MetalMan Dan's '72 H-D Sprint SS (p.1)

1972 H-D (Aermacchi)
Sprint 350 SS Project

Will wonders never cease? It's finally happened!

As of October 2006—with the exception of wanting to replace the spokes & nipples on the front rim with new stainless pieces—I have finally (almost) completed this bike!

Why has it taken so long? A few of my really good excuses are:

I have had an extremely busy life the past few years.
Too many other projects, like my '68 Bronco.
I can't work on everything at the same time.
My wallet's only "so fat."

So CLICK HERE to see how she turned out. But before you do that, you might wanna scroll down on this page to refresh your memory about the project, see other interesting Sprint stuff and review the previous updates.

New Stuff (March 2003)
1972 SS350 Sprint emblem

— THE FINISHED TANK (photo 1 / photo 2)!
— Left and Right Views of the SS350 from the original owner's manual!

— 1972 Wiring diagram

January 2000: In the beginning...

Here are some of the pics I received from the owner before I decided to buy this sucker back in January 2000. Once it received a little TLC from our bro' Kurt, it ran well, too, though it needed some top end work... plus a new kicker gear (the large one... $120...ch-CHING!), along with a few other assorted parts. The fact that it spent most of its life indoors and had (allegedly) only 2532 miles on the odometer helps. However, if you're a motorcycle, sitting around isn't healthy. Sure, after 20 years in a barn, you might be able to start a motor with some fresh oil and a tune-up, but that's not always recommended. Stuff happens when mechanical components go sedentary... like seized rings. This is kinda like what happens to people under the same circumstances. If you spend your time drinking brewskis while playing couch potato, and not exercising, the result is about the same: you might be able to sprint 50 yards on a given day, but you'll most likely fall flat on your face once you stop.

Some of you might be wondering about the tank decals. To paraphrase Dirty Harry, "I know what you're thinkin': 'Those are '73 vintage decals!' " ...and you would be correct. About all I can tell you is that the tank had never been repainted, and the bike was built in September 1971. Before I checked the build date, my theory was that the factory ran out of '72 decals close to the end of production in 1972 and decided that slapping on a set of '73 decals wouldn't be a big deal. The bike doesn't have any damage on it that might hint that the tank was replaced due to an accident. Could a previous owner replaced the tank in 1973? It's possible, but the '72 tank is different from the '72 tank. So for now, I have no idea why the tank was fitted with the wrong decals. I will continue my research and see if I can find the answer to this perplexing question.

As I write this on January 1, 2002—after spending the last 4 days sick as a dog, and missing several great holiday parties—I can report that the seat will be done this week or next, and I've almost finished the body work on the sheetmetal. (Still have some minor work left to do on the tool box and battery box.) I took a good amount of photos while working on the '72, and I'll post 'em to help you in your resto work.

Back, I say, BACK!

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