So I am looking at 09-later road kings & ultra's most have the 96 motor a few have the 103. All the bikes look clean and taken care of, the mileage ranges 15k-65k is there any mileage that should scare me off? I don't have a lot of knowledge on how many miles these bikes are good for, before needing major work. I would really appreciate any information. Thanks in advance


Oh one thought on the higher end of those mileage numbers would I be able to get a HD extended warranty for a few years for peace of mind not sure if they offered that on a older bike with those kind of miles or if it would even be worth it? Thanks

 

the esp is almost always a 3rd party contract with a servicing company, not H-D or the dealer.
the contract will vary by State and by issuer- you need to read this very very carefully- and see if your State has a fund should the servicing company decide to not exist anymore.

there will also be exclusions for modifications ( which many of us do) or requirements of how/when/who does services....as a 3rd party service contract is not subject to magnuson moss act as a factory warranty is.



the motors are great and will last a long time. I would guess that a motor at 40k if stock and well maintained will offer years of trouble free riding.

the more units you look at the sharper your eye will be and you'll be able to tell if a bike has been well owned or abused

I have the 96 ad like it alot. the 103 was a 2K upgrade for 09/10...it comes with compression releases and an oil cooler and has about 15% more torque.
worth a small premium over the 96.
I'd suggest you look only at abs models-it is a game changer for safety and makes riding dirt roads alot easier

mike

 

75K miles is the limit for purchasing or extending the Extended Service Plan (ESP warranty).


My '08 Wide Glide went 120K before needing a new top end. My '11 Limited scissored the crank at 58K.


Buying used, getting service records will tell you how well the bike was maintained which is key to it's longevity.

 

My stock 08 was still running when I upgraded to a 103 at 112,000 miles. The primary was opened a couple of times but the engine and cam chest was never touched.

If your happy with the looks of the bike, the engine sounds good and the price is right, go for it. Buying anything used is always a crap shoot. You never really now what your getting.

Personally I would stay away from anything with really low mileage for it's age. To me that means it spent most of it's time sitting in a garage and screams dry rot, internal rust and seizure. Probably has the original tires on it.

Good luck and I hope you select a great bike. Can't go wrong with a Road King or Ultra. I have one of each!!

 

Good stuff guys!! Keep it coming, when looking at used bikes are the service records available via the HD dealer network if the service was done at a HD dealer?

 

Some great buys out there. Get the extended warranty and ride and enjoy.

Had 56k on 2010 Ultra with 96. Zero engine issues.

 

I fear you may get very different replies to that question, but worth asking. Some dealers throw away any paperwork they receive from customers who part exchange, even the owners manual FFS! There's a mountain of discarded useful info out there, blowin' in the wind.....

 

I have a 2009 Electra Glide Classic, 96 motor bought new, with 64000 miles on her. Stage 1 upgrade and RC Componets exhaust changed all fluids according to moco recommendations. She sounds and feels like a new bike. My point is maintenance is the key not the mileage. Search the forum for recalls and service bulletins for the 09 touring bikes. There were a few that are very important (gas tank bolts, rear brake, kick stand aka jiffy stand, ...). Ask the seller if any of these issues were addressed, if not you may be responsible to have them fixed. The good news is the fix isn't that expensive.

 

When you buy from an individual.....maintenance records and a general observation of how he keeps his vehicles/toys.

If you know the location/s that the bike was kept, you can call the individual Harley dealerships with the VIN and get any records.

Of course a Carfax would help with insurance claims, title info and vehicle locations.

Maintenance is key....I would buy up to 50 k miles probably....maybe more if I knew the history/builds/maintenance of the bike.....and I liked it.

There are many low mile bikes available, under 20k miles though.....

 

I was told that dealers can't legally disclose service records to secondary owners. That was told me by a San Diego dealer that did service and upgrades for the original owner of my Ultra. I did get the personal records from the second owner but he didn't have anything from the original owner. I am the third owner.