WORLD'S FINEST HARLEY DAVIDSON ROADSTER XLS 1000 IRON-HEAD

[@MarkMeadows90]

There's something about those old Ironhead engines that puts a smile on my face. Even the Evolution motor. Sweet, sweet music.

[@atcjoe1600]

It’s hard to believe it’s a antique. The two tone paint is stunning !

[@richardmorris7063]

Must have kept that in his living room!

[@johnranallo424]

Those forks look extended. The cam and sprocket covers are gloss black, not wrinkle black. Killer Roadster!

[@jeffhresan2886]

That was the last bike I owned and rode because My wife gave birth to our second daughter in 1984. Mine was 1982, 25th-anniversary edition. Great bike! If I hadn't purchased the 1984 Honda Nighthawk 700 from you recently, I'd be talking to you about this bike. Oh well. Beautiful.

[@williamoelkers4295]

i own one with 13000 miles not all as pretty as this but very good condition got it in 1982 2nd owner love my AMF runs like a champ

[@CatfishLove]

Bought a brand-new roadster in 79 at the age of 17 off the showroom floor in Starkville MS. Had some good times on that one. Sweet scooter.

[@tjmusa]

what a bike, When i was 18, back in 80, i bought my xls new out of the crate in north platte ne, from English's h-d. my brother caught me riding his yamaha 79 xt and got mad. and i told him i was going to get my own bike, the next day i went to English, ask what he had, he said he had one in the crate. he would call me when it was togather, i got it with 13 miles on it from their test ride. i took it for a ride around the block and told him i would be back. i road it every day the first year, except twice when it was poring rain, and 3 days when I went to work and it got snowed in. got totaled when a drink preist and the basket ball coatchs pulled out in front of me. while i recovered, i dragged it in the house tore it apart, had to replace the tubes, and the folk mount and repainted it. road it to sturgis and to dallals from n.platte ne. the wife wished it has a bigger seat. it would do great wheeles.. what a ride. thanks for posting.

[@W1RMD]

Looks and sounds beautiful. I believe that was the first year Harley had VIN numbers. My 75 XLH only has engine numbers and a hole in the frame for the throttle cable mounting rivet to go were an actual VIN was stamped in 82 and newer models. I used to work for the previous owner of LA Harley Davidson in Lewiston, Maine. He used to trade, and I believe still does buy and sell LOTS of vintage Harleys. There is a lot of old XR 750s and other rare Harleys in the Auburn Maine mall that belong to him. Great job on videography. I enjoyed the "ride along". Thanks!

[@harryodum5598]

I’ve been riding sportsters since the late 60s and I have tons of support. Engines 45 flathead I got ran overhead on collision two years ago cannot work on them anymore. Plus, I want to sell my 79 roadster just got done before the accident Is a total rebuild on the 79 has matching numbers just a few original parts like gauges

[@daveprostock2622]

Amazing time capsule! Insane condition last year AMF! Appreciate the detailed video of it and the showing/reading of the model catalog. I gotta watch this one again right now. 🇺🇸✌🏻

[@sonnyseabury4051]

Sharp looking Harley. The Nightrods are my Favorite Harleys.

[@ernestoayala9954]

Holy moly! What a spectacular bike man! Just hearing her purring is music to my ears🙈👌🤙🤟 ride on man!

[@BlueRoseSteakhouse]

My 76 minxy is very jealous of how pretty the finishes are on her lol

[@harryodum5598]

I have one just like it. I can’t see for sure but there’s that have the Siamese still on it. The Siamese pipes are like hens teeth to find.

[@cardiffchris]

I should try one of these out sometime......only ever ridden japanese.

