There's two bikes I'm looking at. Both have between 7,500-8,700 miles and are still very much stock. Do you think it's safe buying a bike this old? Any general info I should be concerned with? Anything with this model/year in particular I should be concerned with?

Have a buddy who rides with a few guys that have the old FXDX and they are still going strong with 50k miles so that was a good endorsement...

 

Dyna's are great bikes, I had a 03 Super Glide. I would ask about the inner cam bearings to see if the owner knows if they were ever checked/changed? In 99 the cam bearings were ball type bearings, Harley changed the design to roller style in the latter part of 2000. Another area to check is the cam chain tensioner shoes for excess wear. Don't let any of that deter you, just check them as you want piece of mind. Also, would be good to get all maintenance records from the owner and as the bike is 18 years since it rolled off the assembly line I would replace the fork oil, brake fluid, plugs, wires, check the date on the tires, expect to change the engine, primary, and transmission fluids. And inspect and check the drive belt tension. Once you have the bike serviced keep it that way and it should go for many, many, miles!

More about the FXDX

https://www.motorcyclecruiser.com/mo...er-glide-sport

 

 

I had similar concerns when I bought my very stock '01 FXDXT with 3400 miles on it. (About 4 years ago).

short answer: nothing to be afraid of if you don't mind doing some minor tinkering and maintenance items (especially if it hasn't been ridden much or actively maintained).
Already mentioned is the well-known cam tensioner issue. Likely hasn't been addressed on something with 8-9k unless it's had recent cams or something, but maybe you'll get lucky. (I've got 13k on mine now with no issue, but plan to address it soon).

Most of the items needing attention on mine were due to lack of use. Tires, all fluids (eng, primary, trans, brake fluid flush, forks), carb rebuild, old fuel line, old tank vent line, cable lube, gunked up fuse connectors... general maintenance items and stuff that degrades over time or from sitting, but all quite easy. At this point, would have had no problem leaving it and riding it that way for a long time with just periodic maintenance and some carb tinkering here and there.

A few more things have popped up since. The front motor mount is getting soft (going with a Predator), I get a bit of rockerbox breather vent smell and the occasional puke (known issue for either mid-00 to mid-01 or mid-01 to mid-02, I forget) so I need to replace the plastic umbrella valve housings with upgraded metal housings. Nothing major.

Outside of those items, the amount of upgrades that you can do, from small tweaks to major changes, never ends. I think the pre-03 88ci is a very good platform to work off of. I also think the FXDX/T is probably the best Dyna ever, but everybody has their opinion. If the suspension is all stock and nothing has been too molested, you'd have a really cool platform to start with.

If you are the "I don't want mess with it I just want to ride it" type, you might consider something a bit newer with FI and no cam tensioner issue, like a Low Rider S.

Just my $.02. Let us know what you do.

-G

 

I bought my 2000 FXDX about three or four years ago. I think it had about 14,000 miles on it at the time, and I'm the second owner. It was aesthetically completely stock, although it had some very nicely done engine upgrades performed in it's first couple of years. The original owner had succumbed to cancer about six months earlier, and his wife and a close family member had finally decided to sell it. I just lucked into it on Craigslist. Some people may not give you the same answer, but I have no fear of age when it comes to vehicles. 2000 was a very good year for these bikes. Brakes and suspension were improved from '99, and the crank was still robust. The fact that you're looking at bikes that are largely stock is a big plus ( I think), since you aren't at the mercy of someone else's taste and skill. The main mechanical weakpoint (as everyone points out) is the spring tensioners. Some people have gotten a lot of mileage out of them, some haven't. Since they're prone to brittleness as well as wear, I think age is potentially as much as enemy as mileage. in fact, I wouldn't be surprised if more use postpones the onset of brittleness. You'll want to look at them soon after buying the bike.

Otherwise, I think you'll find a 2000 FXDX to be reliable, robust, a solid platform to make your own, and a joy to ride. I have for three years. My bike is super versatile... Sometimes I commute on it, sometimes I clip on the Leatherpros bags and take off for a few days, sometimes it's just a great little local hotrod. But I've never had any kind of issue stemming from "buying a bike that old."

 

Mine on the day I bought it:

 

 

I actually did a couple hundred highway miles yesterday. I've wondered how different the 6-Speeds are on the highway, but I don't know the answer. I've been meaning to look at gear ratios... I'm not sure whether 6th is similar to our 5th but the ratios are closer before top gear, or whether 6th is taller that my 5th. According to my gauges, my motor spins about 3800/3900 rpm at 90 MPH, and about 3500 at 80. My odometer ended up a half mile behind the mile markers over a 45 mile stretch, which I think indicates a pretty accurate speedo.

 

The best I've been able to determine is that top gear is 1:1 for both transmissions. I've seen a few places that said there were some overdrive 6 speeds from MoCo but I haven't been able to confirm years or models equipped.


Regarding OP's question about elastomer condition with age...it varies widely depending on environment. Sun (UV), heat, ozone (air pollution), etc all accelerate aging. Rubber/plastic in Los Angeles deteriorates much faster than it does here in rural Ohio. I like to carefully inspect all plastic/rubber on older vehicles before pressing them into critical service. (I don't worry around town, but I want some warm feeling before going on a road trip.)

Assuming the bike has sat unused and neglected, the entire fuel system should be rebuilt, in my opinion.

The rest of the rubber is a crap shoot, but I'd be prepared to replace some mounts and fork seals within a year or two. They may or may not actually fail, but best to be prepared.

 

Like F86 I sometimes wonder if 6th gear would be nice, but I've heard the 5 speeds are stronger so that's what I tell myself. I roll right around 80 because that's the sweet spot to avoid the blow-by / puking issue I've mentioned, but once I fix that I expect I won't have any problem running longer distance at 90.

-G