The boys at Court House have been knocking some pretty cool stuff out over the years and we’ve featured their work online and in our print editions for your viewing pleasure. What they did to this 1987 883 Sporty was not as wild or as work-intensive as some of their other builds, but that doesn’t impact this build in any bad way. This completely done over Evo XL would get its own share of admirers who’d appreciate it for what it is and don’t give a damn about what it’s not. And, what it’s not, to reiterate the point of the story, is expensive. Last I knew it was for sale for eight grand.

  What someone got for that dough was a nice running Sporty from the ‘80s with a now kinda retro 4-speed tranny mounted in a hardtailed Harley VIN frame. Want to do some serious bopping around on the cheap? A reliable, basically stock drivetrain like this is one way to ensure you’ll get there and get back without breaking down or breaking the bank. Engine mods were thoughtfully restricted to a CHC 2-into-1 header wrapped exhaust with a sportbike-style carbon fiber can hanging off the end. Although I’ve got a few reservations about using carbon fiber material on a V-twin (the exhaust pulses of a V-twin can cause some carbon cans to fracture), it does look Sporty/sportbike tough. At the opposite end of its Evo engine spectrum, the stock CV fuel mixer gets its own stab at butch dab with a racy velocity stack instead of a big, safe, and responsible air cleaner.

  CHC didn’t just tack on a hardtail with all stock stuff, but livened things up quite a bit in back by stuffing a 200mm rear tire where a 130mm once lived. That’s a 65% increase in size that’s got to be as noticeable as spokesperson Jimmy Johnson swallowing a case of his beloved Extenze and parading the results around in a Speedo. Like you, I’m down for the bigger tire as it enhances the already bad boy Sportster look, but not for Jimmy’s smarmy old guy hoopty dance. The rear wheel also holds the key to stopping power as the front wheel has been considerably lightened by the removal of all stopping hardware. I’d still rather have the front binders intact, but at least all the mounting tabs are still on the fork legs and not cleanly shaved off.

   One tasty CHC tidbit you can’t help but notice is the curved mounts for the fuel tank, fender, and headlight that mimic the lines of the CHC bars. They’re a fun bit of whimsy on this bike no factory ride ever approaches. Another nice piece is the vertical side-mount oil tank that no one will ever mistake for a stock piece too. One good aspect for people on a budget or who just would rather ride than get out the cleaning crap is CHC’s use of durable and easy to keep clean powder coating throughout the bike. Wipe and go. 

  All in all, Jason and D.J. put together a nice custom ride out of something most of us probably would have given up for dead. If you’d like to find out more of what they’re up to, why don’t you hoopty on over to www.chcustom.com and check ‘em out.