I am new to this boards and harley's in general. I was wondering if you guys could give me an estimate on what a 1979 sportster is worth?
Here is the description the seller gave me:
I have a 1979 sportster,custom tank,fenders,lots of chrome,new wheels and tires,rebuilt motor and trans,new blue b/c c/coat paint,super clean. It is 1000cc.
Pending it runs well I will be trading it for my nova which is worth about $3500-$4000.
Here is a picture:

 

It might be a tad high, but then again, how long would it take you to find a buyer for your Nova at that price? If that Ironhead runs as good as it looks, I'd go for it.

 

What were the common problems for Harley's of this era? Also, what are the problem areas on these bikes?

 

I had one and HATED it. 2nd gear was out and had to put rings in at 20K mi also 79 was a one year only bike. For that money I would get a post AMF. I had a 64 CH before that and was very disappointed in the 79, slow and heavy. That looks nice but be careful. Depending on the year nova it could be hard to replace. Who rebuilt the motor & trans. Other probs I had the oil tank cover kept falling off, 2 starter drives, and a voltage regulator. I sold it at 26K and was glad to see it go.

 

Its a 1965 nova. Thanks for the replies. I guess I will talk to some other interested parties and just sell it for cash. I just thought the harley might be worth more than my asking price, and if I didn't like it I could turn around and sell it for more. Oh well.

 

Ok guys, got more info for ya. He sent me this:
No,major flaws,this bike has about 10 miles on it since the rebuild,but it needs to be broke in,the only issue that I found was,if you open the throttle fast,the clutch slips a little,I think it needs adjustment, I have a new set of clutch plates to go with it just in case they are needed.
At this point it looks like he will be a last resort if somehow the other ten cash offers fall though. What does this problem usually mean?

 

65, what shape is it in? I ran into some $ trouble 13 years ago my options were the 79 sportster or my 67fastback mustang. The idea to sell the mustang never got a second thought. Old cars have gone through the roof where sportys are still affordable. Think hard and also if freshly rebuilt properly the clutch should'nt be slipping, what other corners were cut?

 

Could it be just an adjustment thing or something more serious? I don't know a whole lot about bikes that is why I am having a friend come along to test ride it. He claims its worth 4,000 to 4,500, is this accurate?

 

Probably an adjustment but I would wonder why he didnt make sure it was right. That would make me suspect what else is not right. The term rebuilt always scares me because it means different things to different people. As for worth he could get what he says but for the same money or a little more you can easily get out of the AMF era. The decision ultimately is yours and the desire for one of these things is very strong but I would look around and compare other bikes. Maybe he really likes your Nova, get the bike and some$$$ for it.

 

Thanks for the info. The more I look at this bike the more I am liking it. It is kind of like an infection. lol There is just something about this bike that I like. I might do this this deal, what the heck if I don't like it I can sell it.