Hold over from the outlaw clubs of the 1960s, much of the membership rolls were WW2 veterans. You rode an Allied built bike or you didn't ride, and you never contaminated your American or English bike with Oriental parts. When the Japanese Big 4 became the world standard in the 70s and 80s, the same held true in reverse. Don't put HD parts on your metric, keep it pure. Still a serious blood feud between many in the SAE/Whitworth camp against the "rice riders" and vice versa. Your friend is also a victim of the "Sportsters suck" train of though (I've had several, most were beyond suck, but, a running ride is better than no ride, even if it is a "chick" bike). Or he lipped off to an old time rider and was shown "the error of his ways" (got his a$$ handed to him on a platter).

Ignore him. If he's that stuck on it, that's his problem. My Savage has an English style 7" side mount headlight, full FL rear fender, 50s HD style dirt track fuel tank (with first generation Rebel 250 mechanical petcock), 15" apehanger bars... and a Kawasaki VN800A  2 up seat (with studded out Mustang seat cover to match the saddle bags)... and Intruder 800 rear shocks (off my wife's bike, which uses Savage shocks and a Mustang Royal Duke mini king and queen seat). Your bud would probably have a stroke...

Seat and paint are different now. And it has floorboards now. Haven't finished the repaint so no current pics. Bike is in a bunch of pieces in the barn, home office, storage trailer, storage shed, down at my blacksmith shop...

I've also got a twin leading shoe drum front wheel I may put back on (disc looks goofy and doesn't work right). Have to decide if my rims will be gloss black, cream or orange (I hate chrome). Bars will be blacked out unless I run the chick stick, then both will stay chromed to go with the seat and bags spots. Switch boxes have been removed, just need to wire in a couple 2 way toggle switches (both 20a fused) for headlight and turn signals (if I run them). Engine will be repainted Chrysler Hemi orange since the Chevy red-orange is getting old (flaking, chipping, boring). Exhaust will be completely blacked out (bbg/woodstove paint). Battery box will be blacked out (or relocated, and then blacked out). Black edging on the fenders and tank when the paint job is finished, HD rear fender tip trim will be blacked out. Red color seperation tape, maybe red pinstripes (English style) on the rims. More nude or otherwise risque pin up decals...

And a set of SS runes under the tombstone tail light that will be replacing the worn out, too low beehive light on it now...

New thick gas cap gasket from the HD parts counter should run you $5 or so out the door... Then you have a rider tank while you set up a flush mount tank. They have the gasket back to the K-models (early 50s flat head pre Sportster). All they need is the year of the tank. NAPA has new caps that will fit it, look in the print catalog, the computer is next to useless for bike parts.

If it's a later model cap with plastic screws instead of a twist lock, new caps are $10 and up...

Any idea what year the tank came off of?

No I don't know what year it is WD.  I'll try to snap a pic tonight and post it to see if you (or anyone else for that matter) has an idea.  It's pretty deep...I put right at 3 gal in it when I filled it.  I'll get you pics though.

Lancer...yeah good thing it's my bike and not his right?  

Aftermarket or XLCR900/XL1000 Ironhead era. Size is the same as the last 900 I worked with, which was going in a rigid frame. So late 1960s to about 1974.

I've had over 100 bikes and worked in a lot of shops since 1987... and I'm a died in the wool SAE guy at heart. Harley, Indian, Henderson, Excelsior... I've even messed with a couple old (really old Pierces).

I like my Savage, but it definitely reminds me why I gave up on British bikes years ago. How Suzuki could make a worse electrical system than Lucas is still beyond me...

Mine is haunted, has been since day one. Sometimes both headlight circuits work, sometimes one or neither. Tail light quits working for no reason. Switch box guts fell apart. Battery is under or over charging at random. De-comp relay got full of water and shorted out... Both fuses will pop at random, no warning, no smoke, just pop...

And just like my last two "Viles" (T120 Bonnevilles), you're going along fine and the clutch cable breaks, without being touched...

I've given it away twice and it has found its way home, so...