[@donniebaker5984]

You might wanna look at the upgraded evo sportsters that the entire engines are totally aluminum ...and when he says they are iron heads that means the top enf are entirely made if iron that were never designed to run on no lead gasoline and will seize a valve stem
..and for around $2k you can up date and iron head to burn no lead gas but will get extremely hot cooking the engine oil to at least 320*F everyday but be fixed by an aftermarket oil cooler ..
And soon you will get angry replacing the DC old school generators as fast as you order a new one and send in your burnt out generator to save a Core charge ....if you really want a Sportster that doesnt get hot practically maintenance free by changing the oil and filter ready to ride ..you want to look fore any of the model the are 1200cc of 2009 and newer ..as stock o.e
m. You will get E.F.I. and C.D.I.made by Bosch of Germany ..the brake calibers are made in italy by a brake company called Brembo ? ..the brake rotors are made by a japanese company called SunStar ....the suspension front and rear is made by another japanese company called Showa
.if you know anything about aftermarket very best performance parts ever ..today the market is saturated with2009 sportsters of average of $5k to as low as $2k....you may have heard of these foreign parts companies who all specialized in building each of the components just mentioned are of the highest quality of all motorcycle companies in the entire world ..other than Harley using the highest quality performance parts , that harley developed for each of the performance companies mentioned ..and in doing so ending up winning NHRA pro stock drag bikes world championship documented puts harley as the fastest ever motorcycles of the U.S Nationals racing against Suzuki GSX-R , Buell Thunder Bolt and the Victory cruiser winning more drag races than any motorcycle brand ever with 10 world 1st place championships every year for 10 straight years in a row i ...and in 2012 harley was the very 1st of all brands to run the 1/4 mile in 6 seconds at 200 miles per hour while all orher were taking 7 seconds to cover the same distance on the exact same race track home of the NHRA U.S. Nationals racing capital of the world Indianapolis Race Way Park ,....but unfortunately while harley pays for the highest quality and performance engineered parts possible that only money can buy that only exotic car and motorcycle companies use .the millennial critics who make up all the negative harley whiners claim all harleys are not made by American manufacturing using inferior foreign parts then assembled in chine saying harley leak oil burn oil break down constantly with illeg toally loud exhaust and with the lowest horsepower and slowest speeds as the most unreliable over priced motorcycle ever built .
These vicious relentless lies are told everyday by the millennials of the u.s.a. and canada for the last 40 years as eye witness leave comments in magazine test to now you tube comments, every new minute of 50 year old out dated problems told in sarcastic dry britsh style humor that suggests is true stories ..these 40 years of constant liers and lies is all it has taken to convince millions who have never ridden a Harley to avoid harleys all together that is directly responsible for sales losses of a billion dollars per year..so most all new customers dont even look any farther when competitive salesmen tell you that a new harley cvo cost $40,000 dollars end they do as all companies have for sale from their rarest one off custom vehicle operations (CVO) and no mention the cost of a brand new standard model harley road king with more standard features that cost extra of all other ..the price of a new harley bagger with over a 100 horsepower is $26,000 or less which is still a pile of dollars or is it and what will it buy made in japan of a one liter sport hike of 2023
Yamaha R1m $26,299
Suzuki GSX-R1100. $29,000
Honda CBR1000RR $30,000
Honda Goldwing msrp base price starts at $32,000 to more than north of north pole
Yamaha V-MAX said to be fastest cruiser at 10 seconds in the 1/4 mile $37,000
Screamin Eagle harley FX dyna 131cu in with over 150 rwhp stage IV that will run 9 seconds in the 1/4 mile $27,000 or less faster and cheaper than its Asian counter part by $10,000 dollars....and if you can just hang on long enough to get the money down for a totally reengineered 2023 sportster DOHC with electronic variable camshaft duration timing 60vdegree V Twin liquid c00led four valves per cylinder head 5 speed transmission with two throttle bodies and two EFI injectors with variable timing electronic ignition weighing the same or less than all asian 750cc sport cursers Power comes from Harley-Davidson's new 1,250cc water-cooled V-twin, dubbed the Revolution Max 1250T. It makes 121 horses and 94 pound-feet in the Sportster S (as opposed to the 150 horsepower it produces in Harley's Pan America 1250 adventure touring bike). And heing the same engine as the pan american (dirt glide) you can upgrade the new Sportster to 150 hp thats 2,5 horsepower for every pound of weight that is around 3 times more out put of a iron head sportster that harley no longer produces any stock factory parts for at all or any Harley more than ten years old ..that also there is no factory stock parts made for anything over 10 years old ......and more bad news since the war of the Ukraine and russia president biden raised Diesel fuel so now to fill up an 18:wheeler cost over $1000 ...as the new sportster started life for $12,000 is now up to /$15,500 .. same price or a few dollars more of a no bling plane jane Milwaukee 8 street bob 117 cu in with 120 hp

