Review
If you're looking for a book that covers everything you ever wanted to know about a Sportster but didn't know you needed to ask, this could be just what you're looking for. The author has in-depath first-hand experience of Harley-Davidson's unit construction middleweight range, and this book covers all aspects of performance tuning from the motro, throguh the transmission and to the chassis - from carburetetd Ironheads to the new rubber-mounted models, but stopping short of the EFI models that will undoutably make the 4th edition. It suffers a little form being a third edition, and dosen't attempt to hide the joints which menas a double-bite of the recent changes - there's waht appears to be a sycophantic rewrite of Harley's press information in the first chapter as well as an updated history at the back - but sandwiched in the middle is lots of valuable information backed up with excellent archive images, as well as a vast array of graphs that would be improved if they used a common scale, amking it easier to interprate at a glance. The history trips over itself in a few places, and I'm trying hard not to let the suggestion of the 1972 introduction of the Low Rider influence that comment too much, but it's hard when the error is compounded by refrences to two-tone paint, sissy bar and leather stash pousch, which seems to cover two or three models, none of which were introduced in 1972, which means I'll have to cross reference everything given as a fact before I can cite source. It's asmall point as i expect the history section was a necassery adjunct to give greater value to the book, and is justified by the inclusion of a couple of rarley-seen development models, which would have made a masisve diffrenec if they'd gone ahead: an OHC KL that was dropped in favour of the XL when the Kh was replaced, and another OHC model from the mid-seventies that is a ringer for the Yamaha XV1100 motor but designed some years before, which feeds a lovely but unsubstantiated theory that the original drawings were misappropriated by an employee and sold to Yamaha. If you own a Sportster and want to know more about it's history, technology and the ways in which you can improve it look no further. --American-V magazine
This is a great one stop read for anyone who owns or is interested in the Harley Sportster. Not too many books have been written on the Sportster which is a sorry oversight. The sportster offers the best horsepower on a per weight and per cc basis. The book goes through quite a bit of theory which could apply to any Harley, although, the book writes directly to the Sportster. With all of the Motorbooks Workshop series (I have read a dozen or more of them); I really like the colour pictures and graphs. The book covers all generations of the Sportster (from Ironheads, EVO engines, to the rubber mounts). In addition to the different engines, all other aspects of the Sportster are covered, from high performance engine modifications, gearing, and suspension to a complete history of the bike. That's why I give this book 5 stars, it is a great reference book, and belongs on the shelve of every Harley owner or enthusiast. Nice work Mr. Buzzelli --American Iron
The Sportster is the most vesatile motorcycle ever produced by Harley-Davidson. Introduced in 1957, the Sportster has undergone many changes. But its light and fast character has never changed, nor has its ability to be readily modified for improved performance. From touring to racing, chopping to customizing, the Sportster has given millions of motorcyclists a perfect bike for riding and wrenching. Now in its third edition, Harley-Davidson Sportster Performance Handbook brings the enthusiast up to speed on what's changed, what's available, and how to unlock the Sportster's potential. Author Buzz Buzzelli draws on his years of experience as editor of American Rider magazine, and a former racer and mechanic to give the reader an overall primer on this legendary motorcycle. A lifelong Sportster owner and enthusiast, Buzzelli explains the history of the Sportster, its inner workings, and how to tap into its horsepower and handling potential with help from the broad array of aftermarket Sportster parts and products. Table of Contents Preface: Performance for today's XL Sportster Acknowledgments: Learning from the pros Introduction The New Rubber Mounts: A new generation of future Sportsters Sporster Performance Basics: The practical approach to modifying Sportsters Theory and Components: The elements that influence power output Building the Engine: How to work on a Sportster powerplant Big-Inch Sportsters: Strokers, big-bores, turbos, nitrous oxide, and methanol High-Performance Ironheads: Getting the most from an Ironhead XL Gearbox and Drivetrain: Transmitting Sportster power to the ground Chassis and Suspension: Getting the best handling, ride, and braking History of Early Sportsters: The development of the original Ironhead Sportster History of Evolution and Rubber-Mount Sportsters: The Sportster gets a modern, all-aluminum engine Appendix: Source guide for parts and service --The Motor Bookstore<br /><br />This revised edition of the best-selling Harley-Davidson Sportster Performance Handbook covers all the hot tuning and modification secrets home mechanics need to get the best performance from their Harley-Davidson Sportster. Features updated performance chapters to include the latest aftermarket parts and methods. New chapter on Shovelhead Sportsters. New chapter on Sportster stroker and big-bore kits. New section on how-to set up your Sportster for racing. --Saxon Court books
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