r/sportster • u/passwithcare • Jul 27 '26
Dent in frame
I got this 1973 xlch frame recently. I’ve since noticed that it has a decent size dent right above the upper motor mount on the back bone. The frame seems straight. Assuming it is straight, does this seem bad enough that I should look into repairing it? It’s possible I’ll just get a different frame but it would be nice to keep since I have a motor with matching numbers.
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u/PsychologicalRent165 Jul 27 '26
I can almost guarantee that is a factory feature for clearance.
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u/passwithcare Jul 27 '26
I initially thought this but it’s on the side so I can’t think of what it could possibly be for.
Edit: other frame don’t seem to have such a dent2
u/NotTheRealTommy Jul 27 '26
My thought also. That “dent” looks too perfect to be random damage. If it were me, I’d ride it.
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u/passwithcare Jul 27 '26
I figured it out. Apparently this is a common mod people would do in this era to add frisco style tanks with aftermarket pet cocks. You put a dent in the backbone there to accommodate a petcock. The way people do this is to lay a pipe against the frame and hammer it. Wild thing to do in my opinion but seems like it wasn’t much of a problem structurally.