Looking to go get this FXR tonight? Couple of questions as I ride a fatty and I am also completely unfamiliar with these bikes! I know a lot of people swear by them, but please help me out

a) any major problems or concerns to look for?
b) how do i tell what model designation this is?
c) it is a chain drive, were all of them?

I can pick up for what i believe is a good price well under 5k... he says over the phone it runs and drives great, so what else should i check out??

Thanks!

 

I thought '85 and on was belt drive, but I may be wrong. More knowledgeable guys will provide better information, but remember the basics: ask him to leave it stone cold before you go look at it (and verify by asking then checking the warmth of the jugs). "How long have you had it? What have you done? What did you want to do to it if you were going to keep it?" Check base gaskets for seeping or for evidence of a fresh degrease. A little wetness isn't a big deal. The points/cam cover's been off...see if he knows if the motor is stock. How many miles are on it?

Bike looks really clean. The paint style appears older (something popular in the 90s, maybe 2000s), which IMO is good...if it's been kept nicely for all these years, it was probably not abused. Again, my pure opinions since nobody else has chimed in yet.

Great looking bike, I'd swap out the turn signals to the smaller ones and rock it as it sits.

 

Model Designation should at least be on the registration. If he doesn't have the registration you may need to worry about it being stolen (Not always).

85 was the first FXR Belt Drive if I'm not mistaken (and I very well could be) so it may be a chain conversion, but that is not too bad. Many people convert newer bikes to chains for their repairability and easy modification of gear ratios. It will be very noisy and require a bit of lubing every now and then, but it wouldn't stop me from getting an FXR with a Thunderheader.

As for what to look for: the frame is very important-look for cracks or welds that look shoddy. I'm quite picky about bikes so I will get nervous if it doesn't start on the first try or if it has laydown scratches, but not everybody worries about that. Most things you could fix if your buying the bike for a good price.

That all being said, it looks like it has been very well taken care of and has some smart modifications (Particularly the exhaust). And the FXR was one of Harley's best handling bikes. Good luck with it and I hope some of that helped.

 

Wakko is on the money and beat me by minutes! Also, VERY good idea to ask about motorwork and ask if you can call him in the future with any questions about the bike. Last thing you need is to get in a mood to modify it and have to crack it open to find out what you have in there.