1966 Harley-Davidson Sprint H

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Ross’ 1966 Sprint H
To hear Ross tell it, there are a lot of Aermacchis to be found across North America. Some are loved and cared for, but most of them are basically junk, Ross says. His bike shown here fell roughly in that category when Ross found it.

“The bike was in an accident,” Ross remembers. “The forks were bent. The tank was full of bondo and someone had painted it candy-apple green. There was a peace symbol on the battery box. It was so from the Sixties! I mostly put it back to original, but dolled it up a little bit. The seat was a genuine Corbin from the 1960s and the seat mounts had been modified for this seat, so I decided to keep it. The shocks are new-old-stock. I pulled them out of the box, brand new,” he says.

And while he’s put a lot of time into making his Sprint a real looker, Ross isn’t afraid to ride it. “It takes corners like it is on rails. You just lay it into a corner, and whatever line you pick, it will go there. It’s got lots of low end torque. The original single-leading-shoe brake is OK, but the double-leading-shoe is like having a disc brake. You get positive stopping.”

While Sprints may be small, that doesn’t keep riders from racing them today. “I know a lot of people who are into AHRMA [American Historic Racing Motorcycle Association] racing events [on Aermacchis],” Ross says, though he’s never set up a Sprint for racing and prefers restorations. But that didn’t stop him from racing his Sprint against a friend’s 1972 Sprint during last year’s AMCA meet in Oley, Pa. On an eighth-mile track, the Sprint’s best time was 9.491 seconds, with a best exit velocity of 52.69mph.

When it comes to owning a Sprint, Ross points out that one big difference between an Aermacchi and a modern bike is the maintenance. “I always stress maintenance,” Ross says. “Change the oil every 500 miles. It’s cheap insurance. There’s no oil filter, just a screen, like on a Volkswagen Beetle. If you are going to let the bike sit, take the gas out. Go over it with a wrench every now and again. Make sure the points and condenser are up to snuff, and change the spark plug every year. Everyone wants a 12-volt electronic ignition, but I wouldn’t install one even if a customer asked, because it isn’t really necessary.

“Lastly, I like to run my Sprint on Cam 2 racing fuel. Sprints don’t run really well on pump fuel, they were built for leaded gas. The valve seats don’t go bad if you use pump fuel, the bike just runs better on racing fuel.”

Though not stock, Ross is quite fond of his Sprint. “I keep everything that has some meaning to me. The Sprint is something I love. You could say I did it my way.”

Resources

Sonny’s Motorcycle Repair
Aermacchi Enthusiast Group

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