58' Sporty Special...

Hi Everybody,

My red bike has finally morphed from a 54' KHK side valve to an OHV 58' Sportster!!! In the very near future, the KHK will go back with rear suspension and lights most probably!!!







Patrick

[Pa]

Real Nice Patrick !!!! Pa

Nice looking Iron Head, Patric!

Is it a -58 CH engine Patrick? How does it compare to the KHK?

Hi Epinut,

Well, it's stamped 58 C, but the cases are a matched replacement set with belly # 769 crossed out, then 770-xxxx!!!

I've just finished it, haven't been on the road yet, the weather's terrible at the moment...

That the engine that used to live in my blue bike...

All the best from Patrick

Patrick,

Cold and rain here also, but your ' 58 Sporty Special ' warms me up !

Looking at it reminded me of a question that has been bugging me. Maybe you or someone else on the forum can tell me why the picture of the 58 CH in the book, "The Legend Begins", has what appears to be a pre 56 K frame and early shocks ?
What gives ?

Jack

Hi yarddog,

Well, not quite a K frame, rather a KR frame!!!

For the simple reason that the C, CH and XLR were designed at the same time in 57and the H-D race shop only built ONE bike, an XLRTT. It was photographed 1st with the correct front mag, no side stand, brought back to the shop for the C/Ch vert. magneto conversion and then re-photographed. I'm quite sure of it since the side stand was actually taped to the frame for C and CH, it has no welded braket next to the left footrest!!! and the Pohlman shots are definitively of the same bike, all the screws are in the same position everywhere, same serials on the tyres...

58 XLRTT:





58 XLC:



58 XLCH:



Also note magneto mounted facing forward on C/CH, necessiting an elbow gas inlet fitting on the DC Linkert. Magneto was mounted the other "normal" way on actual C/CH sold in 58...

Patrick

Looks great Patrick! out of curiosity did you notice any changes to the sound or engine feel with the split rockers?

Patrick,

Thanks for the info and the great photos !!!

In the late sixties, upon arriving home from my all expenses paid trip to S.E. Asia, I spent all spring and summer trying to stay up with my buddy's 58 CH. I am sad to say I stripped my 57 XL to the bone to at least LOOK like his faster hot rod. The CH itself is long gone, but I traded for its frame a couple years back. It has a date code of Dec 57 and the hole for the rear small tank mount is sleeved, not merely drilled so I think it is legit. I'm thinking about ' re-creating ' a 58 C/CH using some early 58 cases I have. How early in the 58 production run did the C/CH appear ?


Jack

Hi Yardog,

Pohlman photos: the 2 XLRTT shots are dated Aug 28th 57, The 4 shots C/CH (2 C and 2 CH) are dated Sept 25th 57.

Earliest bit of info "outside the factory" I have is a 2 pages central spread on C/CH in the Feb 58 issue of "American Motorcyclist", repeated as well in the March 58 issue (... That's an "all States" magazine, so much for C = California only!!!). 2 small photos in the March 58 issue of the Enthusiast show us 2 off 58CH, one as it left the factory, no lights, the other with added aftermarket lights. Both have the "race flag and Vee" supposed 1959 logo on the gas tank and the race cut down front fender, just below the bottom stay as per above photos. I also have the recto-verso factory leaflet on them, but its not dated. There was also a full leaflet "all models" in 58 that features the C and CH.

They're all on my site:

http://www.harleykrxlrtt.com/1958_xlc_xlch.htm

If you look carefully at the photo of the CH above, one can clearly see the proof that it's indeed an XLR engine: the "dynamo" blank plate is actually fixed to the threaded holes of the magneto adaptor plate, more or less in the vertical, not the dynamo normal holes which are at roughly a 60 deg. angle from these...

Another hint is the number of screws on the tin primary. The street XL had only 9 bosses in the case for these, the XLR stayed as the KR and have an extra boss hence 10 screws there...

Patrick