Repair 7

Raise the Sportster on a motorcycle jack high enough for the rear wheel to hang down. Set a flashlight or shop light under the rear fender so you can see what youre doing.

Unbolt the seat mounting bolt just behind the seat with an Allen wrench. Pull the seat up, back and off.

Loosen and remove the black battery cable from the negative battery post with an open end wrench.

Pry the small plug from the tail light access hole on the rear fender interior with a small screwdriver.

Pull the turn signal wiring harness inside the rear fender from the tail light housing. Unhook the signal wiring from the clips inside the rear fender.

Pull the two turn signal connections apart into male and female halves. Mark the socket halves with tape for future erence. Pull the turn signal wires from the two turn signal connections.

Loosen the screws on the rear of the fender trim on both sides of the Sportster with an Allen wrench. Remove the turn signals and the old mounting brackets from both sides of the bike.

Cut a piece of the shrink wrap tubing included with the turn signal relocation kit in half with a pair of shears. Slide the tubing over the exposed turn signal wires up to the signals for both sides of the Sportster. Shrink the tubing with a heat gun.

Push the turn signal lamps and wires on both sides of the fender completely through the small holes on both ends of the new taillight mounting bracket. Push the wires through the open holes in the rear fender trim.

Install the new turn signal brackets into the open holes on both sides of the fender by hand. Tighten the fender trim screws by hand.

Ensure the wires from both turns signals are inside the rear fender. Tighten the fender trim screws with an Allen wrench.

Connect the turn signal wires to the signal connections inside both sides of the fender. Arrange the turn signals so they face back and tighten the hex nut and washer on both signals with an open end wrench.

Connect the turn signal wires to the female half of both turn signal connectors on both sides of the fender by hand. Plug the female and male halves of the turn signal connectors back together by hand.

Push the loose wires and the gray tail lamp connector back into the tail lamp housing inside the fender. Replace the plug into the tail light access hole in the rear fender.

Route the turn signal wires along the inside edges of the fender and secure with cable ties.

Look at the heads. If the heads were manufactured by Edelbrock, S&S, Harley-Davidsons own Screamin Eagle performance line or any manufacturer other than Harley-Davidson they were installed as part of an aftermarket conversion package so the Sportster is a 1200 not an 883.

Examine the base of the cylinders. The most common conversion procedure replaces the cylinders but not the heads. If the cylinders are engraved "1200" at their bases the Sportster is a 1200.

Ride a known 883 Sportster hard. Ride the 883 on a freeway or interstate and uphill and note the acceleration and torque of that motorcycle.

Ride the motorcycle in question. A 1200 Sportster has at least 40 percent more horsepower than an 883. The difference is unmistakable and it is a fool-proof test.

Locate the black rubber, accordion-folded clutch adjuster boot in the approximate middle of the clutch cable near the left down tube. Pull up the boot to expose the clutch adjustment nut.

Immobilize the clutch cable adjustment nut (the small nut) with a half-inch open end wrench. Loosen the clutch cable adjustment locking nut (the long nut) with a 9/16-inch open end wrench.

Turn the cable adjustment nut until there is more than an inch of free play in the clutch lever.

Pry loose the pivot pin retaining ring on the bottom of the clutch lever housing with a flathead screwdriver. Pull the retaining pin out of the clutch lever housing.

Slide the clutch lever out of the housing. Pull out the clutch cable pin, then pull the upper end of the clutch cable free.

Remove the Torx screws and washers from the clutch inspection cover using a Torx socket and a socket wrench. Remove the clutch inspection cover.

Pull the spring and hex lock plate off the clutch adjusting screw. Turn the adjusting screw clockwise to release the outer ramp, coupler and inner ramp.

Unscrew the nut from the end of the clutch adjusting screw by hand. Pull the hook on the coupler, then pull the clutch cable end fitting from the coupler slot.

Turn the end fitting counterclockwise. Pull the lower section of the clutch from the primary cover.

Pull the O-ring from the cable end fitting. Loosen the cable clip on the front engine mount and remove the clutch cable from the motorcycle.