Early 883 sportster

Dave T

Dave T

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Evening all,
Harleys have always been an itch I'm going to have to scratch at some point. I've just learned of an '89 883 sportster for sale not far from me. It's not been on the road for a number of years (I think 2014 was the last time it was on the road, and appears to have only about 9k miles on the clock). It's chain drive rather than belt, so apart from the usual stuff you would check on a 'project' bike, is there anything specific to 883s of this era that I should pay special attention to? Assuming it runs, any idea on what I should be paying for it without an MOT, it's been under a tarp, so has the usual furry fasteners, rusty chrome and lifting engine paint that you'd expect. I'm looking at it as a bit of fun rather than a resto project.
Cheers,
Dave.
 
I think for a reasonable on the road runner you would be in the region of about £3k, for a furry non runner in need of recommissioning I would guess half of that so somewhere in the region of £1500 but hard to say without seeing it and you could find a multitude of issues once you start on it. I'm guessing it will be an Evo engined bike with a carb so low tech and easy to work on, AFAICR they did have a habit of blowing base gaskets so check for leaks.

There are many more on here more knowledgable than me on these bikes so they will no doubt be along shortly to give you more accurate info.
 
Worth £2k min as a shitter........worth running and tidy.....£3-4K ......

Chrome rims on wire wheels can rust inside out...a few gentle pokes with a screwdriver along the internal spoke line.....

Tanks rust inside if not careful....

If it has chrome engine covers, it can lift ... if you are lucky as I was and they are alloy... then they are a pleasure to restore..

Bomb proof engine.....

Change all the fluids..... new battery and tyres... job done

If it has a chain, it will be a four speed - unless it’s a 5 speed with a chain conversion.

Carb may need a rebuild as the rubber diaphragm gets a bit flaky...

Starter circuit can be fragile... solenoid starter button is a cheap easy fix....I’ve done it to a 96 Glide and a 90 Sportser...
 
4 speed.....take a punt at £1,500 and prepare to do most of the work yourself...second hand parts... if it’s been under a tarp..there is likely to be extensive corrosion...eyes open....
 
Doris said:
4 speed.....take a punt at £1,500 and prepare to do most of the work yourself...second hand parts... if it’s been under a tarp..there is likely to be extensive corrosion...eyes open....
Click to expand...

And I know you said you always had this in mind but have you actually ridden one recently?
To put it kindly, ensure that there are no corners in front as you proceed, nor reasons to stop.
Both of these life-endangering problems can be cured by copious amounts of replacement parts.
Just make sure that its really what you want.
 
I have two friends with 4 speed chain 883 Sportsters who have both ridden them all over Europe, and they love them had them for years for what it's worth?
 
Bem said:
And I know you said you always had this in mind but have you actually ridden one recently?
To put it kindly, ensure that there are no corners in front as you proceed, nor reasons to stop.
Both of these life-endangering problems can be cured by copious amounts of replacement parts.
Just make sure that its really what you want.
Click to expand...


I’ll have a pint of what you’re drinking...
 
Rit said:
I have two friends with 4 speed chain 883 Sportsters who have both ridden them all over Europe, and they love them had them for years for what it's worth?
Click to expand...

Yes, I did all that on mine and also no problems...:thumb2
 
Pretty bombproof to be honest. - simple machine with little to go wrong
 
I bought one that had been left outside at somebody’s holiday home for a year after a very minor spill. Dropped it in the driveway and broke one mirror. It had a horrendous rear mudguard which I changed and a new indicator. Gave it a good polish and a service and discovered the lock stop was broken off the bottom yoke.
f7f06b5845017f7a642317037811a4a2.jpg

He was looking £2350 but I offered £1500. Met at £2000 and he delivered it the next day. I ended up selling it for £4250 after spending about £500 on it and that gave me enough money to buy my 1150GS. Handy to work on and loads of spares.
f972d41a91fd4d5e4214716946a6ed44.jpg



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Quick update. Further exchange of texts last night reveals that the bike is being sold because the elderly owner has passed away. Apart from the loss of the sellers elderly father (RIP), this doesn't concern me as the V5 is present, as are the keys, bike is at the address on the V5 and his widow still lives there, so no alarm bells ringing. None of the remaining family have bikes or any interest in them, so in their infinite wisdom, they're having it collected for an MOT today. Hasn't turned a wheel in over 6 years and they've instructed the garage to 'put an MOT on it'.
I've suggested that rather than do that, just get the fail cert and see what it needs. Hope they don't get taken for a ride by which ever garage they've entrusted with it. I don't want to take advantage of the sellers position, but I've suggested that it might be better to sell it 'as is' than spend several hundred on it to only add a few hundred value... Research shows there were a few advisories on the last MOT in 2014 that I doubt will have got any better.... tyres, rear shock, brakes, front wheel bearings. Add a new battery and service and you could be at the thick end of several hundred quid without the labour. Not the end of the world if you're doing it yourself for yourself, but if you're paying an hourly rate just to sell it on, and you're not clued up about bikes...

Watch this space....
 
Funnily enough, I was thinking the same thing as I logged off from work. Nothing to report I'm afraid. I've just texted the seller for an update as I've heard nothing. It's not passed an MOT yet (at least not according to the DVLA website) and the 'mechanic' will have had it for a week now. I'm in work tomorrow, then off for 4 days, so I'm hoping that the seller has it back tomorrow, Sat or Monday at the latest so I can at least have a look at it before I go back to work. I'm still hoping they get a quote for the work, decide against it and come back to me and sell as a MOT failure with a fail cert then I can do it in my own time. I have a man with a van lined up to collect as it's only about 15 miles from home....
 
So, a further exchange of texts with the seller last night - the bike is not yet MOT'd and is still in the garage. It's taking longer than they were expecting, but I don't know how much follow up they've done with the mechanic...I suspect there's going to be a big bill for the owners, and an unrealistic expectation of what a cosmetically challenged early 883 is worth....:(
I'm not saying no yet but they don't want to talk price until they have the bike back... :blast
 
Nippy Normans supply Touratech, Wunderlich, Desert Fox and many other makes of accessories.
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