Uncommon Motors

When ordinary just won't do

1964 Cushman Eagle with Sportster Power

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1964 Cushman Eagle with 1000cc 1980 Harley Davidson Sportster engine
1964 Cushman Eagle with 1000cc 1980 Harley Davidson Sportster engine

Cushman scooters are interesting throwbacks to the 1960s, but a lot of owners seem to think the little single cylinder engine that came from the factory isn’t quite enough. You see a lot of Briggs and Stratton Vanguard v-twin swaps and they give it a nice boost, but others figure they might as well go all the way and they shoehorn a Harley Davidson Sportster engine into the frame. I have to admit, I like the way they think.

1964 Cusman Eagle scooter with 1000cc Harley Davidson ironhead V-twin
1964 Cusman Eagle scooter with 1000cc Harley Davidson ironhead V-twin

This 1964 Cushman Eagle has a 1000cc Ironhead V-twin from a 1980 Sportster. According to the owner, the frame is a combination of Cushman and Sportster which probably isn’t a bad idea since the original frame isn’t designed for anything like this engine.

1000cc Ironhead engine from 1980 Harley Davidson Sportster
1000cc Ironhead engine from 1980 Harley Davidson Sportster

I’ve seen a number of these conversions over the years and they look pretty neat, they certainly sound better than the little single you would expect to see, though I don’t know how they handle at the speeds easily attained with the added power.

Comments

  2. Felipe, you have not seen everything! How about a Vespa with a Yamaha V-Max engine, along with the caption, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do!”