Depends on what it is worth to you...if he guaranteed the motor, he could get that much for the motor alone on ebay.

 

If it has the original 1989 transmission I would expect some aggravation. That was the last year with the tapered main shaft. With that big engine I would suspect that it's been ridden pretty hard. If you're in for some knuckle busting and parts hunting then get it. If you tolerance for aggravation is low, pass..

 

Well you can check a few things to make you feel better. Will the motor turn over as it is right now? As in open the primary and use a breaker bar to turn it over since it isn't in a starting state I assume.

Swapping tranny cases is no biggie as one of our friends had a similar issue on his 87 with the pivot bolt requiring lots of machining to repair. Doesn't mean it was run hard. Means it is getting old and needs more maintenance done regularly to keep it up as it has sat more than run with only 30k on it.

Lots depends on how it was stored and what you feel like doing to it. It's only nuts and bolts and anything you buy may require a pretty good going over before you're all warm and fuzzy with it. Wheel bearings/seals/tires and doing the front forks service will go a long way in getting her in shape.

This would get you acquainted very well with your new scoot if you go down this path.

 

Not sure how it works in your neck of the woods, but with the replacement S&S motor, that bike becomes a Special Construction motorcycle and is no longer considered an HD here in California. Blue tag goes on the motor and the frame.

 

The more I hear about y'alls DMV laws the more I'm glad I don't live there!!!

In Texas if the Vin number on the frame starts with 1HD then it is a harley no matter what else has been done to it.

 

Forgot to mention that the guts/gears have already been swapped into a new case by a local shop so that's all squared away. Owner had asked the same shop to contact him if a used swing arm ever came through there and they never called. He bought himself a trike and never looked back from the sound of it. I should just need a swing arm, bushings and a pivot shaft to make it whole. Getting it back on the road is another story...

 

Bike was / is stored on a roll around stand and fuel tank was drained. Other than that it was just in an old garage. All of the smaller parts are in milk crates. As far as I know here in Iowa it doesn't matter if the motor and frame serial numbers match, it's still considered an HD.

 

By the time you get this bike right, you will have spent as much as if you would have bought a decent complete running bike.

I would be suspicious about everything on this bike, for all you know it could be just a collection of cast off parts.

 

On the plus side once he finishes he will know everything on his bike is in the best possible condition.

There is always something wrong with a 20 year old bike.
Just ask Calamity Joe.

 

That's my take on it too.

Given the choice of buying one running in fair to decent shape or buying something this close to running and needing help, I'd buy this one.

To me it is much more fun to get it back into better shape starting with a project just needing the "want to" that's required to get it wrapped up.

All of this is subject to change if it is a crappy deal though and eyeballin it is the only way to really know what ya got.

Griz