March 19, 2024

Project Cafe Sportster

Premium Fuel Sportster Banner
Premium Fuel Sportster Banner

Project “Cafe” Sportster is a simple build, customizing a Harley Davidson Sportster into a bike that’s actually sporty and cool.  Harley Davidson’s smallest cruiser doesn’t get much respect in the Harley world, but it’s low cost, highly customizable platform makes it perfect for modding.  Sportsters can be fond in almost any form, They all start out as your entry lever cruiser, from there they can be chopped into bobbers, choppers, off road, touring, drag racers, and even sport bike form.  The Premium Fuel Sporty will be channeling from the European Cafe racer era of the 60’s and 70’s.  It started out as a 1993 Sportster xl 883, 90’th anniversary.  To give it a more sleek and sporty look, the stock handlebars and risers have been ditched and replaced with aluminum clip-ons. The rear fender is chopped to show off a little more tire, and an LED tail light has been installed.  The bulky stock gauge cluster is gone, and has been replaced with a drag specialties drag style speedometer, the brake and clutch lines are also upgraded to braided steel.  The little 883 needed a wake up call and has been bored and stroked to a healthy 1340cc’s.  It breathes in through a Screamin’ eagle air cleaner, and Mikuni carburetor, and breathes out through a Thunderheader 2 to 1 exhaust.  Buell heads and pistons, Red shift cams, Jim’s rockers, and adjustable push rods all come together to wrap up the engine package.  Ass Dyno rates the Cafe Sporty’s power output to about 100hp and 100 ft lb of torque (we’ll get some real dyno numbers later).  The power output on this little bike is definitely not for the faint at heart.  The torque comes in like a hammer at under 2000 rpms and lasts all the way to the redline.   Riding through town the exhaust note sounds as if it could shatter windows.  So this is a starting point for the Premium Fuel Cafe sporty, be sure to check for updates to see the latest mods on the project.

Enjoy the photos below, For the full photo gallery, and continuous updates, check out the Cafe Sporty galery  (HERE)

What we started with
What we started with

883 sportster

Breaking it down, let's get started.
Breaking it down, let’s get started.
Let the mods begin
Let the mods begin
Clip-on conversion complete, gotta get rid of that biker gang seat!
Clip-on conversion complete, gotta get rid of that biker gang seat!
Full PFM Livery at the gas station.
Full PFM Livery at the gas station.
Hanging out with an old 81 ironhead sporty at bike night.
Hanging out with an old 81 ironhead sporty at bike night.

 

pure torque not meeting the pavement
pure torque not meeting the pavement

Cafe Sportster burnout

Mandatory tire smoking
Mandatory tire smoking

Cafe Sportster Premium Fuel Magazine

Cafe Sportster Premium Fuel Magazine Cafe Sportster Premium Fuel Magazine


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