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hen Johnny Humphrey started building this 1967 Sportster, he had a “good” engine, an aftermarket frame, and an idea. To some, that may seem like plenty. To others, it may not seem like anything. To Johnny, it was the perfect beginning of a yearlong journey. Now, a year may seem like a long time to build a custom, but as many of our readers know first-hand, builds always take their own path. Custom builds are just that, CUSTOM. A lot of
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February ‘22 - March ‘22 - CYCLE SOURCE MAGAZINE
times, you may buy something that is “perfect,” only to realize it is not what you envisioned. Lastly, when building a bike, “good” parts seldom are. So, with those couple of constants in mind, let’s check out this beautiful custom. Starting with the 1967 900cc engine, Johnny tore into it to make sure his “good” engine was indeed good. Turns out, it was not. Not only did it have issues, but it may also have had more bad parts than good. So, before anything could
happen, the little Ironhead came completely apart. The crank was gone through, and the transmission freshened up. Next, a set of Wiseco pistons were attached to the rods. Andrews Y Grind Cams were installed, and the cylinders were slipped on topped by rebuilt heads. A 38mm Mikuni and K&N filter were added to feed it. To connect the engine and transmission, Johnny decided on an open belt drive. If you’re not familiar with the primary
