My 1981 Sturgis

When I got back into large cruiser style street bikes after a nine year hiatus in late 1985 what I really wanted was one of these instead of the 83 FXR I bought and could not make to resemble a Sturgis let alone even a first year 77 low rider. Didn't keep my from trying though, but within a day of buying this machine, then as a ragamuffin, I carried that FXR and literally a trailer of trinkets and spares to a motorcycle consignment shop.

Besides the local paper, on Wednesdays, a small publication called the East Memphis Shoppers News got tossed in our yard then as well and normally found itself tossed into the trash on the way back into the house. On one occassion the missus got the paper and left the EMSN laying on the counter. Before I could toss this one she inquired have you looked in it, nope, but she had. I hastily perused it to discovered in among he usual rummage sales was an ad for a 1981 Sturgis. Rare even then and much rarer to be in stock condition.

I grabbed my trailer, hitched it up to my rather metrosexual looking triple white VW cabriolet, and with the top down headed off to an unsavory part of town only to find a gentleman not a whisker different than Odd Job in the Goldfinger, and even more menacing looking. Frequently consulting the sweat towel thrown over one shoulder he counted my stack of 100's out on top of an empty pit bull cage ...and then disappeared into the house. Beyond relieved to see him re-emerge , he handed me the title, we both then pulled the tabs on a sentimental Budweiser, I hastily finished loading my trailer after his loaded gun fell from his pocket to the ground and then got the hell out of Dodge.

The 1980-81 Sturgis is the seminal narrow glide Harley Davidson and without a doubt the smoothest running Shovel Head. With a 3 rubber puck compensator sprocket, primary and secondary belt drives, there is no powertrain pulsing, just a distance mild vibe through the frame. High geared by virtue of primary drive pulley ratios forced on the designers required to maintain a standard outward appearance of the primary drive covers, they are consumate highway cruisers, and with an oil cooler, 80 cubic inches and low compression, not at all as temperamental as the 74's that preceded them.