Thank you for your comment I really appreciate it. In the video you can see a black oil pan on the floor, before I started the bike, I unscrewed the set screw at the front of the oil pump, took out the spark plugs and began kicking the bike over many times to bleed all the air out of the oil system. When I started to get a good steady full stream of oil I knew the oil system was bled fully. Also, I gave the bike a full tune up including adjusting the push rods, wires, points, condenser, cleaned the oil tank and added fresh 60WT. Then I started to bleed the oil system before its first start up. I did indeed have my LED pen light handy and checked the oil flow from the return inside the oil tank on my 2nd start up. I always stress the very same thing you mentioned to a lot of people who first buy their bikes as part of routine maintenance. I really appreciate your good sound advice and hope you subscribe, it’s great to hear from someone with building experience to exchange ideas and information. Take care my friend.

Between my 1968 XLCH and 1970 XLH the 1968 XLCH is noticeably faster, lighter and is more of a raw beast! The 1970 XLH seems to track better and is more predictable maybe because the wheelbase is a little bit longer, at least it feels that way. I have to check into the chassis specs between the two bikes to make sure. A word of caution! Having that Magneto locked in full advance could and will hurt you someday with a MAJOR kickback when starting it! I personally experienced what is known as a power stroke kickback when the motor momentarily started then suddenly died with my foot on the kicker in the down position. Best way to describe it is being hit by a big guy on the bottom of my bare foot with a baseball bat at full swing! I was out of action for 9 months because I forgot to retard my Magneto when kicking it over. I was wearing heavy work boots at the time. I am really glad to hear from you and get information and feedback on your personal experience with your Magneto XLCH. Guys like you are the main reason I started my channel in the first place! To connect with other owners/riders of these iconic vintage Sportsters and share information back and forth so I am really happy you subscribed. I am looking forward to hearing more from you about you and your buddies bikes. I plan on doing some riding videos this summer down old Route 66 and putting out more videos when time permits. BTW My transmission on both my Sportsters shifts smooth as well, especially the 70. Thanks for watching!

@@Michael-st1hl Hi Mike. About that kick-back on the locked down in advance magneto... You ride the handlebar kill switch with your thumb while prime kicking and finding the right spot before you come down hard for the start kick. Take your thumb off the kill switch the instant you start coming down. With the kill switch mashed the mag is grounded, no spark, no painful kick back. A working handlebar kill switch is a knee/ankle/foot saver. With the stock internal throttle, kill button, horn button, hi/lo beam switch, the set of stock glass face gauges and a single round mirror there is no better looking clean handlebar set up in motorcycledom. Keep the great vids coming, we love 'em!

@@Michael-st1hl I got hit so hard it knocked the heel off my boot and it flew across the alley, had a bruise on the bottom of my foot for the rest of the summer! Good times..

@@4SamHain I forgot to retard the magneto on my 1968 XLCH before kicking it over and the kick back was so bad it put me out of action for 9 months with a fractured foot. It was like being hit full force with a baseball bat on the bottom of my bare foot.

Actually after I ran the motor a few times all that old carbon and smoke disappeared. It’s the Strongest running iron head I ever owned. That blue fuel tank was just a spare I had laying around as a temporary until I got the original one cleaned out. Thanks for your comment, I hope you subscribe and follow along on more iron head content. Thanks for watching!

It’s running much better these days!

Thank you Big Ed, actually it looks 100% better now since I brought it back to factory stock. Actually after I ran the bike all that carbon and smoke completely disappeared and it’s the strongest running Sportster I ever owned. It pulls really hard all the way through the RPM range and rides like a new bike. I sure didn’t expect all that smoke on its first start up in 34 years! Yikes!

@@Michael-st1hl yeah, that was a lot, but she should be good to go now.

@@edZILLA64 I have to change out the intake O Rings next. The intake is leaking air and the motor is cracking and popping. Easy fix!

Yes I agree after the fact! But man, I didn’t expect all this smoke and carbon on such a large scale like this… but yeah, I was thinking exactly the same thing afterwards. I should have posted a picture of the garbage can directly in line with the exhaust, it was plastered with black greasy carbon. After some run time it all cleared up with no smoke at all. Runs very strong and pulls hard in all gears, best running iron head I ever owned. Hope you subscribe and tune in.

Yes for sure! That being said once you have them dialed in and leave them alone they have great response. It’s the priming issue that many people don’t understand especially if they sit long enough that the accelerator pump runs dry. That’s why I installed the tickler kit which does away with all the prime kicking to get fuel up in the carb. The only reason why I prime kick now is to prime the oil pump. When the bike is hot, it’s basically a two kicker with two twist of the throttle.

You are correct! It’s a 1968 with only 12k on it. It was stored 34 years indoors. All that carbon and smoke cleared up after a little run time and is the strongest running XLCH I ever owned. It’s back to 100% stock now since I installed the original front end and seat. Thanks for your comment, I hope you subscribe and follow along as I go through these old Sportsters. Thanks for watching I really appreciate it!

From my personal experience, as long as you have a good tune on the motor and you have enough fuel in the jugs I have no problem starting it from cold on 1 to 6 kicks. When hot, it’s basically a two kicker most of the time. I really love the magneto bikes, as long as my leg holds out! Gotta remember to fully retard that mag too… or else! I already paid the price two years ago with a shattered foot even wearing my heavy work boots! I hope you subscribe, I really appreciate your input.