One of the beauties of the Harley-Davidson Sportster and its long run is the relative ease of parts swapping by the Motor Company to make new machines. And after waiting for ten years for a street version of the supreme race winning XR750, something had to give in the Harley performance category.
So Harley-Davidson took their newest, 1982 Sportster chassis and engine bottom end, and added new, better cylinders and heads and through bolted them to the crankcase. Jerry Branch had a hand in developing the heads and his shop built each one for the Motor Company. Similar to the XR750, a single carb with competition-look K&N air cleaner fed each head. The exhaust was high level, again with a nod the the XR750. Wheels were handsome cast aluminum, similar to magnesium Morris road racing wheels of the time. But tank, fenders and seat were more conventional, did not share the wonderful styling lines of the track-only XR750. Paint was more subdued as well; most of the two year run were charcoal in color, a run of 177 were black with orange. Harley also advertised a hop-up kit with 10.5:1 pistons, hotter cams and an unmuffled exhaust system that claimed to offer an extra 20 horsepower.
Recall this bike had a short development time of just a few months and came about soon after 13 Harley-Davidson executives had bought the company from AMF. It arrived in time for the Ronald Reagan tariff which jacked the price on imported motorcycles over 700cc’s by 49%. Still, where the basic XLX Sportster was just $3995, the XR1000 was nearly $7000 so never sold well. But it was a race shop bike of sorts and at least the engine figured into four Battle of the Twins championships from the team of Don Tilley, tuner and Gene Church, rider. Project leader Dick O’Brien nicknamed the race bike Lucifer’s Hammer.
Today XR1000’s, like XLCRs, are sought after by collectors. By most standards of the early 1980’s when the British industry was gone and Italian and Japanese bikes ruled the performance wars, the XR1000 was not competitive but is still a cool piece of Harley-Davidson history. And with only about 1100 built in 1983 and 1984, and for 1984 less than 200 in the black and orange we see here, it’s relatively rare.
This nice, stock XR1000 has been owned by David Allbaugh since new. Wanting to share the bike with future National Motorcycle Museum visitors David decided to loan the bike for display. It’s one of over 65 Harley-Davidsons of all types from 1909 forward you can see when the Museum reopens.
Specifications:
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- Engine: OHV 45 Degree V-Twin
- Bore & Stroke: 3.19” x 3.81”
- Displacement: 61 Cubic Inches, 1000 ccs
- Compression Ratio: 9:1
- Horsepower: 71HP @ 5600RPM
- Carburetion: Two 36mm Pumper Dell’ Ortos
- Ignition: V-Fire CDI
- Starting: Electric Only
- Primary: Triplex Chain
- Transmission: Four-Speed
- Final Drive: Roller Chain
- Wheels/Tires: 110/90×19 / 130/90×16 (18 Optional)
- Brakes: Triple Disks
- Electrics: 12 Volt Battery
- Frame: Steel, Double Down Tube
- Suspension: Telescopic Fork, Twin Shocks
- Wheelbase: 60 Inches
- Weight: 490 Pounds
- Top Speed: 125mph
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I worked as a dealership mechanic in the late 80s and there were a couple of these XRs nearby that would come into our shop.
The finicky dual carbs, clunky Sportster gearbox and uncomfortable seating for anyone over 5’ 5” tall, brakes that you had to apply a block before you needed to stop…
Man I loved it.
I was the junior wrench so I was lucky when I got the chance to service one and then take it on a short “test” ride. Now thirty years later, I still keep looking for the chance to pick one up. Sadly many are wrecked from overly enthusiastic owners, butchered by weekend racers or carefully locked away by owners that want to preserve that rude, crude, snarling little Sporty with an attitude.
You can find them for sale every now and then. You just have to keep looking and go get yours when one pops up. When I first looked at these about 8 years ago there were examples for sale at way below $10k. When my Softail was stolen in 2018 I decided to put some of the insurance money to finally buy one and was lucky to get the black/orange with 10k miles on it. Prices had gone up with some askings of even $20k but I got a decent deal for mine.
Well, there has been some work to do to get it running perfectly and it takes a bit more effort to ride it compared to the Softail but obviously it’s much more nimble and feisty so what a fun ride it is!
Hello I see your a fan if the xr1000 it so happens I have the duty of arranging the sale of a 1984 R1000 orange and black all original with 2455 on it . If you know anyone who is interested please give them my email thank you Phillip ramsey
Hi, did you sell the 84 XR1000? Anyone else with clean 83 or 84 XR1000 for sale, I would be very interested. Thanks.
Seriously James, I am a Brown also. I have a 1984 XR1000 for sale. It’s a 1 owner bike, it has all the original paint/metal plus a second set that is currently on the bike, it has the original gray paint scheme and the tank and fenders have been wrapped up and stored safely for years to keep them pristine. It has just over 20 thousand miles on it.
I have pictures if you would like to see them. I am asking $22,000, and that price is negotiable. My email is listed above, and my name is Sally Brown.
Hi Sally – can I have your email please(it is not showing above, HA – or I am too stupid to locate it). I am how many miles on your bike?
Hi Sally – I am having trouble getting my message to post and I cant see your email. I am interested in your XR. Will.
Please Contact me if you are still interested in the XR1000
Hi Sally – no email is showing, I am very interested in discussing the purchase of your XR. Can you email me please on CliperTradingInc@proton.me
Do you actually have a bike for sale? If so – let’s do a deal.
