Why avoid high mileage Dyna's?
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Tourer
Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 256
Likes: 29
Why avoid high mileage Dyna's?
Seems like motorcycles with 20k miles or more are considered high mileage. My 2012 Dyna has 40K miles and she still runs like a champ. One of my coworkers is up to 120K on his 03.
What would you consider high mileage on Harley's built 2010 and after? Any one here with 100k miles on their bikes? What year?
What would you consider high mileage on Harley's built 2010 and after? Any one here with 100k miles on their bikes? What year?
Outstanding HDF Member
Joined: Mar 2015
Posts: 2,840
Likes: 900
From: Philly Suburbs
Mileage is pretty irrelevant to me, but good ownership history is important. With cars or bikes, I prefer something that has been used regularly and maintained well, over something that's sat a lot without use.
Road Master
Joined: Dec 2016
Posts: 855
Likes: 156
The same reason you avoid high mileage anything? Vehicles have parts that slowly deteriorate or breakdown- whether from regular use, age, the elements, neglect etc etc.
A car with 200k on the clock is not going to be in the same condition as the same car with 20k on the clock.
This is a very silly thread...
A car with 200k on the clock is not going to be in the same condition as the same car with 20k on the clock.
This is a very silly thread...
Road Master
Joined: Sep 2016
Posts: 1,048
Likes: 492
From: Heart of Georgia
Depends on the price and maintenance history. I have a couple of friends whose Dynas are pushing 150k. I wouldn’t hesitate to buy either one of those bikes if the price was right. They’ve both been properly maintained and not abused, which is why they’re still going strong.
Grand HDF Member
Joined: Nov 2018
Posts: 4,607
Likes: 3,312
From: Virginia
Well with all the low mileage garage queens out there why buy a high mileage bike?
I just brought home a 2000 Dyna Convertible last night. One owner bike with 14000 miles on it. All maintenance records tons of extra chrome on the bike always garaged inside. The bike was the old guys baby.
I paid half of Kelly Blue book for it. With bikes like that around why pay the same price for one with 50-60k miles on it?
So I'm not going to avoid a high mileage Dyna. But I'm damn sure not going to pay top dollar for one.
I just brought home a 2000 Dyna Convertible last night. One owner bike with 14000 miles on it. All maintenance records tons of extra chrome on the bike always garaged inside. The bike was the old guys baby.
I paid half of Kelly Blue book for it. With bikes like that around why pay the same price for one with 50-60k miles on it?
So I'm not going to avoid a high mileage Dyna. But I'm damn sure not going to pay top dollar for one.
Last edited by VAFish; Nov 15, 2019 at 07:34 AM.
Road Master
Joined: Sep 2015
Posts: 1,020
Likes: 130
From: Vancouver
Well with all the low mileage garage queens out there why buy a high mileage bike?
I just brought home a 2000 Dyna Convertible last night. One owner bike with 14000 miles on it. All maintenance records tons of extra chrome on the bike always garaged inside. The bike was the old guys baby.
I paid half of Kelly Blue book for it. With bikes like that around why pay the same price for one with 50-60k miles on it?
So I'm not going to avoid a high mileage Dyna. But I'm damn sure not going to pay top dollar for one.
I just brought home a 2000 Dyna Convertible last night. One owner bike with 14000 miles on it. All maintenance records tons of extra chrome on the bike always garaged inside. The bike was the old guys baby.
I paid half of Kelly Blue book for it. With bikes like that around why pay the same price for one with 50-60k miles on it?
So I'm not going to avoid a high mileage Dyna. But I'm damn sure not going to pay top dollar for one.
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Extreme HDF Member
Joined: Jun 2014
Posts: 11,448
Likes: 2,299
From: NW Ohio
I just got out of a truck with 460,000 miles on it and got into another with 260,000. Both are dead reliable.
I've never sold a vehicle that had less than 250,000 miles on it. It's always rust that kills stuff around here.
I've never sold a vehicle that had less than 250,000 miles on it. It's always rust that kills stuff around here.
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Tourer
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 307
Likes: 108
I'd use mileage to drive down the price but I'm a mechanic. Most modern HD buyers are aging boomer posers (aging boomer here, not a poser) who barely ride their machines then sell them when they're bored, and the real danger is from sitting in poor conditions vs. clean dry storage. I look at condition and I bring a compression tester no matter what year a used bike may be. I've over 100K on my Evo but that's expected of any Evo. Plenty of TC engines go that high but "plenty" is relative to the vast majority which are not ridden much. 40K is young for any modern HD engine unless the owner was a moron.
Check oil and transmission lube for moisture (if it looks like coffee or snot, run away or if you wrench knock that price down hard) and eyeball everything carefully for corrosion beyond reach of casual detailing on any bike you buy. Insist the owner leave it cold so you can watch it start and look for blue smoke (=oil burning) or black smoke (rich mixture). Most bikes are never worn out and die of neglect.
It's a buyers market so you can afford to be picky and Dynas aren't in high demand. Most buyers want Softails or baggers so if you like Dynas take full advantage. If buying to hot rod I'd want to save money since I'd be gutting the cases anyway. My line would be "Well, it's high mileage but I don't have much money..." then use the low mileage bikes to drive down the higher mileage bike price. I always go shopping in cold blood. The seller is free to reject any offer and there's plenty of other Harleys.
Check oil and transmission lube for moisture (if it looks like coffee or snot, run away or if you wrench knock that price down hard) and eyeball everything carefully for corrosion beyond reach of casual detailing on any bike you buy. Insist the owner leave it cold so you can watch it start and look for blue smoke (=oil burning) or black smoke (rich mixture). Most bikes are never worn out and die of neglect.
It's a buyers market so you can afford to be picky and Dynas aren't in high demand. Most buyers want Softails or baggers so if you like Dynas take full advantage. If buying to hot rod I'd want to save money since I'd be gutting the cases anyway. My line would be "Well, it's high mileage but I don't have much money..." then use the low mileage bikes to drive down the higher mileage bike price. I always go shopping in cold blood. The seller is free to reject any offer and there's plenty of other Harleys.
Grand HDF Member
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 4,556
Likes: 1,844
From: Albuquerque, NM
Well with all the low mileage garage queens out there why buy a high mileage bike?
I just brought home a 2000 Dyna Convertible last night. One owner bike with 14000 miles on it. All maintenance records tons of extra chrome on the bike always garaged inside. The bike was the old guys baby.
I paid half of Kelly Blue book for it. With bikes like that around why pay the same price for one with 50-60k miles on it?
So I'm not going to avoid a high mileage Dyna. But I'm damn sure not going to pay top dollar for one.
I just brought home a 2000 Dyna Convertible last night. One owner bike with 14000 miles on it. All maintenance records tons of extra chrome on the bike always garaged inside. The bike was the old guys baby.
I paid half of Kelly Blue book for it. With bikes like that around why pay the same price for one with 50-60k miles on it?
So I'm not going to avoid a high mileage Dyna. But I'm damn sure not going to pay top dollar for one.
Yepper. Worth repeating again. In 40 years (where the hell did all that time go?) all I've ever bought is garage queens.