Evo Sportsters are a plentiful and practical foundation for any home-built custom motorcycle. Their abundance and relative low cost have helped first-time bike builders pepper the planet with XL's of every style imaginable. As easy as these bikes are to modify, it's just as easy to make one look downright silly. Trendy bolt-ons, flake-of-the-month paint and a poor sense of style can send even the most carefully crafted Sportster down the road to Fuglytown. Fortunately, ChopCult member Shaun Jackieshan has avoided the temptation to gussy up his Sportster with unnecesssary geegaws, and the result is a garage-built bike that looks great.
Shaun's '98 XL is a bike that catches your eye because of everything it's not: not over-decorated, not over-detailed, and not falling apart. Subtlety and restraint reward the eye with clean lines and no superfluous nonsense. Take the seat. A simple flat seat slammed on the frame rails beats a sprung seat on a swingarm bike every time. Stock hand controls cleaned up on a grinder and spray bombed flat black just blend in and look like they came that way. Minimal wiring and a few simple switches keeps the rat's nest under control. Pipes and bars? All business: short, functional and ready to split lanes. Chain conversion, flat-bottomed tank, aftermarket headlight, blacked-out stock mags and passenger pegs for foot controls are all easy mods that individually aren't a big deal, but add up to a clean overall package. Hear what the man who built the bike has to say about his machine.
I bought the bike a couple years ago thinking I was going to throw the engine into a Sucker Punch sporty frame. Long story short, the economy took a dump and my pay was cut in half, so I ruled out the new kit. I felt super lame riding around this basically stock Harley with a million chrome and gold eagles all over it, but I didn’t have the funds to put much into it. So little by little I started chopping stuff off. Over the winter I took the motor out and shaved everything off the frame and forks that I didn’t think it needed. I studied the wiring diagram and cut out about 50 pounds of wires. I ended up purchasing a few things like the tank, headlight, tires, shocks, chain kit, a few wires, some switches and a cat face taillight. And of course I concocted up a few things too, like the seat/bracket, license plate bracket, and coil mount. Sure the bike isn’t how I envisioned it at first, but now, it’s exactly how I want it. Thanks go out to Jay at Special ‘79 for my bars and shaving my fork legs, to my pops for getting me into bikes, to Big T for putting up with all my crap in the garage, and to Rouser Rob and Kim Boyle for inspiration.
I can totally relate, Shaun. These sporties have the most excessive wiring I've ever seen, but they lend themselves to so much creativity and they're a BLAST to ride. Love yer skoot, bro!
This bike was a huge inspiration when I started working on my 91 XL. Shaun was also very helpful when I contacted him about tire questions. He's also got a pretty cool blog called Skinny Moto that I read once in a while.... Nice job
Nice one. Sporty Nation!! I have been a Sporty owner now for about 6 months and I love this thing. Fast, low, skinny and loud. Got a killer deal on a used Roadster and have been busy stripping all of the excess crap the previous owner put on it since then. Hopefully I can integrate some of the styling cues from Shaun's bike.
I've been riding my rigid Sporty for about 6 years. I built it myself and wouldn't give it up for anything. I recently bought a new Dyna Street Bob, then my hours got cut and I'm struggling to pay for it. I'll give it back before I sell my Sporty to make the payments on the Dyna. I can always get another Dyna, I can't repalce the first bike I ever built...
Yeah man, payments suk. No matter what u ride its way cooler when its paid 4. Live free RIDE WHAT U CAN PAY FOR. especially if u built it...
Now GO RIDE
I love those blockhead sporties and still kick myself in the arse for passing on a mint sporty sport 4 plug for 5500 back in the day. She was a beuty. I kept a picture of her for a reminder to never pass a deal. I have yeat to find another one. They must have been rare. You know the ones that had reservior piggyback shocks and 4 spark plugs??? Dual disc fronts?
love seein springs on the back of that thing.looks good man.ride the shit out of it.just dropped a few shoots of a 97 that i just finished worty takin a peek at...
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Now GO RIDE
I love those blockhead sporties and still kick myself in the arse for passing on a mint sporty sport 4 plug for 5500 back in the day. She was a beuty. I kept a picture of her for a reminder to never pass a deal. I have yeat to find another one. They must have been rare. You know the ones that had reservior piggyback shocks and 4 spark plugs??? Dual disc fronts?
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