Need advice/opinions
Road Captain
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 697
Likes: 583
From: Edgewater, Florida
My answer, NONE OF THE ABOVE. IF you could find a 96 cu inch Street Glide or Road Glide you would have that extra PUNCH from the motor to carry you and your wife through the mountains. There are deals to be had if you search'
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Novice
Joined: Apr 2021
Posts: 15
Likes: 16
From: BROOMFIELD, CO
I appreciate all of the info and replies. You guys are awesome! I will try to address as many of them as possible in one summary to keep things cleaner. I was well aware of the cam tensioner issue and the ‘04 RK dude had no idea what i was asking about, so that kinda scratched that one off the top. The ‘00 Police bike was just he model, never in service. That gent has all maintenance records and has his Harley mech buddy upgrade the entire FI system for him. I was not aware of the older FI issues until it was mentioned here. I had done some power research over the weekend but had not run across that. Just a matter of not knowing what to look for which is exactly the info i was looking for in this post. I have no issue wrenching on my bikes but would much rather be out riding than wrenching every month or week. As for budget, I don’t really have a financial budget to speak of. This whole saga actually started because I was going to grab another 1200 sporty as for the majority of MY riding they are perfect. I have no issue doing a couple hundred miles a day on them if needed. The wife said she may want to ride with me so I got to looking at bigger bikes and saw for the cost of a few years and a few thousand miles, I was hitting the Sporty price range. I think you have all reinforced the whole reason I posed the question here. I think I may find a decent Sporty to get me back on the road for now, pass on all of the above and keep an eye out for better big bike options. Thanks again for all the great info/advice/opinions
Advanced
Joined: Sep 2016
Posts: 67
Likes: 21
From: SoCal
Several good comments about upping your budget a little to get a 2007+ bike (2009+ is even better). You'll have a better ride with more power, get most of the additional money back when you sell the bike and may even save money in the long-haul as newer bike "should" have lower maintenance costs compared to an older bike.
Another consideration, Harley introduced ABS on some bikes starting in 2008. Having ABS would likely improve safety which, in itself, is worthwhile to many (including me). Especially 2-up where my "cargo" is much more valuable than me
.
Also as mentioned, pay attention to the age of the tires. It's usually recommended to replace motorcycle tires at 6 years not matter how much thread is left (the tires get brittle with age = less grip). New tires can add $500-$700 to the cost of a used bike and can (should) be used as a negotiating point when buying a bike.
Another consideration, Harley introduced ABS on some bikes starting in 2008. Having ABS would likely improve safety which, in itself, is worthwhile to many (including me). Especially 2-up where my "cargo" is much more valuable than me
. Also as mentioned, pay attention to the age of the tires. It's usually recommended to replace motorcycle tires at 6 years not matter how much thread is left (the tires get brittle with age = less grip). New tires can add $500-$700 to the cost of a used bike and can (should) be used as a negotiating point when buying a bike.
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Novice
Joined: Apr 2021
Posts: 15
Likes: 16
From: BROOMFIELD, CO
I agree 100%. One thing I forgot to mention about the Police RK was the rear tire was pretty roasted and I knew I would immediately have dropped the coin to replace both with wide white walls which again pushes the up front cost into a better bike range. My uncle was a life long car salesman. I called him once to ask if he had any good deals on the lot. He said a good deal is when you and I are both happy . That has always stuck with me. At the end of the day, I think i was blinded by $ signs and what appeared to be “good deals” on the surface. As I get older, I lose the patience to wrench as much as I used to. Sooooo I think I will slow down and keep looking
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 6,185
Likes: 2,134
From: W. Texas
I agree 100%. One thing I forgot to mention about the Police RK was the rear tire was pretty roasted and I knew I would immediately have dropped the coin to replace both with wide white walls which again pushes the up front cost into a better bike range. My uncle was a life long car salesman. I called him once to ask if he had any good deals on the lot. He said a good deal is when you and I are both happy . That has always stuck with me. At the end of the day, I think i was blinded by $ signs and what appeared to be good deals on the surface. As I get older, I lose the patience to wrench as much as I used to. Sooooo I think I will slow down and keep looking
Out of those 4 bikes me personally I would go after the 98 EG provided it has a carb.
But for like around 5k and in very good shape including tires and brakes.
97 98 EVO's are just solid bikes period
WP
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Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 19,982
Likes: 6,111
From: Florida
Easy answer. 2004 Road King.
Reasons: It will handle two-up well, and it's better for longer rides. It's not an early TC, so it shouldn't have too many bugs.
The Heritage would be very nice, but it's not as good for two-up or longer rides simply because it's lighter. It does look good, though. I think a Heritage looks like a motorcycle the same way a snub-nose revolver looks like a gun. It's just the way they should be.
Both the Police Road King and the '98 Electra Glide could have issues, especially if they're fuel injected. They're early TC's and will/could have the bugs that go with them.
I have no particular bias here as I own or have owned all of these.
Now that I've said this, I'm sure people will jump in and tell me why I'm wrong.
Reasons: It will handle two-up well, and it's better for longer rides. It's not an early TC, so it shouldn't have too many bugs.
The Heritage would be very nice, but it's not as good for two-up or longer rides simply because it's lighter. It does look good, though. I think a Heritage looks like a motorcycle the same way a snub-nose revolver looks like a gun. It's just the way they should be.
