When I started riding cruisers, one truism was that the "metric" makes kept changing their models, sometimes too rapidly, while Harleys would make the same model for years and years. This was one reason given for how many more after-market parts there are for Harleys compared to the "Hardly-Davidson" clones. That makes sense. How can you market a customized, chromed doo-hickey if every 3 years the manufacturer changes how the bike goes together?
Well, fast forward ten years, and my now leaking Sporster oil tank saga. Doing a little research and replacement part shopping, I have found four slightly different oil tanks for a bike that has changed twice in 20 years! What is Harley doing? Well, the Ironhead Sportster oil tank is slightly different than the one on the early Evo Sportsters. A few years into the Evo run, around 1996, the design of the inlet and outlet pipes and the attachments to the frame and battery box changed. Then in 2004 the Sportster engine stayed the same, but the frame and accessories changed when the engine got a front rubber mount. While not too frantic a pace, those are fairly quick changes for Harley-Davidson!
So what's the "so what"? I will probably be getting my oil tank braized to fix the leak, since the only take-off oil tank I have found is the early EVO model and fitting it to my bike may be harder than just fixing mine. And I'm still riding-if you don't ride a Harley that's leaking oil, you don't ride a Harley!
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