Coming to conclusion that its going to be a bit hard to find that particular bike.
 

I been watching online and looking on craigslist as a dry run for when I buy my next bike next year. I tell ya I am seeing it's going to be a bit of a challenge. Our criteria is short but I going to make sure what I get is what I am going to stick with.

Here's the list we both agreed on:
a. Its has to be Road King.
b. Only 1994-1997 accepted. No FI.
c. I want it to be blue if possible.
d. Naked bike only. I seen a couple with fairings on. Just not my style.
e. No major mechanical issues. We can deal with minor and cosmetic.
f. Cannot be over $9,000. Under 9k is better.
g. Must be in 150 miles of the city we live in. No one is to drive our cars to help get it.


The first 4 (a-f) are my choice. Even though I like to get one with leather saddle bags, that's optional. I can add one later if I cant find one with them already installed with a little sweet talking with the woman.

The last 3 (e-g) are the OL "stipulations". If she going to help pay for it and bring it home, I have to agree to her term or deals off. (Sorry guys she pays 1/3 of house bills(mortgage,water and lights, I pay the rest) so she gets a say in any major purchases.)

The one part that's not helping is (g) as there not a lot of choices here. Honestly I cant see her prob with having my little bro drive my car back.He not able to get a job till he get a judgment on his case from the accident (lawyer advised or he loses the case). I think sh!t hit the fan when I mentioned the idea to her. I told her he'd be right behind me on the way home but she didn't want to her any more about it.

Like I said, just been looking just to see how easy its going to be to find what we are looking for. Turns out not very at all, not with this list.

FYI~
Harley changed frames on the FL's in 1997. For seats and other frame mounted stuff, this makes a difference.

Please elaborate, cause I wasn't aware of this. Is this change going to make it hard to find the saddle bag I want?

Sounds like you may be waiting awhile to get a scoot.... Why the no FI? I ran an '05 FXST for 10 years with FI and the FI was solid, never caused me a lick of trouble.

Not looking foward to having to take the bike to a dealership if something goes wrong with the FI. Also there are less people with knowledge to fix an FI bike than carbed. Just dont want the headache.

Some how I have a suspicion I may have to give up on somethings I want on the list. However getting the OL to budge may be tricky unless I can prove that I can't find something that she would approve of in our area.

I bought a new 1996 (back in 1995) Roadking. Fuel injected (first year.) While shopping for a "King/Queen" saddle, I was informed that HD was changing the frame for 1997MY on touring bikes. I had a helluva time finding a new saddle that was for the "last year" of the 1996 bikes. That was a great bike for touring, but I rarely rode it as my Dyna Superglide was/is a lot more fun. When I rode the RK, I felt as if I were perched on a fence. The Dyna made me feel as if I were sitting "in" the bike, rather than perched precariously on top. Sold the RK after 5 years and only 12,000 miles. Still have my 1995 Dyna with considerably more miles...

Man I was once considering a Dyna but after hearing stories how they not as comfy on long distance rides I gave up on the idea and aimed for a RK. I rather wanted something that can be use as general purpose,just hope I dont regret that decision. Cause this is a one time last time buy.

http://sandiego.craigslist.org/csd/mcy/4919781794.html

Its got blue in it. The only thing it isn't is close to you. Fly out to Cali for a little vacation with the wife and ride it home. :D

Dude I found the bike that exactly wanted but the wife said HELL NO!!! cause it was in New Orleans. So I had to pass.

First of all, why are you letting the OL tell you what you can & can't do? If you're gonna be a Harley guy, you gotta grow a pair. Tell her "My brother is driving my car. End of discussion". And, instead of letting her pay for part of it, I would take out her portion of the payment in a loan & pay for it yourself. Otherwise she'll be constantly browbeating you on what you can & can't do with it. Remember, women need to bitch & nag, otherwise they back up & explode! Trust me on THIS one even if you don't take any of my other advice!

2nd. I used to be a "carb only" guy till I got an EFI bike. They are way more reliable,and just push the button & go; no choke, no dirty or clogged jets,no farting,burping,coughing,etc. And, once it's tuned, it's tuned. Nothing changes. Only disadvantage is you can't lower the idle to get the "potato" sound, but the trade off is worth it--how much time do you spend at idle anyway? And, I've never known 1 person to have any trouble with EFI, other than dialing it in the very first tune. Never known 1 to fail. Just DO NOT buy a pre-02 EFI with the Magnetti-Morelli EFI system; impossible to tune & forget about getting parts. Stick with the Delphi EFI. The MM system has 2 fuel lines coming out of the tank; the Delphi has 1. And, if you are really stuck on a carb, you can get a carbed bike up to '06.

3. For the kinda bux you can spend, you can get a TwinCam, prolly up to '06. The Evos are nice, but you get less power, and you may have trouble getting certain parts. And, Evos tend to leak more.

4. As far as blue, if you find something you like, it can be painted. Prolly look better than a 15-20 YO paint job anyway.

5. Dunno where you got the idea that techs know more about carbs than EFI...some shops won't even work on carbs. EFI has come a long way in the last few years; you can buy a tuner & tune it yourself. Some guys who tune their own EFI bikes don't even know where the idle adjustment is on a carb.

