when buying a used harley for first bike which is more important, age or mileage? in other words if you had to choose between an older bike with 15k miles or a newer bike with 30k miles is it more important to get the newer one due to new things harley has done over the years or the one with lower miles in hopes it will run longer before having problems?

for reliability and ease of tuning only is fuel injected or carb'd preferred?

if you find a model you like with the mods you want but its the wrong color how big of a pain is it to find take off tank and fender sets to change the color? is it worth it? the only full sets i've seen were about $1800.

im a big guy 5'11" 325lb and have only ever ridden dirt bikes so this will be my first road bike. im awaiting new eye glasses atm so i can go get my permit but chances are i'll be buying before i can get my permit so test rides are out of the question. 95% of my riding will probably be within 150 miles of home. and usually much closer. alot of it will also be on winding country roads and city streets not much highway. also im a broke ***, this is probably the first and last road bike ill buy for many years and i wont be able to afford to do much in the way of mods.

does that rule out any harley models? the more i'd narrow it down the better lol

im wondering if im getting a bit out of line. every day as i search for the right bike i notice i look at more and more expensive bikes every day. when i started looking i told myself $7k a week later im considering 9-10k. this is my first road bike and im not rich by any means i just really lucked out this year and have a nice chunk of change and doubt it'll happen again for many years. is it crazy to consider dumping $10k into my first bike based on size and looks when i could choose from thousands of nice sportsters for half that?

the bikes im interested in are all due to size and looks i dunno what any of the features or specs mean (i have been studying alot but when reading up on things and people switch back and forth between the full name such as dyna wide glide and then the letter abbreviated models i get lost quick)

currently im most interested in wide glide, road king, deuce, fatboy, and well a little part of me likes those blk/white 1200r roadster sportsters that have the crotch rocket style body.

 

Reading what you said to describe yourself, you described me to a tee...

I'm 320lb, and you're an inch taller. I had originally thought of the same bikes yer considering. I was working with just $4k to start. Being a big boy, all the bikes I looked at were way too small for my 'stature'. I ended up spending $7k on an older Road King and love it. My brother and nephew own sporters and dynas, they are a completely different ride. They make my body ache before 25 miles rolls by. My RK suits me just fine. If I had to choose another, it'd be a Street Glide. The bags don't make my *** look fat either!

As far as what you decide goes, I was thinking that since I can do all the work myself, I could spend a little more. That soon bit me in the *** because I had no idea how much parts for a Harley would run me. I've now got over $14k in the old RK, and still need new chrome and paint. But I do like the way it runs.

Between carb'd or injected, a carb'd bike can be less costly to tune, but the injected's seem much more reliable in that you shouldn't have to fiddle with it as often.

I'm sure that doesn't sound like help as much as I had hoped...

I have seen some nice lookin tin sets on Craigslist.com for around $700-$800. Might check them out if you ever have the need.

 

Did you check out this bike, I found for you on the other thread? Get to work!


https://www.hdforums.com/forum/motor...c-ne-ohio.html

 

I assume price of these bikes you are considering is equal.
If your talking bikes more than a few years old condition is the most important.

Between miles and years I'd go for less miles depending on what "improvements" were made between the years. For example: 2009 introduced a new frame and transmission ratios.
Then of course you have to figure how many miles years difference is there. I would choose a 2007 with 20,000 miles over a 1997 with 6,000 miles.

 

with the efi bikes to tune them do you just need to buy a little hand held machine or do you have to take it to a shop?

ill have to do some more research to see what other changes have been made. i've only heard of the issues with some sort of bearing in the 99-01 dynas. 6speed in 06, and bigger engine in 07.

yep took me a while though the original link you posted in the other thread didnt work. im just not into the color, front fairing, or all the extra luggage. i think i'd prefer just the quick release clear shield if any and saddle bags.

wish i had a few thousand more. i fell in love with the look of the 2012 wide glide looks last night that come with the black wheels and a nice balance of black/chrome on the motor. the black flame one was love at first sight but double my original budget. started out wanting to spend 7k then moved up to 9-10k and fell in love with a $13k bike. i could get it but then i wouldnt have anyting left over out of the money i was hoping to buy boots, helmet, and possibly bars depending on what came with whatever i bought. also no new guitar or amp...

luckily i still have about a week to find something till the rest of my money comes and have enough now to put a deposit on one if i find something untill then.

 

Age and mileage are factors, but for me it would be maintenance history. You can have a one year old bike with 15k miles on it never having maintenance done could be a ticking time bomb. On the other hand a 10 year old bike with 50k miles and proper maintenance done could last longer. When buying used always ask for maintenance history. I always save my receipts when working on my bike to help show that yes I have been keeping up. At your size I would be looking at a touring bike like the road king you mentioned. Good luck

 

im loosing sleep and getting frustrated. i really need to just figure out what i want to spend and stick with it. choosing a bike would be so much easier if i could decide on a price. it seems like every day i look at bikes im willing to spend a bit more and like more bikes. im really falling for the newer black flame wide glides but man thats a big chunk of change for a first bike

what makes it hard is every time i find a cheap bike i like i see one alot nicer thats only 1-2k more then it repeats. i wake up looking at 8k bikes and by noon im considering 12k bikes.

i woke up thinking about an 02 wide glide with 22000 miles for $7k and as of 3 pm im considering a 2011 wide glide with 5000 miles for $13k

for christs sake my newest car is a 04 with 100k miles lol

 

First of all--at your size, FORGET a Sportster.

I would definitely go with an older bike with less miles; newer year doesn't necessarily equate to better with Harleys like it does with cars. For instance--an '02 with the same miles as an '08 might give you less problems, as '08s had some issues with heat, cranks,gearing,etc. But I would absolutely avoid ANY fuel injected Harley before '03, as the MM EFI systems aren't tunable with most tuners, and forget about getting parts; one guy I know with an MM system waited 1 1/2 years for a fuel pump. Pre-'02 carb is OK. Also, if you go with an Evo, you may have trouble getting certain parts.

Carb & EFI? Just a matter of preference. Carb has a smoother, more "relaxed" ride & sounds better. But EFI is prolly more reliable & more user-friendly; just hit the button & go.

My recommendation would be to take someone with you who knows Harleys; find a friend you could trust to help you get the right bike. Or just come here & ask if you find something you like & want info on it; there's a lotta collective knowledge here.

 

I replaced the tins on my Heritage with a brand new, absolutely flawless paint set I got on eBay for $600. None of it is rocket science for someone with a bit of mechanical ability. The front fender was easy, the rear fender was a bit more involved. The hardest part was the fuel tank, specifically getting the guts (fuel filter and fuel level sending unit, mine's EFI) out of the old tank and into the new one. Fortunately this Forum exists and its members were extremely helpful with advice for a newbie.

 

First of all, a man your size needs a big bike, so forget the Sportster. I would suggest either a Heritage Softail or anything from the touring line based on your size. Go to your nearest dealership and sit on a few bikes to figure out which one feels the most comfortable to you. Once you have a specific model in mind then you can begin your search. In your price range, i would look for a 2002 model with low mileage.