A UK 883 Sportster Reinvisioned

Article By: Lullabelle Marie Photos By: Del Hickey

simon Butler has built bikes over the years just for himself and was never interested in doing a bike for other folks because its time consuming, and most nonbike builders don’t understand what’s involved. In most cases, they question all the costs and are constantly changing their mind. In other words, a real pain. It’s easier to build a bike in your own time and to your own design, and if you decide to sell it, they are buying the finished product without all the hassle.

Having spent most of the COVID 19 lockdown in his workshop, Simon managed to churn out two bikes for himself, the first being a homage to two strokes of his youth by building a Suzuki GT750 engine in a Yamaha FZR 1000 frame with modern running gear and also recently a handbuilt frame, the Billet twin-cam which recently won the best engineering in the Back Street Heroes biker build off.

Having completed these, Simon sat in his workshop admiring his collection while praying for better weather and the end of lockdown. It was only March; it was going to be a while. He wondered what he would do with himself now?

A few weeks later, Butler got a phone call from a bloke, Nathan, who explained that he had a bike that leaked oil and just

wasn’t what he wanted. He further explained that he heard that Simon was a bike builder who could get the bike to look like he wanted. They decided that Simon would check out Nathan’s bike to see what he would be working with. Butler said that it was immediately apparent from the property and the cars in his garage that money wouldn’t be an issue for Nathan.

In the corner of Nathan’s garage was a very sorry looking 883 hardtail bobber. Nathan explained that he wanted it completely rebuilt to look like an old-school flat track

inspired board racer. The donor was in an extremely sorry state, had clearly been tinkered with, and had some less than satisfactory things done to it that would need correcting.

A couple of days later, it arrived at Butler’s workshop, where he spent a few days looking at what was in front of him to determine what could be salvaged and what was needed. The engine required a rebuild as it was leaking all over the place. The oil tank was ill-fitted and rubbed the frame. The rear mudguard was all out of shape. The chrome on the springers had all been rubbed down to the nickel underneath, the electric’s had no fuses inline at all, and the list goes on and on.

Nathan explained he liked the colors and loved the fuel tank. That being said, Simon could do anything except change the tank or color. The bike was completely stripped down. The chrome was sent to Derby platers, which would be a three-month turnaround. Which allowed Simon time to re-fabricate the rest of the bike. Starting with a blank canvas, the oil tank was the first thing Butler tackled, followed by the rear wheel, which didn’t look right with a disc on the rear. Simon unlaced it and found that a triumph pre-unit

Simon fabricated the spacers as well as the near-invisible wiring harness that is run throughout the frame once the battery location was decided. He hid the Motogadget M unit in the headlight, making it accessible but still hidden. With the frame fabrication completed, Simon sent it and other small parts off for powder coating.

It was time to address the leaky engine. It was clear that the leaks were coming from the top end, so suitable replacements were purchased, and the top end was

stripped and rebuilt over the next few evenings.

The cam side casing had an EMD over cover, giving it that vintage look. After looking at EMD’s website, Simon found a primary side casing available for it. A quick phone call to Nathan explained there was a case available for his engine. Did he want it? He quickly replied, “Order it, tell me how much it is, and I’ll send you the money on one condition. I want it with the shotblasted look on both sides.” It was the first time Harry at Briteworx had to shotblast brand new cases and primary cover. About a week later, Simon picked up the frame from powder coat, just then, Harry called to say the cases were ready and he would drop them off.

Armed with a load of newly refurbished parts, it was time to start assembly. With the engine in and secure, it was time to get it back on its wheels. The frontend parts were still out for chrome, so it sat as a mono cycle for a bit which made fitting the newly built rear wheel with its new drum brake hub a little tricky. This didn’t go as

Owner: Nathan City/State: Derby, United Kingdom Builder: Simon “UNKY” Butler Year: 883 Sportster from 91 up Model: 883 Sportster from 91 up Value: $12,000 Time: 1 year ENGINE Year: 883 Sportster from 91 Model: 883 Sportster Builder: Simon “UNKY” Butler Ignition: Standard Displacement: 883 Pistons: Standard Heads: Standard Carb: 40mm CV carb Cam: Standard Air Cleaner: Brass velocity stack Exhaust: One off straight through pipes in stainless Primary: Standard TRANSMISSION Year: 91 Make: HD Shifting: HD FRAME Year: Unknown Model: Hardtail bobber unknown origin Rake: Standard Stretch: Standard Forks: Big port springer front forks Builder: Big port Type: Springer Triple Trees: Big port Extension: Std WHEELS Front Wheel: 19” rim using a Honda 350 twin leading shoe brake system Size: 19” Tire: Firestone Deluxe Champion Front Brake: Honda 350 twin leading shoe Rear Wheel: 19” rim fitted size: 19” Tire: Firestone Deluxe Champion Rear Brake: pre unit hub & drum brake PAINT Painter: Del Whittaker Color: Black on polished brass & ally Type: N/K Graphics: N/A Chroming: N/A ACCESSORIES Bars: Modified Triumph TR5 Risers: Aftermarket Hand Controls: Kustom Tech Foot Controls: Rearsets handbuilt to suit Gas Tank(s): Storz Dirt Track Oil Tank: Front fender: N/A Rear Fender: Slime line bobber Seat: Aftermarket Headlight: Lucas headlight Tail light: Unknown origin Speedo: Motogadget mini brass speedo Photographer: Del Hickey smoothly as Simon had hoped, but with some swearing, elbow grease, and ingenuity, it all started to come together.

By the time Butler had everything lined up, the chrome was ready, and it was time to rebuild the newly chromed springer front end without damaging it. Butler built a jig to compress all the springs without causing any damage. Simon says the forks were slipped into the frame “like giving your first girlfriend her first knee-trembler behind the

bleachers at school.”

Because Nathan wanted it to look old school Simon decided to introduce some brass accents into the mix to give it a contrast between the black and alloy. The oil tank was fitted and plumbed using braided lines with black anodized fittings and a brass knurled knob to secure it. Simon even made a matching choke knob to match.

The bike finished, and now with its very proud owner, who was thrilled with how it turned out..and so are we!