Advice please.

W

Walenut

Guest
Hi all,
One time forum member some years ago now rejoined, use to have a hugger, after surviving several years on sports bikes I’ve decided to get myself another Harley.

I have always loved the Softail custom, pure 70’s custom so thats what I aim to get, I’ve been trawling through the previous posts looking for a list of things to look out for when buying a big twin evo but can’t really find what I’m looking for, can someone give me a simple list of things to look out for, or put a link to a previous post.

I’ve been around bikes awhile so I know the normal stuff, its things like the cylinder base gaskets etc.

Cheers,

Steve
 
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Re: Advice please.

So what should I be paying for a ten year old FXSTC with about 10-12000 miles on? Private.
 
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Re: Advice please.

Softails always hold their value.

You will be lucky to find a mid 1990s one under ?8000.

But it's a great bike for that money.

1980s ones can be had for around ?7,000 but don't come up very often in the UK purely because (*relatively*) far fewer were made ... and sold here.

(the first two Softails, the 1984 and 1985, are **very** nice with factory kickstarters and 4speed box, but bloody rare)

The only thing to watch for is if you are looking at a 1989-92 and it has any kind of a hot rod motor, beware cracks in the engine casings and ask the owner if it had cases replaced under warranty, etc. There were quality control issues over those and the MoCo was replacing shoddy cases for several years after the fact.

Fact is, it is bloody difficult to buy a lemon stockish Evo.

And that kind of mileage is hardly ''run in''.

the one way to get a cheap 1990s Softail is a high miles one. By that I mean, anything over 40,000 on the clock. People get scared, which is laughable!!! Evos are good for waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay past 200,000 miles if properly cared for and rebored now and again. And *everything* is obtainable.
 
Re: Advice please.

Cheers mate, seen a few prices a bit cheeper than that at the mo, I'll have to keep me eyes peeled.
 
Re: Advice please.

Keep believing your gonna find one, that's the message, and you will find one. I made a mistake by leaving HD's for a while, hunted around, and found a 1990 softail for 6k!! with 11k genuine miles on it.
Ok so might have to travel, (I did a national search in biketrader, ebay is a total lottery as far as i'm concerned) and look through superficial and stiking problems, and weigh up whether you have the skill or finances to correct them.
Mine had been in storage, and looked like it! I spent the winter ripping it down, re-sprayed it, ripped off some really bad accessories, and now I'm totally chuffed, this one is so much better than other HD's I've had, including the 99 model I sold for my Buell, it goes so well I'm convinced it's had more than just the s&s carb added.
Good Luck
 
Re: Advice please.

Cheers mate, sounds like you've got a good un.
 
Re: Advice please.

you can do worse than check the sites classified section, you tend to get a less flowery article description.
 
Re: Advice please.

S.T.Chapman said:
you can do worse than chech the sites classified section, you tend to get a less flowery article description.
Click to expand...

Have done, cheers.
 
Re: Advice please.

nothing wrong with the price at all - and it's hardly been ridden, frankly. I think it's a deal.

Stockish Softails of that age don't come up too often.

It has sat there because most tyre kickers go: ''nah, 15yrs old....'' But they don't realise it is fundamentally no different to a 1999.

How utterly bonkers of them. Because in 90% of cases, the moment they have spent ?9,000 on a newer used Softail, they are still looking to throw ?2,000 more on it to make it look ''different''.

what *YOU* do is go in with ?6,300 CASH. and say: ''Mate, it's 15 years old! You'll be putting it on eBay next week in a desperate bid to get rid of it.''

Go to the mirror, practice shaking your head and giving the sharp intake of breath. Then go down there
 
Re: Advice please.

Walenut said:
Yes I saw that, looks nice, his had it in for a while. Good indicator on price? I think prices are very subdued at the moment and a couple of people with friends in the trade have reinforced this, had to take a fairly big hit below book:( to sell my SP2, which would have sold like a hot cake a year or two back.
Click to expand...

For Gawd sake buy it before I do!!:eek: :D Temptation is a terrible thing y'know:D
 
Re: Advice please.

"Patience, patience” me dad always use to say, there'll always be another one, he was always right of course and its along way to Edinburgh.:(

Anyway I’ve had another look at a wide glide, which do you think is the better bike? Horses for courses I know, but fundamentally I like the bikes the way they are as standard, except for the usual, pipes, rack etc, always had a soft spot for the FXR as well, got to have a bob tail though;)

Later the better for Evo engines?
 
Re: Advice please.

Aint a long way anymore, what with all these cheap flights ect,that bike does look good, you could end up kicking yerself....As for Wide-Glides V Softails, well I got a WG was never my 1st choice of Harley,but now its grown on me,its a nice bike and looks the biz,mind you everyone will tell you the Softail is the way to go,Ive had both,both nice. Make your own mind up, and good luck.:cool:
 
Re: Advice please.

based on years of sponging info, I believe the best Evos are 84-86 (strongest cases) and the last few years up to 99. but if you are hunting a stockish bike any should be OK as much of the above perceived wisdom is based around the engine-case issues of late 80s/early90s - quite a few failed when hammered

The deceased FXR is considered by far the best handling, most comfortable of the non-touring bikes. Discontinued because there was a customer-base demand for a more traditional *Harley* frame - and the replacement Dyna fulfilled that while being cheaper to produce.

One here for six grand
http://www.pm-motorcycles.com/stock.htm
 
Re: Advice please.

Walenut said:
"Patience, patience” me dad always use to say, there'll always be another one, he was always right of course and its along way to Edinburgh.:(

Anyway I’ve had another look at a wide glide, which do you think is the better bike? Horses for courses I know, but fundamentally I like the bikes the way they are as standard, except for the usual, pipes, rack etc, always had a soft spot for the FXR as well, got to have a bob tail though;)

Later the better for Evo engines?
Click to expand...

How about this;) Some say its the best FXR in Scotland:) But it aint for sale.
HarleyFXRSCROP.jpg


this is

PIC0042.jpg


and its here http://www.pm-motorcycles.com/stock.htm

or this

FXR2.jpg


from here http://www.thundercity.co.uk/used_detail.asp?id=6#
 
Re: Advice please.

Gotta say Stuarty if I had an FXR it would look something like yours, very nice mate.

Mind you the one at Thundercity looks quite nice too.
 
Re: Advice please.

Walenut said:
Gotta say Stuarty if I had an FXR it would look something like yours, very nice mate.....
Click to expand...

Ta! It IS the best FXR in Scotland without a doubt. If anyone tries to tell ya otherwise they are fulla ferkin sh1t and Guinness (light blue touch paper and stand well back!!);) :D :D

Anyway, how about this?

fxlr_1340.jpg


or this

1340_dyna_convertible_1.jpg


they are both at http://www.steves-motorcycles.co.uk/index.html

:)
 
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