1 She is hell on heels and if you cross her its like you better be checking out of North America. It will be our tax money that pays for it so no getting her out of that one. On small detail I have gotten away with saying this is how it is and deal with it. It just dont work when are talking about something more than 100 bucks. She is notorious for not forgetting something I did wrong. Loves to throw it in my face many moths later.

Counter advice if you got balls and want to keep them DON'T piss off my OL. She WILL have at yours in a heartbeat and not in a good way.

2 I was always told by an old biker that you can find more mechanics that can fix carbed. It also makes me nervous if I'm many miles from home and EFI goes out then it be a one way trip to dealership. Thats what I heard

3 & 5 TC are not fixable internally also I'm told. Engine parts can be found through S & S for an EVO. Not a big power guy just as long as its mechanically sound and drives good I'm ok with less power.

4 Good point, I was think as last resort I can get it painted the way I want if I cant find one in my color.

I'd rather be able to work on my own bike than shell extra money for someone else to do it.

Your first mistake was listening to any "old biker" for advice on buying a bike. Many old bikers are resistant to change and will give you piss poor advice.

While it is true that the EVO is a better made engine than the TCs, unless you get a lemon, the TCs are very reliable. And if something should happen, there are plenty of indy mechanics that are more than capable of working on it.

As Dickey said, I don't know anyone who has had any issues with their EFI on a Harley. Running away from an EFI sounds like more stubborn and jealous advice that one should expect from crochety old bikers.

While old bikers have valuable advice for many things...if they are riding an old bike, their opinion on TCs is most likely not to be valued.

You're likely to find a very nice 02-06 RK for 9k-10k.

Good luck with the hunt.

Get yourself an 02 or 03 Road King and be done with it. I have a FI Road King and a carbed Super Glide. If you're gonna haul the wife around more than once a year get the King, there's a reason it's called the "Road King".

As far as fuel injection? Next time someone says "It'll leave you stranded", ask them to explain how Kehin CV carburetor works. When they can't describe for you the concept of differential air pressure and the venturi effect, tell them to stick to something they know. For general ridabilty, Delphi fuel injection is hard to beat.

Now somebody pointed put before the MM FI is NOT good. That is some good Intel right there. I don't remember off hand what year they changed but I'd take a look at a RK with forged crank (99 to 03 I think). Replace the tensioners and cam bearings and you're good to go.

2 I was always told by an old biker that you can find more mechanics that can fix carbed. It also makes me nervous if I'm many miles from home and EFI goes out then it be a one way trip to dealership. Thats what I heard

Not true. Almost anyone can tune an EFI nowadays with a piggyback type tuner & a laptop. There are guys that tune their own bikes, but can't change their oil or sparkplugs. No problem if something goes wrong, which it usually doesn't.

3 & 5 TC are not fixable internally also I'm told. Engine parts can be found through S & S for an EVO. Not a big power guy just as long as its mechanically sound and drives good I'm ok with less power.

Again not true. Dunno who you're asking, but my TC has been apart twice; once to reseal the cases, & one for some mods like cams. I know a lot of things can't be repaired nowadays, like plasma TVs & such, but Harleys ain't one of them. AND...while some aftermarket parts are available for Evo motors, you will have a hard time finding things like sheet metal, switches seats,electrical stuff, trim,hardware,even turn signal lenses (ask me how I know THAT one!) I know a guy who waited 1 1/2 years for a MM fuel pump, and another who still can't find certain brake components for his Evo heritage. And...why settle for less power when you can have more for the same $$?

While it is true that the EVO is a better made engine than the TCs

Again...I have had several of each, & I can tell you...Evos are great motors, but they had their share of problems, too. Evos up to '92 had problems with cases cracking around the lifter blocks for no reason, hot motors would kick back when starting & take out the starter & starter drive, the drive train wasn't as stable because the engine & tranny weren't bolted together, they vibrated like a paint shaker at Lowe's,they've been know to break cases at the motor mounts, and they leaked or wept practically every where 2 pieces of metal came together. Sometimes they came out of the factory with porous cases; the oil would actually leak through the metal. And stock, they were dogs outta the hole. Also, remember something else. During the Evo days, almost no one had internet, so you didn't hear or read about all the problems they were having. Neither my TC's OR my Evos gave me many problems, & any I had weren't serious or engine related. AND...many dealerships won't even work on Evos; you're stuck going to an indy, and many just aren't up to the standards of dealerships.

What Colorido said was correct--bikers are generally a conservative, old skool bunch who don't readily embrace new ideas. I'm the worst of the bunch. Back in '05 when I had my carbed NightTrain, you couldn't GIVE me a touring bike with EFI. But, after owning several EFI bikes, I don't think I could go back. I DO miss the sound, however.


She is notorious for not forgetting something I did wrong. Loves to throw it in my face many months later.

That's one thing I absolutely HATE & will not tolerate from a woman; it seems they must bitch & get mad, otherwise they will back up & explode. AND...if you haven't done anything to make them mad at you lately, they will pick something you did last week,month,year,decade,century,whatever, & throw it in your face, just so they can start a fight. One of the reasons my last GF dumped me--when the mouth started bitchin' I said "C YA" & went home.

