bought one the following year😁 eleven or twelve hundred is def worth it. Even the hooligan kits are worth it imo. They make a 883 so much fun. I cannot see ever selling it
That's a sweet bike. Love the light blue paint, the unpainted aluminum, and the chrome. I would add some more chrome to it. NO FLAT BLACK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I hate those crimped clamps H-D uses on the fuel line. Japanese bikes have MUCH better clamps. I love the little spring clips they use, and they work great. I found cracked carbs slides in two of my Sportsters. Ethanol destroys rubber carb parts.
There is one thing you didn't do that ALL EVO Sportsters desperately need. Replace the clutch. EVO Sportster clutches have what is commonly called a "grenade plate" It's called that because it tends to explode, filling the primary and transmission full of bits of metal. H-D calls it a spring plate. It is two metal plates riveted together, and the rivets will eventually fail. Usually before 20,000 miles. I use a Barnett "extra plate kit", and remove that grenade plate. I also replace the release bearing with an upgraded part. I can't remember the part# at the moment. But at 20,000 miles, the oem release bearing is probably about gone.
@@geraldscott4302 all the aluminum parts polish to a near chrome finish as well and will last a lot longer. In the exception of factory chrome, it is really hard to find a chrome shop that can get the chrome to last on aluminum. I’m guessing the clutch has already been replaced on this and I actually made a separate video about that issue. When the clutches starting to go, you will always know because it will be hard to find neutral.
I payed $3200 in canada for my 91 883. That was in 2017 with 4000km on it. It needed the front tire replsced for the safety. It broke down twice. Both times was a wire end that broke and thats it. I love it. Its almost 60000km now.
Nice work bro.
Amazing video man, love the workshop. That blue color is out of this world.
@@Moon_Quake thank you!🏁
Another CA biker I can follow👍, bike was a good price, things are expensive down
Just ran into your channel, bro. Awesome content, i enjoy watching people who know their stuff when it comes to mechanics on these machines. That's a dang fine bike to be a 95 model. She will make many memories on it.
👍😎👍
@@royogden2536 welcome, and thanks for the kind words! Yeah, I was very surprised on how good of condition it was for a 95. I really enjoy working on bikes like this.
Great video. I wish you were in NE Ohio, I'd ask you to work on my 2005 Ultra Classic!
@@kendemers8821 I actually grew up in northeast Ohio and was there all of last week! I do know a great mechanic in the area, the name of the shop is Sundayz Cycles in Hamden Ohio and the owners name is Chis 4402857783. He’s a master HD mechanic and will treat you right, tell him I sent ya!
Good video , ive had a few evo sportsters , first one being an 883 , have 1998 XL1200S at the moment , its really good , , best upgrade for me was fitting BT46F Bridgestone tyres . transformed the ride.......
ive had 3 sportsters and an electraglide. i wanted another sportster till i bought my 01 vstar 650. i wouldnt trade it for a sportster. but i did have to go through it.
awesome bk in 2019 I found & bought an 2000 Sportster 1200 had 30 k miles for 2500 cash & it Ran great as is but did a few Things Like Oil of cource 1 front tire bk was new rebuild & jetted Carb new Ignition module breaks crash bar & now its My Go to of 3 Harley's 1200 & a 98 heritage evo & 12 road king twinkly Love all my bikes but My Sporty is By far My favorite
Only thing I’m not liking is the seat, it seems to clash with the whole beautiful style of the bike
Intake manifold leaks. Check for that. In fact, with Sportsters expect that. It will run much better when you have no air leaks. I check for leaks by putting a few pounds of air into the manifold with an air compressor via a PVC pipe apparatus and connector, then spray around with soapy water. You will see the bubbles if you have leaks.
@@raybrensike42 9 times out of 10 when Harleys have air leaks it’s because somebody worked on it and doesn’t know what they’re doing lol I see it a lot on big twins
I like those saddlebags.
@@mattsunn4192 me too, they have tons of character! They’re actually factory Harley Davidson bags. Kind of reminds me of the t sport bags.
To be safe, relatively speaking, get a machine from the evolution/ block head engines to now.
Forget the AMF and back. Unless you love to work on these machines.
And check for the usual wear and tear.
If you have one brake pad that has obviously worn much fast than the other, you might have a sticking caliper. Clean it well around there, and you might even want to take the pucks out and clean / rebuild it as necessary.
@@raybrensike42 yes that’s a possibility but in this case it wasn’t the issue. I find with a lot of cruisers people will drag the rear break just by having their foot on it while they’re riding. I always take the bikes on a nice test ride afterwards and then put them back on the left and go over all that stuff.
I've got a 2000 1200 Sportster runs great but takes forever to warm up! Once you stop for lunch and she cools a bit she kinda resents starting again. All is good after a mile. Ha-ha
@@jb-bu4vl your pilot circuit is probably a little bit clogged. Cleaning it will make the world of difference.
@@MasonGeorgeMotorcycles Thank you for the reply. I just wrote it off to the intrinsic raw nature of the beast. I'll check it out though.
