Recently Irish Rich did a post on this Dick Hirschberg Sportster. It was mentioned that it was painted orange and detailed by Von Dutch. It reminded of a bike and prompted me to find a photo from El Camino 1989.
Okay, it's different but, it also has that "From the hand of Von Dutch" look. The frame is pinstriped in a similar fashion. It has some interesting features. It has a hand shift. The brake pedal must be on the right side. It appears to be the front brake lever on the bars so, where's the clutch lever? Also, check out those frame, shock and swing arm mods. Anybody have any info about this unique machine?
Updated after some comments. Clutch Mystery Solved. You can see the clutch cable coming thru the motor mount and it's outer cable held at what at first seemed to be a pedal. The pedal is mostly lost in the black but it's looks like it's tip extends at the front of the primary right behind the top rear motor mount bolt.
8 comments:
i'm guessing it has a twistgrip clutch...exile cycles makes a kit & i've read about others.
Chris, just in front of the primary cover is a little chrome lever sticking out that maybe an in/out foot clutch. That oil bag is really custom. look where the lines come out.
Lewy, the clutch would likely need to be foot activated if shifting by hand. I don't think Exile even existed in '89 and nobody was really doing that kind of stuff then.
Doc, I saw that little do hickey myself, and wondered if that was it. Seems tiny but the best guess.
It's hard to make out what is going on at the that lever and the front engine mount. Also, I thought the lever might be black and lost against the primary. I'll Check the photo with a magnifying glass.
Okay, I enlarged the photo. That's not the lever. there is sort of an illusion going on. It's the clutch cable coming through the engine mount and going to a black lever that's hard to see against the primary.
Really cool to see more Hirschberg stuff- I'm trying to figure out what the gas tank is, though.
At one time he also had a very clean 32 roadster, I think was orange as well..
Keith here's the Vitals of DH's bike from Irish Rich's post: H-D factory racing "Loboy" frame, XR ball bearing lower end 55 ci. engine, XR factory rods , factory XR exhaust pipes, Norton seat, Bultaco Metralla gas tank, english rear fender and alloy tail lamp, and Ceriani front forks, on a sesame seed bun.
A Bultaco tank? I should have recognized the shape from years ago!
Overall a very classy machine- love the detail shots!
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