Both the Police Road King and the '98 Electra Glide could have issues, especially if they're fuel injected. They're early TC's and will/could have the bugs that go with them.
I have no particular bias here as I own or have owned all of these.
Now that I've said this, I'm sure people will jump in and tell me why I'm wrong.
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Jan 2011
Posts: 28,842
Likes: 16,583
From: Wisconsin, USA
I agree 100%. One thing I forgot to mention about the Police RK was the rear tire was pretty roasted and I knew I would immediately have dropped the coin to replace both with wide white walls which again pushes the up front cost into a better bike range. My uncle was a life long car salesman. I called him once to ask if he had any good deals on the lot. He said a good deal is when you and I are both happy . That has always stuck with me. At the end of the day, I think i was blinded by $ signs and what appeared to be good deals on the surface. As I get older, I lose the patience to wrench as much as I used to. Sooooo I think I will slow down and keep looking
I looked at a pre-09 Police bike when I was looking for my bike in 2010. I was told not to ride two up, on the police tire. They were thicker, because they were run flats, and riding two up could rubt he fender on the tire So you would have had to replace the tire anyway. Any tire over 8 years old should be replaced anyway, according to Dunlop. My '03 had 2k miles on it when I bought it in 2011, so I replaced the stock tires.
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Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 9,208
Likes: 374
From: Central Illinois, Between I-80 and I-74
I know this isnt one of the choices , but I would like you to look a bikes that are at least 2007 . This way your get in to a Second generation twin cam 96ci with a six speed transmission . And a good many of the bug ironed out of the first gen motor .
But if you are a good mechanic and like to work on your bikes I like to Heritage . So take your time be patient and youll find the right bike .
But if you are a good mechanic and like to work on your bikes I like to Heritage . So take your time be patient and youll find the right bike .
Check if the cam chain tensioners have been upgraded. Who did the maintenance? A lot of times a bike can look good to you, but not to an experienced mechanic. Brake calipers, motor mounts, fuel connect, stator, shift shaft seal, bottom gasket, are all repairs I have had on my '03 Ultra Classic (52k miles) which I love. The main advantage of a newer bike is a six speed transmission which is nice if you ride over 70 a lot.
I would vote for the '04 Road King in your situation. What's the mileage?
I would vote for the '04 Road King in your situation. What's the mileage?
Dyna or softail? 2007 or newer. You'll want that 6th gear.
Touring bike. 2009 or newer. All around better frame.
To get in on any of those probably means another 2K in the budget. But IMO, it's worth it. The 6 speed, The way better handling of the frame. I rode an 03 RKC for 7 years. It was a good bike. But anything 09 or newer is simply that much better. The 96 motor likes to rev. It's a pretty good lump.
I'd avoid Evos. They are killer bikes, but they also have their share of issues. Rocker Boxes. Base gaskets. Inner Primary seals. Plus, they're getting older, so unless you have another ride, or like to wrench, you probably won't be as happy as you would on a Twin Cam.
FOr an all around bike, the Road King is hard to beat. But, it's a touring bike. Not the same as riding a Dyna, or a softail. But if I were you, before dropping any coin on any of the older rides, go ride the new ones. Check out the Electra Glide Standard or the new Road King. Ride the new softails. Then ride an earlier one. In fact, ride as many as you can before you make up your mind. It all depends on what kind of riding you mostly want to do, and also, what kind of budget you have. Not just for the bike. For repairs, and other things that may pop up.
I would even suggest you try the newer Sportys out. You can pick up an earlier Sportster model with the fat front tire, like a 12-14 Custom, with a bigger tank, for not too much bread, and, they are way improved with the new rubber mounts.
But any bike you get is better than no bike at all. Although, a 15-20 ears old bike is probably going to have some things that need done no matter what, and you should factor that into the actual price before making a decision.
Touring bike. 2009 or newer. All around better frame.
To get in on any of those probably means another 2K in the budget. But IMO, it's worth it. The 6 speed, The way better handling of the frame. I rode an 03 RKC for 7 years. It was a good bike. But anything 09 or newer is simply that much better. The 96 motor likes to rev. It's a pretty good lump.
I'd avoid Evos. They are killer bikes, but they also have their share of issues. Rocker Boxes. Base gaskets. Inner Primary seals. Plus, they're getting older, so unless you have another ride, or like to wrench, you probably won't be as happy as you would on a Twin Cam.
FOr an all around bike, the Road King is hard to beat. But, it's a touring bike. Not the same as riding a Dyna, or a softail. But if I were you, before dropping any coin on any of the older rides, go ride the new ones. Check out the Electra Glide Standard or the new Road King. Ride the new softails. Then ride an earlier one. In fact, ride as many as you can before you make up your mind. It all depends on what kind of riding you mostly want to do, and also, what kind of budget you have. Not just for the bike. For repairs, and other things that may pop up.
I would even suggest you try the newer Sportys out. You can pick up an earlier Sportster model with the fat front tire, like a 12-14 Custom, with a bigger tank, for not too much bread, and, they are way improved with the new rubber mounts.
But any bike you get is better than no bike at all. Although, a 15-20 ears old bike is probably going to have some things that need done no matter what, and you should factor that into the actual price before making a decision.
Actually I'd be looking 09 and newer. Not a lot more money and a lot of improvements. (Engine, trans and frame).