@@jb-bu4vl I would recommend backing the idle mixture screw out quarter to half turn. You have to drill out the plug first. plenty videos out there on how. There's a long idle speed thumb screw that replaces stock one that makes life easier on carb bike too. All my bikes are stage one tho so they warm up easier than stock, but I really like the thumb screw, it lets me turn enrichener off right after starting and use the idle speed screw to keep it high idle until warm
3 Grand ain't bad
Motorcycles are high maintenance even new...All fluid change, belt tension, primary chain tension, Clutch adjustment, and cable.
Anyone who thinks buying a used bike won't come with work that needs doing before you can safely take it down the road is chasing a unicorn.
@@radricster you’ve obviously never worked in a motorcycle shop😂 a lot of new riders think motorcycle are just like cars and you can just drive them, change the oil every once in a while and throw a new tires on them every five years. Half the people don’t even bother to get a license before they start riding… that’s actually kind of why I made this video to give people a little heads up about what they’re getting into.
I even put a new battery in my last bike before I sold it. Every bike I have ever sold was ready to take cross country. I also ride them regularly so they stay road ready. If i get a decent day in January my bikes ready to go. Last guy said I’m kicking myself for not asking for a cheaper price, but the bike needs nothing and it’s a fair price.
@ that’s the way I sell mine too! Thankfully, this person was straight up and knew that it needed work so they priced it in such a way that the work could be done and it would still be a fair deal. It’s few and far between, but there are good people out there.
Bought a ‘02 FZ1 a couple years ago, was ready to go, eventually the fork seals leaked but cleaning was all they needed, plus a fork oil change. $3K
So how much was the labor portion of the bill? $
@@johnbradley5236 the parts were around $650 and I think it was just under eight hours of labor for everything
What was the total “hours”? for the whole service? good video tips….Michelin Commander II are really good tires.
Not cheap…so, I guessing about 10 hours plus tire and parts cost…nice bike.
@@rodcoulter997 it was just about 7 hours of “billable time” of course I had more time into it than that but I never end up charging for all my time because I like to not rush things and be thorough… I’m also big fan of doing a lot of cleaning lol
@ What part of the Country u in?
@@rodcoulter997 Santa Cruz California
@ Thanks…u did mention Cali in the video…
You can buy these all over texas for a grand. heck there are 2020 harley 48s for 3k
@@SpaceRanger187 everything is cheaper in Texas from houses to gas and that’s why a ton of people are moving there. I was there last year looking at bikes and I will say they’re cheap but they’re also not in the best condition, for some reason people just don’t take care of them as well out there. I’ve never seen so many clapped out $3500 Dyna’s with ape hangers in my life lol
Nice video
@@Sgtyork488 thanks! 🏁
If those are the original plug wires I would replace them.
Would a bike run ok, say at 1/8 throttle with the accelerator pump in the condition you found that one? My experience in carbs ends with AMAL Concentrics
@@martincvitkovich724 yes it will run it will just have a dead spot for the first quarter throttle.
By the looks of the oil coming out, you could have at least warmed it up first.
@@phelanator5784 I did
😎👍😎
Oil looks good
@@owl1873 I was really surprised on how good it looked! That motor is pretty tight
sportsters are single carb, no need to balance?
@@EvendimataE yup! All Harleys are single carb (unless they are fuel injected). Way easier to work on than Japanese V twins
@@MasonGeorgeMotorcycles i have a honda magna that is a v4. yes the carbs are not fun to clean. if i find a good deal on a sportster, ill get one. i think all harleys are beautiful. but sportster is the only model i want. i dont like heavy bikes😁
@@EvendimataE I’ve done enough magna carbs where if I never did another set in my life I would be totally fine with it lol the sportster is such a great bike and the cost of ownership is way less than big twins for sure.
You buy a older bike for good price and it needs work and $ to get going-but now you know the history of oil change, service and tires. Buy a more expensive bike and end up doing these things anyway since you dont know.
I paid 3 for mine & it didn't need anything,
@@kevin2298 sounds like you got a great deal!
I sold my for 3500 2018 with 5 miles biggest mistake my life buying that bike worst bike I ever had
wait 60 more days and you can get one for 300-100
You really think that many illegals own Sportsters?
@@oneofmany1087 ?
The most expensive thing about that bike is you, brother.
@@deadpiratetattoo2015 please elaborate…
@MasonGeorgeMotorcycles mechanics fee.
Over 5 years of owning a Harley it will cost you on average 100. Dollars Everytime you start it ! Sorry to burst your bubble! 🤬
Bullshit. What did you buy?
@@Wayne-j5j if that was true between Dyna that has 80,000 miles on it and my 4 other Harley’s I would have spent millions over the years 😂
@MasonGeorgeMotorcycles you lucked up and got a good one in a million 👏🎉
@@Wayne-j5j I have a 2010 Road King with over 60,000 miles on it...Never had a major problem. I change the oil, all three holes, every 2500-3000 miles with red line and K&N filter, keep things adjusted. I run the crap out of it. I have a few friends that have twin cams with high miles they also have had no problems.
@markjohnston2675 💰💰💰💰💰