Hi Sally – can you please use my boccashaccounts@gmail.com – for some reason the office Proton email has locked me out and I cannot get back in. I am interested in purchasing your XR. Thanks. Will.
Look again. There are 2 carbs as in the specs. Your opening description says one. This was a great bike. Too bad the price was so high. When I was an AMA Drag-Bike tech in the 80s, Pete Laub (a real rocket scientist) was the street bike champion with his XR1000. Pete had a lot of tricks, but I measured stock bore and stroke. His play back tack showed him shifting at 9000 RPM! At the final he ran it all out to about 10:30 ET @132 MPH. He was going to loan the engine to the H-D race team for Daytona, but the rider crashed before the engine swap. For comparison; In 1977 my son Willy Gregory bought a Moto Guzzi Daytona Superbike. After a lot of work he lowered the ET by a second and set the E Modified Street record at 11:18 ET @ 121 MPH. Willy was the 1977 street champion. The 1978 Reno Leoni – Mike Baldwin Moto Guzzi Superbike engine was set up similar to Willy’s. John Gregory Norton HogSlayer Race Team
John,
The statement was “Similar to the XR750, a single carb with competition-look K&N air cleaner fed each head”. So, one carb per head is what he was saying therefore his description is correct.
John, if you were with the Hogslayer team, you should be writing an article for this site! That 10.30 on a Sportster is amazing, as is 11:18 on a Guzzi. I’m a MG fan, and would love to know more about that bike – the Guzzi Daytona was built by the factory in the 90’s – I assume this was a bike that actually raced there in the days of Pridmore and Neilson?
sorry I must have missed the each had part. Willy Gregory’s Guzzi was ridden by George Vincenzi in the 1977Daytona Super bike race. won by Cook Nielsen on his Ducati.
John,
It says: “Similar to the XR750, a single carb with competition-look K&N air cleaner fed each head.”
((Two heads + Two carbs.))
Mark
I know of a few of these beauties around in the New England area. One is in Saugus, MA with around 800 miles on it. Throttle is stuck. Been sitting in a hoarder’s machine shop since new and “WILL NOT” part with it at any cost. He has no heirs, a single bachelor in his late seventies.
The other three or more are in mid-central MA. This guy has a huge inventory of sportsters including XR1000’s. This owner is in poor health with adult children to inherit the gold mine. Again,”WILL NOT” part with these gems.
I’ve seen all these with my own eyes, sad ones at that.
KIckstand
What is your source for the 177 count for black/orange 1984 XR1000’s?
Mike,
In answer to your question regarding how many XR1000s were built in black and orange, I am taking that information from the owner, Mr. Allbaugh. He related to us that he spent some time talking with Harley execs, had a conversation with Rich Teerlink during Harley’s 85th celebration and there discussed his personal XR1000 with Teerlink. Later had a frame warranteed through renewal of his contact with Rich. Note this would likely be factory records. A friend of mine had a gray XR1000, but purchased a set of new bodywork in black and orange from HD, so it is possible more exist than were manufactured new in orange and black.
My friend has an XR1000 in Black and Orange. He bought it from our Friends wife after he passed away from cancer. Jim who owned the bike was good friends with the legend Scott Parker the 9 time AMA Grand National Champion. Scott is from this same area. Jim also had tons of autographed memorabilia from Scott Parker, like a Scott Parker race leather jacket and helmet. Scott made these bike famous on the flat tracks here in the mid-west. This XR1000 also has the factory hop-up kit with the bigger cams and higher compression, with a Super Trap exhaust. It is a pretty bike that turns heads at shows and takes home winning ribbons.
Mike…
I own and ride a black and orange XR1000 which, like many of them, has parts added for even more performance. Bandit clutch setup. Harley Davidson “Power kit” . Bigger Mikuni carburetors. Heads redone by Jerry Branch. Supertrapp exhaust. Better ignition. All I can say is that you have to ride one to fully appreciate what could have been with this machine. Mine has dyno’ed at over 80 pounds-feet of torque at only 6000 rpm, so you never lack for acceleration. When I asked people at Branch Flowmetrics about what RPM limit to use (I always state two different ones; normal and “war emergency”) I was told anything from 6500 to 8000. I had ALWAYS been told that with Sportster-based engines the wrist pins “walked” at anything over 6250 RPM, so I was a bit surprised, even though my XR has a Falicon balanced crank and piston assembly. I have Storz “rearsets” on my XR which more-or-less puts the foot pegs in a normal position for any other bike and a Sargent custom saddle. I also have Storz 18″ wheels front and rear. It’s a wild animal, really. Some rough edges, even with KONI rear shocks and RACE TECH front forks. But there’s nothing like the feel of it. I’ve been riding since 1965 and every time I’m in that saddle, well, you gotta be there…but it was and is a race bike unleashed onto the streets.
This unmodified, unrestored 1984 XR1000 is for sale. I purchased it new in Sep 1984 and rode it regularly as part of a four bike stable for 35 years. My kids weren’t sure if they wanted it so a couple years ago I loaned it to the Museum. Now I’d like to sell it to someone who will appreciate it as much as I have. It’s in like-new condition and has been maintained by HD mechanics. I’m a retired John Deere engineering manager who has respected this bike for what it is and ridden it conservatively. Although I must say, the roar from the unmuffled dual carb induction system gives it a sound unique to Harleys, and running it through the gears is almost a spiritual experience. Please contact me if you want to hear more about this interesting motorcycle.
Give me a call at 319-240-0022.
Dave
What price are you asking for this rare bike? Let me know thanks
I’m asking $18,000
Dave