Hi all,

I'm evaluating a new ride. After losing out on an older RK, I have the opportunity now to purchase an '09 FXD from a local dealer. I thought I really wanted a RK till I test rode this Dyna. I couldn't get the stupid smile off my face. I guess it's true that some bikes just "fit" you.

Y'all helped me learn about the things to look for on the RK and I'd like to ask if you can educate me on the things to look for on a Dyna. Cosmetically this bike is set up pretty well, some chrome (including a SE fork brace) and chrome faced add-on oil cooler. It has most of the other usual suspects too, like shield, bags, sissybar, forward controls etc. For my use, commuting and the occasional longish trip with some 2up, this thing is about perfect.

I need to understand Stage 1 though. It has a short shot exhaust and SE airbox and I understand it has a tuner...not just a download. Is this a particularly good thing, or just something I'm paying for that i"ll never use? From what i"ve read the tuner must be married to the bike so that's that, but what's the big advantage over just a download? Is there a "readers digest" way to understand this stuff? FWIW, this FXD ran quite well. Smooth strong power rolling on and not at all obnoxious throttling down, nice mellow growl with no pops or backfires through VH short shots.

For an '09, it has 14k miles on it. When is mileage too much for a given year? These miles along with the addons point to probably an knowledgeable and enthusiastic PO. Bike looks good so I'm assuming it wasn't thrashed. Does style of riding matter when you evaluate a bike?

Which brings me to the whole TC chain tensioner question. Is that something to worry about? '09 have newer hydraulics right? Is there still something I should "negotiate' for before purchase...like inspection? As an HD noob, you read this stuff and start to worry...

Which brings me to the money. This bike is at a premium to most I see on ebay or cycletrader - at least as far as private owners go. Its par with what dealers seem to list at. How soft is the market at HD dealers these days?

Any things you owners would think to look for?

Thanks for putting up with the questions, most others I've gotten answered via the search feature. These are the remainders...

 

The bike sounds nice, the only thing that sounds out of place is having short shots with the high performance parts that have been added. I have short shots on mine too and when I mentioned a stage 1, and cams the first thing that was recommended was changing the exhaust. As far as the miles go, the more miles you have the closer you are to some engine work. 14k on an 09 means that it was a commuter and probably serviced well.

 

Welcome aboard ... the feel of a bike can really communicate a lot ... sounds like a good start ...

Sounds nice ... did you snap a cell phone pic or anything ...? There's a saying on here, if you haven't seen it before ...

... we're all about getting a good look ...

Stage I = (i) free flowing Air Cleaner (sometimes "A/C"), (ii) free flowing exhaust (can be full exhaust or 'slip on' mufflers), and (iii) a EFI tuner that will adjust the Air-Fuel Ratio (or "AFR") to be optimal for the additional air flow introduced by (i) and (ii) ... this also typically lowers the AFR (or increases the amount of fuel over stock setting) ... as the effect of this is to provide (at the least a modest) increase in torque and power output it may or may not cause an incidental decrease in fuel economy ....

It depends on what tuner the bike has, whether or not it must be married to the bike ... my understanding is that is true of the Screamin' Eagle Performance Super Tuner (SEPST or whatever it's currently 'designated' by the MoCo) ... not sure about the other brands ....

I don't believe the aftermarket tuners are necessarily 'married' to the bike ... some may have changed ... I haven't been in the market for a while ....

The big difference is that a tuner can be dyno tuned to the specific setup of the bike ... a download is just that, a set of electrons that is pre-set, and may just be a good approximation of what your bike really needs ... of course, this does not mean that your bike was actually dyno tuned--many of the tuners start with an equivalent to a download ....

I'd say it is a good sign that your test ride experience was good ... that whether the tuner has a 'canned' map or a dyno tuning, it runs smooth and powerful and doesn't pop on decel ....

Depending on when the bike entered circulation, that only equates to between ~5,000 - 7,000 mi per year ... that is a pretty decent amount of riding (doesn't appear to be a 'garage ornament') ... but, in my view, that doesn't seem to be excessive ... bike's motor is just broken in ... I don't see the mileage as a problem ... I suppose it's up to you ... and you may find some other opinions ....

With the relatively low miles on a hydraulic system, I would not be worried in the least about the tensioner shoes ....

Not sure about what kind of deal it is ... if you say it's rich, just offer them what you think is a fair price (what you're willing to do if they say 'yes') ... you might take a look at comparables on e-bay or craigslist or cycletrader, etc and come in somewhere below the asking price that fits your budget ... see what they say ....

Always remember, there's another bike out there that will probably make you just as happy ...

Good luck and welcome aboard ... you'll love the Dyna ....

R/
'Chop

 

It seems like a nice bike that has some add ons that you like. You didn't mention the price, which is part of the equation for most of us. However since it's not something rare or special you might do better shopping around for a deal and set it up the way you want it. There are plenty of low mile FXD's on the market to choose from.

 

I would ask if the bike was a trade and ask to see service records, that would give you an idea how well it was treated and if there had been any major problems with it, maybe the PO's name and phone #. And like others said......its not the only one out there..