When the Harley-Davidson Sportster was introduced in 1957, it became the bike of choice for many drag racers. These bikes were usually stretched for better weight distribution, but the Ironhead engines remained in placea—at least until the bigger Shovelhead unit debuted in 1966.
Like many vintage racing bikes, drag-prepped Sportsters have been retired into museums and private collections, but some of them take the occasional trip to the drag strip to flex their muscle. This 1962 Sportster is a bit different, though. After sitting in storage for years, it gained a new engine, and it's being prepared to come out of retirement.
Fitted with period-correct twin-cylinder fuel tank and wheels, this Sportster ditched its original engine for a 1969, 90-degree Ironhead. There's no info about how powerful it is, but this bike is a beautiful sight even though it's not yet ready to run at full blast.
Drag racer Al Balice purchased the bike back in 2019 and spent a couple of years preparing it for the drag strip. The Harley spent a few good years in storage before that, and this testing session at Byron Dragway is its first outing in a very long time.
The footage shows an easy pass that sees the Sportster run the quarter-mile in 13.76 seconds at 99.74 mph (160.51 kph). It's not the most spectacular sprint out there, but it's always great to see an old bike finding its way back on the drag strip.
Even better news comes from the fact that we'll be seeing this Sportster run at full blast very soon. Al plans to race it at Byron Dragway's Glory Days, an event dedicated to vintage and nostalgia drag cars and bikes.
While it won't be as quick as a Top Fuel bike, which needs 6 seconds or less to cover the quarter-mile, this drag-prepped Sportster should easily pull 12-second passes.
Ask Ciprian about cars and he'll reveal an obsession with classics and an annoyance with modern design cues. Read his articles and you'll understand why his ideal SUV is the 1969 Chevrolet K5 Blazer. Full profile
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