DIRTSTER BUILD
Here we have the final product of our Dirtster build. This was originally a 1988 Harley Davidson Sportster with an 883 motor. Here is some of the things we have done to get it to this stage.
SUSPENSION
First and foremost is the suspension. We teamed up with RaceTech Inc to build out 16 inch rear shocks, and front internals. When you order these from Race Tech, you tell them the riders height, weight, model of the bike, and what you intend to be doing (Woods Racing, Jumping, Flat track racing, etc.) You will also need Honda CRF450 front forks, and triple trees (we found on Ebay) To adapt it, you need the rusty butcher crf to HD conversion stem cap.
WHEELS AND TIRES
After you have the suspension all done and installed, You will need some knobby tires and wheels.
Since you now have a Honda CRF450 front end, you will also need the Honda front wheel (21")
For the rear wheel, get an 18" that fits for regular Harley hub/axle.
Brand of knobby tires is riders choice!
HAND CONTROLS
7/8 everything! It will feel most like a dirt bike, and you need it anyway to work with the Honda front brakes/front end.
7/8s Renthal moto bars - Amazon
7/8s clutch perch and lever - Elite moto tech
7/8s riser clamps - anywhere preferred, we went amazon. Make sure they are not tall.
7/8s throttle tube - Biltwell single cable (still works as opposed to the dual cable)
7/8s front brake master and lever - Ebay honda CRF450 front brake lever/full assembly.
We also eliminated almost all excess wiring, so we got the slimmed down wiring harness from rusty butcher, and its just on/off and push start on the bars. No turn key anymore!
FOOT CONTROLS
This part is a little tricky depending on your desires.
Most can keep the mid controls and use sportster pegs (MX pegs from us here at Torque Motorcycle Co).
BUT we decided to do rear foot controls which had a lot involved.
We needed a rod of 1 inch round bar. Cut it to length of the normal width your pegs go from one side of the bike to the other. Then cut the proper angle, depth and width for the peg adapters, and welded that bar to an angle bracket with 2 holes drilled in it, to line up with the rear bottom motor mounts.
After you do that, you will also need to flip your shifter (yes you will now be reverse shifting) and same with your rear brake master. If you are crafty and can weld, or have a friend that can weld, you can pull this off.
OIL TANK / BATTERY / SEAT
We got a slimmed down oil tank from Slim Fab on instagram. What this does is eliminate a side mounted battery, and bulging oil tank. The slim fab tank is flush with the frame, and holds an Antigravity battery in a middle chamber. It looks WAY cleaner, and you dont risk your battery bouncing around, or ripping off the side. The specific antigravity battery is recommended by slim fab in their instructions.
Seat is from rusty butcher its a flat dirt bike style. With this you must have the 2.25 gallon peanut tank, otherwise the seat wont fit.
OTHERS/FINAL THOUGHTS
All of the universal dirt bike plastics you drill and bolt on yourself. They are from Amazon. Theres lots of colors available. Next we kind of want to do a Kawasaki lime green style !
Exhaust you can do a high bend, or regular height depending on your setup.
It is an expensive build, and can cost up to $10,000 + ! But if you are into it and want to push a Harley to its limits then go for it! You can also make it a universal riding motorcycle and still have rear lights, headlight, Dual sport tires. It will be like a supermoto on steroids. Race it, jump it, ride it!
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