![]() ![]() That isn’t to say that Tom was always a saint. He even, at one point, had rigid bags installed. Tom, more practical than most in 1969, (and probably racking up more miles) just polished the left gear case cover and otherwise rode the bike the way it was. Aftermarket ape hanger bars and a solo seat with passenger pad completed the look. In 1969, most Sportster owners sprung for a fancy psychedelic paint job, threw away the front fender and extended the forks. I went on trips to Arizona, Idaho, Washington and Nevada. I even talked a girl into going on a date on the bike - once. My Sportster was my primary transportation. When I got out, I went to graduate school. The Sportster was stored at my parent’s house. I graduated and went into the Army for three years. “I was going to college and rode the bike back and forth from my parent’s home. The dealer Tom bought his bike from swapped the tank with the one on an XLH on the floor. 1969 Sportster buyers had an optional choice of either tank, and Tom wanted the larger tank that was standard on the XLH version of the Sportster. At the time, Harley was building two different Sportster versions: the XLH (4-gallon tank as standard, touring tires, a 12-volt battery and coil ignition and an electric starter) and the XLCH (peanut tank standard, magneto ignition, no battery, and racing tires). To start with, Tom bought it to use as transportation, and chose options based on functionality. Tom Myers’ XLCH is unusual in many different ways, besides being a one-family survivor. My parents helped me buy this 1969 Sportster as a replacement for the one that was stolen.” Survivor After the YDS-2, I had a Sportster, bought used, but it was stolen. “My first bike was a Yamaha YDS-2, but I lusted after a Sportster since I was very young. More than fifty years later, Tom still has that XLCH. “My Dad was always a Harley guy,” he explains. Tom Myers walked past all these alluring imports and bought one of the 5,100 Harley XLCH Sportsters produced that year. Triumph Bonnevilles were popular, as were Ducati singles and BMW twins. Honda was building the CB750, BSA had both a twin and a triple on offer, Kawasaki was selling its iconic H1 500cc 2-stroke, and Norton was selling the Commando twin. ![]() An American who wanted to buy a new motorcycle in 1969 had a lot of choices. ![]()
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