Reading this post has me hearing banjos playing... WTF?

Well this is the site you should be on to fined that bike. Nationalpowersports.net
I think you will like it good luck . There's 4 blue RKs under 9 grand and they ship bikes cheap to.

You may want to consider a Dyna Wide Glide. I have on '06. It seems roomier than the other Dynas of that generation.

I put a Mustang seat and a Memphis Shades Drop Top windshield on mine. I have ridden 8 hours in one day and felt fine afterwards.

I would pick a 2007 or 2008 for the following reasons.

In '06 the bike received a major re-design that improved the chassis and suspension. It also added a 6 speed transmission. The 6 speed is notorious for having problems that first year and I experienced the problem. Harley actually replaced the trans for a $100 administrative fee. (That is one reason Harley riders keep buying Harleys - customer support)

In '07 the TC88 was replaced with a TC96.

Best wishes in your search.

Looks like you listen to allot of bad advice from so called "old bikers" who are afraid of what they don't know..
Sounds like you really can't afford one anyway if you need your woman's income to pay for it... Your relationship goes south and your without a bike, seen that before she'll either sell it or be riding on it with her new man :icon_fryingpan:

Same here... :icon_screwy:

I think the leather bags only came on the rkc. I also think this is sold as the flhrc-i which came out in 1998 so your ninety seven cut off year will not yield your search results. The classic is, could be wrong, a fuel injected only model.

We've all got suggestions and opinions as to what "your" perfect scooter should be, however I think you're missing the boat by not considering the newer chassis ( introduced in 2009 ). While it's not "state of the art" it is considerably much more sophisticated and stable than previous years ( I've had several earlier models that couldn't hold a curve to the newer set ups ) . Also the "crab is the only way to go mentality" is flawed. You'll probably find more service facilities able to diagnose and repair an EFI unit today than a carburetor ( sad but true ) .... Good Luck with your search

First, I was set on a Road King. Find and sit on a bunch of bikes, window shop at the dealers if you have to. I saw one I fell in love with, sat on it, and it was so uncomfortable I couldn't even take it for a test ride. There went my set on a Road King mentality.
EFI vs Carb??? Don't really know. Got an old Ironhead with an S&S Super E on it, that carb is finicky. Just got my new bike with the EFI, only put a couple hundred miles on it so far, it works so far, no problems. From my experience nowadays, the good carb guys are a dying breed, EFI is taking over. I'll bet more techs nowadays are more fluent in EFI than they are in Carb.
Lastly, my OL ain't gonna dictate what I ride, when I ride, she ain't gonna throw up months old crap in my face just to be a bitch and argue, or dictate what I can and cannot do with my family. life's too short to put up with a bitch of an OL.
And the brother, tell him to get to work, if he is not working on the advice of his lawyer and not on the advice of a doctor, it's probably one of those "in a wreck, get a check" type BS lawsuits.

Ok so now I am confused then. Then is the TC not considered rebuildable then?

hike up your panties and ask your OL lol

Good luck with the RK search; great bikes. Sorry about your OL issues; other models are available. Both situations are fixable.

I just bumped the thread I started to sell my dad's bike.

Absolutely nothing wrong with the bike. My dad is 71 and is damn near blind in his right eye due to cataracts and surgery at the veteran's administration for it being botched. The vision in his left eye isn't very good either, so that's the only reason he is selling his metallic blue road king.

Shoot me a pm if you can't find the thread to at least have a look.

Along with bike shopping problems, you got severe math issues too :icon_tongue:

It's no wonder you're confused ... I'm confused by your confusion

Finding a bike seems to be the least of your worries. I'm not sure you're going to find a bike that meets both her criteria and yours. Then again, I'm not sure you're gonna find one that won't lead to problems with her in the future.

If every man did exactly what wifey demands there would be a lot fewer harleys on the road today.

OP check your man card sometimes you just have to do what you gotta do and deal with her later.

Perhaps the best advice in the entire thread right here.

I just now flat out told her I ain't getting a bike for her. I understand the budget limit but I ain't going to find what I want just confined to a limited area. If I have drive 500 miles to get it so be it. She not happy about it but I told she needs to just get over it. We ain't like rich or in an area where it opportunityville where can find anything you want.

Your right, you ain't exactly in sticksville but you can see it from the porch :icon_teeth:

My dad used to always say that it's better to ask for forgiveness than to ask for permission (or was it better to ask for permission...I'm confused). Bwahahahahahahahaha.

Just as an aside, next time, you might just want to ask your question and leave your OL out of it.

What does "if EFI goes out" mean? I've never heard of EFI "going out"

yep ... They ( EFI ) lead a very boring life

Can't argue EFI isn't reliable but you also can't argue is does box you in a bit when it comes to tinkering and garage play without the old $$$ dyno tune to get shit right again.

I mean it cutting out,dying,quits working choose which you want to use.

I can understand keeping peace in a relationship,BUT,my wife does not and will not tell me when I will wear the pants in the family,EVER.

Man, I gotta say

This has been pretty entertaining....