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SportsterPaul's 1983 Sportster XR-1000

This 1983 XR-1000 was built by Bill at GMA brakes in Omaha. pdf version
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He built it as a showcase for GMA products. It also has many custom one-off components. I was so infatuated with this bike after I won it on eBay I dubbed it: "The most beautiful thing that has ever existed. Evar." The luster wore off when a bolt vibrated out of the torque rod on the rear brake and the caliper swung around and jammed into the shock, locking the rear brake. I was going slow when it happened, I didn't drop the bike. I had just been carving the curves on Highway 17. Its lucky I didn't kill myself.
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I will tell you one thing, GMA brakes stop. I have never had a Sportster with such great brakes, and I include my 1996 XL-1200 Sport in that assessment. In addition to the GMA brakes they are famous for, Bill machined billet wheels for the bike. He also whipped out some billet headlamp mounts and a billet license plate bracket. He also got an aluminum JMA rear swing-arm before the went bankrupt and screwed all their customers.

The bike has a Stortz aluminum tank and fiberglass fenders. I believe the inverted front forks are Stortz items as well. I assume Stortz made the triple tree and clamp. One day I will haul this up with my load cell shackle and find out what it weighs.

The engine is stock, which is just the way I like it. The exhausts are aluminized, and the heat shields are chromed. It has the base Del-Orto's, not the execrable old flat-slide Mikuni's that wear and don't come back to idle. Other than the kill-me rear brake torque rod, all I want to change is the clutch cable for a braided one that resists the exhaust heat better. The factory cable got melted since the bike does not have the cable routing bracket installed.
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My first addition was a big tool bag with a liter of gasoline, spare bulbs and a few tools. I bought a fancy bicycle cable lock, so I can hook the bike to light poles when I stop.   I flip the coiled cable up and perch my helmet on it at road stops. You can also see the welders gloves I use. They are 6 bucks a pair, so I don't care if they get stolen. It doesn't take many falls to learn that you always put your hands out and they always get road rash. I make my living with my hands, either typing or wrenching, so having them beat up is a serious screw up.



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