[@andy5786]

Very nice bike Harley Davidson roaster mint thanks Kenny Kaplan America motorcycle best 👍🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

[@metalgeniusjoe5602]

Really amazing and commendable how you always have such mint condition bikes. Then again, that's why this is the best bike channel on the internet! Way to go Ken!

[@harryodum5598]

You won’t believe this, but my roadster 79 came from cookies shop to if it’s the same one Ypsilanti, Michigan

[@cavscout62]

Prettiest Sportster ever made. I always wanted a Evo version of the Roadster but H-D never did one.

[@richardmorris7063]

Amazing, they're only original once.Heck, I remember buying a new 900 Honda in 81. That's many moons ago!

[@seather863]

Wow... Museum quality Harley.

[@brucegeange7082]

Best looking Harley I've seen

[@ronaldspins]

cooling off it makes lots of ticks

[@harryodum5598]

Do you have any original gauges for the roadster? I’m missing the original gauges for mine. Do you have a very nice roaster there? Best I’ve ever seen you forgot to mention it was the first year of the electronic ignition.

[@charlesdigennaro4981]

Bought one in 1980. Sold it. Wish I had it. What an asshole I was!

[@spookydog6959]

Iron Heads Rule👍

[@kevinlabombard6033]

I Really like this one , what to take my son to tour the museum . Hey. Maybe pick something up. Keep up good work . Like viewing Hey. RHODE ISLAND

[@booiedeus8539]

Awesome ken👍💯

[@bobg1219]

Survivor!

[@loseyourlife4042]

Ok Question, I purchased an engine *CBHD117278*, can you tell me exact year of this Ironhead????

[@KaplanCycles]

78?

[@loseyourlife4042]

@@KaplanCycles that’s what I thought too but in 1981 they went to a 17 digit vin on the frame and an abbreviated it to 10 digits on case like: Frame 1HD1CBH11DK117278, then Case: CBHD117278, The 10th digit would be the D which determines the year making it an 1983

[@keepontruckinoutlawlife1248]

I CAN'T TALK ABOUT KAPLAN ENOUGH TO ALL MY BIKER FRIENDS YOU ROCK KAPLAN. CAN I ASK YOU I HAVE A 1980 YAMAHA SECA 550 WHAT'S YOUR TAKE ON RUNNING SYNTHETIC OIL IN IT?

[@kaplancycles7665]

Thanks brother! I would run regular oil,

[@keepontruckinoutlawlife1248]

@@kaplancycles7665 well the guy I got it from has been running synthetic oil in it since he bought it in 80 why who knows should I switch now?

[@10ampsloblo21]

a sturgis sportster

[@rodan2852]

Am I the only one to notice the missing RH side-cover?

[@kenster007]

That is how they are, was kinda funky half plastic battery cover

[@mikestowe6136]

4882

[@lirkan4350]

Make it a chopper

[@cavscout62]

It’s already a Chopper from the factory, 2” over forks. Doh!

[@donwallace2491]

Not an xls roadster tank

[@kenster007]

That is the correct tank, egg shaped on the roadster

[@Vic-bx5gv]

I have my XLS 35 years now I looked that over top to bottom that's the original tank that's the original paint job those tanks were a little bigger than the Sportster tanks

[@kenster007]

Yep, I bought the 82 xlh, neighbor bought 82 roadster. He was teaching his friend to ride, dumped it in 10 feet, tank, bars and assortment of scratches. $500 or so in 80s money and sweet again. Love the ironhead roadster and sportster.