shifters Harley Transmission, Harley Clutch & Harley Primary Discuss shifters in the Harley Tech & Harley How-to forums; what year did sportsters switch to left side shifters? and what is the differance between a xl and a xlch ?...

[xcited-xl]

what year did sportsters switch to left side shifters? and what is the differance between a xl and a xlch ?

[cntrhub]

Good trivia question for side switching. 1957? Don't quote me.

Again, XL is base bike. Add the CH and it was more the sportier or the competition model. Say at the time, a Triumph or BSA had the single carb. That was more the lady XL. Where as the dual carbs on a Tri or BSA was more the companies sport side or the competition side of the line... Just short of owning an out and out Tri TT Special, or the H-D XR750 dirt track bikes. These were sold more for the competition turn key bikes of their day. The CH was the wanna be Isle of Man TT bike, like the BSA Spitfire that came with GP carbs for IOM production road racing. Kind of America's equivalent to the British line of the day.

[frisco-rigid]

Oooh Jeeeze

He has no idea what he's talkin about..

According to my books the first XL was a 900cc i.e. 55" from 57-71..

The XLCH was the Kick-Start model with 61",,, from 72-75 with a Bendix carb and from 76-79 with a Keihin carb.. Nothing Isle of Man about it.. Jeeeze...!
Mixed in there was XLX, XLS, XLH, XLT, XR, etc..

The XL started up again in the 80's and continues to present with 883, 1100, and 1200cc's,, EFI and Carb..

Was it sooo freakin hard for him to simply look up the correct answer instead of filling the page with
mis-leading crap..??

[milindh]

I don't know the whole history of the early XLH's and XLCH's but I know you could get a XLCH as early as '66. Maybebefore. In '69 I made the fateful decision to buy a new Norton Commando S over a new '69 XLCH. The CH was, in my opinion the baddest bike of the day. Looked cool with the quintessential little Sportster tank and had the rumpity loping cammed idle and unmistakable high compression, high(er) revving Sportster V-twin sound. I believe (and you Sporty Heads can feel free to correct me on this for sure) '69 was the last year of the pure kick start XLCH's.

The XLH, had electric start, big ugly tank, big a$$ seat, and (I think here...) a milder tuned engine. It was kind of a Baby Bagger if you put bags on 'em. Actually I think they quit making 'em long before '69 but I'm not sure on that. To me they were butt ugly. I saw a restored one in AIM a few months back and still don't like the look. Both the XLH and XLCH were 883's.

The XL's that came later were almost not even related to the old XL's and have come in many configs but with the same XL moniker. I know I'm exaggerating here cuz they had the same frame, tank, basic engine and stuff but AMF definitely put their mark on them. They have come as 883's (55 ci), 1000's (61 ci), 1100's, and 1200's. Then there were the XR's....

I bought the Norton cuz it was a lot faster, a lot smoother, a hundred pounds lighter, could go more than 75 miles on a tank of gas, and handled beautifully. The XLCH was, however, just bad to the bone. Absolutely pure American 'roided up bad to the bone. I loved the look and, especially, the sound of 'em.

[aceharleywrench]

Originally Posted by xcited-xl

what year did sportsters switch to left side shifters? and what is the differance between a xl and a xlch ?

Sportsters switched to left side gear shift in 1975,although this could have been an afterthought given the "Rube Goldberg" way they accomplished it.

The original XLCH was a high pipe,higher compression model,said to have been built at the request of the dealers,who wanted a competition model.There are arguments that the CH stands for "Competition Hot",I'm steering clear of that debate.

[cntrhub]

Originally Posted by aceharleywrench

The original XLCH was a high pipe,higher compression model,said to have been built at the request of the dealers,who wanted a competition model.There are arguments that the CH stands for "Competition Hot",I'm steering clear of that debate.

Technically, I gave a more historical 'letter' difference of the bikes of the day. As rigid stated, the XL is the base platform or the evolution of that, 'engine family.'

Like, the big twins, the Sportster's engine family modeled after the larger engine families like the flat heads, pans, block heads, etc. Again, this is Large Marge changing from flat to pan to technical me all up with the evolution from flat head to next design are the technical points.

I more speak the generic. It's does not close it down to a book. It is more thinking out of the pages, undo that technical out of the book. And you know I do appreciate the more technical side that someone corrects me. I do not know the product that well.

XR might stand for, 'experimental racer' where I would step on the coals, take the bait and say I could use the words, "Competition Hot" for the same wordage; as walk carefully how the CB in CB750 might mean, "City Bike."

My last few words in the last sentence read, "Don't quote me." And when I started the second paragraph with, "Again," it meant, Do not quote me in the technical.

In the generic, I have you covered as far as where that XLCH lined up [letter wise] in the year it came out. So, I have to agree with both ace and mili.

Now, mili. When that honey came out, I remember why I woke up with a fill in the blank in the mornings. I too was after that bike. It was just [too hot] and out of my price range.

I do not need a book to live the history. Take the late 60's early 70''s. How many American, British, Japanese bikes were in the hunt to meet the road's and that competition hunger. It was hot and heavy and exploding with bikes back then.
Everyone had something fast to offer. Bikes are like a Swiss Knife. There are street bikes and then... DARE IS A STREET BIKE.

Did I jump on some of the quick bikes of the day? Remember the X6-Hustler? Norton SS? 750 H-2?... Say the BSA A-65 engine family/Triumph engine too with their own 'TT' using base engine family from street to track.

XLCH?

[xcited-xl]

thanks for the info. it will help in steering me towards the bike i should look for.