Techy and Cool - The Ironhead 60s

Harley installed their new "Ironhead" motor for the first time in 1957; the Sportster legend had begun. The 883cc displacement engine had connecting rods that shared a common crankpin, known as the "knife and fork." One carb fed both front and rear cylinders. From 1957 through 1966, the engine case had a four-speed transmission, with the bottom end nearly the same as the K-Series flathead motor. The motor fits snugly under the gas tank, sported by twin cylinder jugs sitting 45 degrees apart, and was topped off with a pair of cast-iron cylinder heads. (It wasn't until the Evolution Sportsters came out in 1986 that the older models were referred to as "Ironheads".)

In 1966, the oval-shaped "ham-can" air cleaner first appeared to comply with pollution legislation. The original Linkert carb was replaced by the Tillotson, which improved power and driveability. With the newly designed "P" cams, the XLCH produced 15% more power than in 1965.

Until the 1967 XLH, all Sportsters were kickstart only. From 1967 to 1969, the factory made two cases for the Sportster, one for the kick-start XLCH and one for electric-start XLH models. Starting in 1970, all Sportster models shared the same engine cases. The frame on the XLH was "kicked-back" just above the swingarm pivot to accommodate the new battery box and electric start. Harley's trend toward a bigger, if sleeker, profile was controversial, but proved a winning move for the company, despite rough times ahead financially.

1969 is considered the last "real" XLCH. Sportster cylinder-heads were redesigned and fitted with larger, 1-15/16" intake valves. Minor changes in the lower end were seen in 1971, the last year of the 900cc Ironhead engine.

All that techy stuff brings us to the cool part: Then Came Bronson.

Maybe it all started back in the early 70s when I caught a rerun of the iconic TV series Then Came Bronson. It inspired a life-long passion for Harley-Davidson motorcycles which continues to this day, particularly for Bronson's Ironhead. I found out at an early age what triggered a man's journey in life. Then Came Bronson was a glimpse into a bygone era that has only been captured on film a half dozen times, with Easy Rider and Wild Angels coming to mind.

In the show, James Bronson is a San Francisco Chronicle newspaper reporter whose best friend commits suicide under the Golden Gate Bridge.  In response, questioning his own choices in life, Jim Bronson buys his friend's Harley-Davidson Sportster motorcycle from his widow and hits the road to look for meaning. Bronson’s quest takes him down that long lonesome highway into the mountains, the deserts, and his destiny. 

Michael Parks, who was named by directors Quentin Tarantino and Kevin Smith as one of their favorite actors, died in 2016 at the age of 77. While Bronson remains his most iconic role, he also appeared in the Kill Bill films, David Lynch's Twin Peaks, Django Unchained, The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford and Argo. Tarantino called his work "the most naturalistic acting I've ever seen on a TV show." And many have compared Parks to James Dean.

Because of my work on the Ironhead, I hooked up an old VCR to watch the pilot episode. Still cool as cool and be.

1970 Mad Magazine Parody