2000 Sportster 883 Make-Over: Mellow Yellow Part One

Made some progress on the Mellow Yellow Sportster. It seems that comfortable AND cool looking are two things not normally found on rigid Evo Sportsters. It's funny, the factory plunger seat that I had on my '72 XLCH and my '77 FXE were the most comfortable seats I ever rode on. Oh well...The first thing I did before anything else on this bike was to replace the silly forward controls with mid-controls I found for cheap on eBay. Next was the sissybar, saddlebag mounts and double seat. I threw a Corbin cafe seat on it I had laying around and started to remove/replace all the "Ride To Live" bling that seems to be on every Harley Ive ever bought (Gas cap, battery cover, clutch cover, handlebar riser top). Next the giant chrome engine guards are coming off, and Im replacing the buckhorn handlebars with a more classic style bars. The air cleaner is an aftermarket Screamin' Eagle II, so that's nice.

Im thinking of leaving the stock tank since I like that decal and replacing the yellow fenders with black ones. That way maybe the yellow won't bum me out if theres not quite as much of it. I always did like the BSA 441s with the yellow tank(:

 Some future plans are: Progressive front springs,Progressive 412 13" Rear shocks, Cafe cowl/wind shield, LED headlight conversion, Fork Gaiters, Avon Contour grips, replace stock turn signals with mini bullet signals, Avon Tires, Replace the Vance & Hines Straight Shots with a two-into-one set-up.

 I see these pre-rubber mount bikes get a bad rap in the past few years as "vibrating too much to take on any long trips". I always laugh and think that the people who say that obviously have never ridden any Harleys (or older Triumphs) made prior to 1985! After owning a dozen or so Ironheads in the past number of years, I remember riding an Evo 883 for the first time and thinking "Holy shit! These things are so smooth!".

 I Think that'll do it for now.