1981 Harley Davidson Sportster

Nineteen eighty one is a date that means something to Harley people. It was the year a group of executives bought the company back from AMF and put the words "The Eagle Soars Alone" on everything they made. Bikes built around that moment carry a bit of that story with them, and this Sportster is one of them. We took this one on because Ironheads in this condition do not come along often. Plenty have been chopped, hacked about or left to seize solid in a shed. This one has been kept the way it left the factory, and when we went through it we found a bike that had been treated with respect rather than enthusiasm. The finish is what catches you first. Deep red on the tank with the bar and shield still proud on the side, set against a black frame and black rear mudguard, with a red front guard picking the colour back up over that big front wheel. The chrome has been kept properly. Look at the staggered pipes, the shock covers, the spokes and the headlight nacelle and you will see the difference between a bike that has been polished and one that has simply been wiped down. What people forget about the Ironhead is how mechanical it feels. There is nothing hidden away and nothing smoothed over. You get the 1000cc V twin doing its thing right there under you, a bit of shake at idle, and a proper bark from those pipes when you open it. Modern Sportsters are quicker and easier. None of them feel like this. It sits well too. Low seat, forward set pipes, a backrest pad on the sissy bar for anyone coming along with you, and a riding position that suits a long evening run out of Dublin rather than just posing outside a coffee shop. Some of the highlights: 1000cc Ironhead V twin 1981, the year Harley bought itself back from AMF Original red and black colour scheme Chrome staggered dual exhaust Chrome shock covers and spoke wheels front and rear Front disc brake Sissy bar with backrest pad 461 km showing Presented in genuinely tidy original condition We will be straight with you about what this bike is. It is not the fastest thing we have on the floor and it never was. What it is, is an honest air cooled Ironhead from a year that Harley enthusiasts actually care about, kept in the condition it deserves. Values on good original Ironheads have been climbing steadily and we do not expect that to change. If you have wanted one of these for a while, come down and sit on it. Start it up, listen to it, and see whether it does what we think it will do. We would be very happy to show you around it.