2000 Harley-Davidson Sportster XL883C Project Bike

There are no racing trophies on my shelf. No record books have my name scratched in their pages. I accept that I'll never be the fastest guy around the track or the best at wheelies. But there is a feeling of accomplished bliss that comes with spending hours on dirt and sand trails and hearing the same thing over and over: "You did that? On a Harley?"

It's that feeling and the emotional kick in the gut I get every time I hear that lovely engine start up that convinced me to pour a few thousand dollars into making my comparatively expensive Harley do most of what a $1,500 dirt bike can do. The challenges are my own. This bike was built to go anywhere, anytime. To feel and sound good. It does all of that—and shoves hard at my feelings of accomplishment too—because, yeah, I just did that on a Harley.

The Go-Anywhere Sportster started as a Hot Bike magazine project, helmed by Jordan Mastagni, who would soon become my boss. He called it the Sweet Tracker back then, and it was just that. Polished up and tidy, the Sweet Tracker rode on Dunlop-shod gold wheels, and boasted pretty fiberglass bodywork with paint by the Harpoon. I fell in love with the tracker aesthetic but knew I wanted a bike that would make its rider's patience and masochism the primary limiting factors.

As you'd expect from a Hot Bike project, the engine had been gone through and built up. In the end, that engine, the wheels, and the exhaust were essentially the only items I would keep. Eric Bennett, of Bennett's Performance, handled the hop-up, and took care of the dyno tuning to verify the bike was dialed. A 42 mm Mikuni carb pumps gas into Revolution Performance nickel-silicon-carbide barrels with high-compression pistons and S&S 0.536 lifters. A Daytona Twin Tec programmable ignition handles the lighting off of all that fuel, while an XR-style 2-to-2 Supertrapp exhaust ensures its prompt exit. What started off as a 2000 883cc Sportster with an anemic 40 horsepower now puts down 94 stout horses, backed up by 89 pound-feet of torque.

It’s fast as hell, for a Sportster. The brakes and suspension had to match. Using a Speed Merchant radial caliper mount, I installed an old Tokico caliper from a GSX-R up front with Lyndall rotors and pads front and rear. At the handlebars, I installed a GSX-R clutch perch and master cylinder to service the new brake caliper. Rizoma components and STM switches finish off the controls—stylish and functional. The combination of pads, caliper, and master cylinder radically improved not only stopping power but also lever feel. RaceTech Gold Valve emulators and springs were installed in the stock fork, allowing a greater flow of oil and more adjustability. To get higher ground clearance and the right stance, I installed Fox Suspension’s 14.5-inch IFP shocks with adjustable pre-load and rebound. It’s a proven system, run on many hooligan-racing and off-road Sportsters. The result was exactly as expected: a much nicer ride in every aspect. The Sportster handles better through paved turns and has improved shock absorption on bumpy roads and trails. It’s better-looking, to boot.

While I loved the appearance of the fiberglass, I wanted something that would simply dent if I crashed, not crack. Over the course of a few days, I sent countless napkin drawings to the Busch brothers in Reno, Nevada. They run a two-man shop, building hot rods and motorcycles, working leather, painting—you name it. Using their fabrication expertise, my rough drawings, and an old Sportster frame, they managed to stitch together exactly what I’d envisioned: a steel tail section inspired by trackers and ’80s superbikes with a rack on the back, a fuel reserve mounted to one side, and a Pelican hard case mounted to the other. It was a big ask. The tail section would combine those disparate ideas while moving me back in the seat a few inches from the stock position to account for my height. The new tail pairs with an H-D-style peanut tank from Lowbrow Customs to create a nice, clean line from the gas tank through the seat and tail while adding a bit more fuel and a lot more versatility.

To further accommodate my lankiness, I ordered low-rear pegs from Chainsikle to move my feet back 8 inches and down another 3. Tapered bars from Rizoma pair perfectly with the repositioned footrests. I can stand on the pegs or shift my position on the seat for traction off-road, while the seat narrows enough at the front to allow for an aggressive lean when cornering.

Like most projects, it’s never really done. I may paint it eventually. I may switch to an 18-inch rear and run Continental TKC 80 tires. The bike thrived on its shakedown run, a trial-by-fire group ride between Southern California and San Felipe, Mexico. While the reworked Sporty performed solidly on rough roads and most trails, hitting sand made me realize that the wide front tire and relatively shallow tread blocks aren’t so hot in Baja’s deep silt.

The same thing that drew me to the project in the first place is what makes the machine so satisfying now that it’s done. For all its newfound competence, and for all the new pieces that comprise the completed motorcycle, it’s the Milwaukee-bred, dirt-flinging soul of the bike that remains my favorite part.