Harley Sportster Question

[1194]

Need help from you Harley people.........................
Did Harley ever make a XLR Sportster?
I have not seen the bike but I understand it has a mag. in the normal gen. place...............................
Need help bad......can you guys help me out with info. ?

[ol38y]

They made an ironhead XLR and I believe they made a magneto version.

Other then that I got nuthin.

[AHG]

Hello,
    The XLR has the magneto mounted in the front where the generator usually goes on the street bike sportster.
The right crankcase half is machined especially for the mag.
There is also a steel adapter plate that bolts to the case for mag. to mount to.
Also, it takes a magneto that is specific for front mount.
It has a very short armature shaft coming out that mounts the drive gear.
The idler gear between mag and front exhaust cam gear is also specific.
KR, XLR, and early XR all similar.
Hope this helps.
Drew Gatewood

[1194]

Thanks for all the help guys......it is much appreciated.......The paper work shows it to be a 1960 model year...........One more question..........
Is it a fairly rare model?

[k.h.]

Yes, very rare.  Many blew up in racing.  They have ball bearings for the pinion and drive shafts through the cases, same as KR.  And the same as KR/XR 750 ball bearing on both sides of the timing chest.  Some engines have a tach drive in the distributor hole.  Smiths tach was original.  See if the numbers on the bottoms of the two case halves match, if not, one was replaced.  The XLR & early Iron XR heads have a spark plug boss that is cast taller than stock Sportster requiring long reach plugs.  It should have the KR/XR quarter speed oil pump.  It's the same engine cases as used in the Harley streamliner Cal Rayborn ran on the salt with 89-inch top end.  Last one I built on NOS cases got the alloy XR bearings, with single row on the right side, though later alloy XRs use double row, a Johnny Goad invention copied by the factory after early failures of the r.h. case.  Another point, the left case under the primary cover should have a casting number ending in 57 R, and the inside of the cam cover itself should have a casting number ending in 52 R. 

[1194]

Again many thanks for all the info........now we know what we are looking at..............................