rebuilt used Harleys
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Road Captain
Joined: Oct 2009
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rebuilt used Harleys
I have been looking with my grandson for a used harley,we have seen several ads claiming the engine was rebuilt at 30,000 miles only 2 to 5 thousand on new top end etc... etc.... I was curious as to why so many rebuilds/ Is this nessacary or just someone blowing smoke up our asses?I just don't see why a motor would need rebuilt with that low milage unless they hardly ever changed oil or otherwise really abused the motor.
Road Warrior
Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 1,595
Likes: 8
From: Vancouver Island British Colombia Canada
There is a lot of reasons for an engine coming apart. Some years had issues with the inner cam bearings. everyone was told to pull them & switch to torrington bearings. On the twin cam engines, there was issues with the chain tensioners for the cam. A lot of guys switched to gear drive to eliminate this issue.
My 88 FLH has 50,000 miles on it. I dont run it hard & I keep the oil clean but at 22 years old it's showing a drop in compression. This winter I will pull the heads & lapp the valves to make sure they have a good seat. but if the heads are coming off, Im pulling the barrels off to replace the bottom gaskets which are both leaking oil. I will be putting upgraded gaskets in to eliminate this problem.
But now, I have the barrels off, I might as well hone them & throw on new rings while Im in there................ Do you see the chase your tail spiral effect that I am about to go through?
If you find a good bike & the price is right, Spend $50 & have a good mechanic go over it for a through report on it's condition.
Good luck, Ask lots of questions & if your looking at a bike, tell us what it is & what year. We can help you better!!!
Hatch.
My 88 FLH has 50,000 miles on it. I dont run it hard & I keep the oil clean but at 22 years old it's showing a drop in compression. This winter I will pull the heads & lapp the valves to make sure they have a good seat. but if the heads are coming off, Im pulling the barrels off to replace the bottom gaskets which are both leaking oil. I will be putting upgraded gaskets in to eliminate this problem.
But now, I have the barrels off, I might as well hone them & throw on new rings while Im in there................ Do you see the chase your tail spiral effect that I am about to go through?
If you find a good bike & the price is right, Spend $50 & have a good mechanic go over it for a through report on it's condition.
Good luck, Ask lots of questions & if your looking at a bike, tell us what it is & what year. We can help you better!!!
Hatch.
Banned
Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 3,719
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Many people buy Harleys with the idea that they are an investment, which will bring them a profit on the resale. And some others buy them as a project. Buy 'em, build 'em, sell 'em. Then there are those who simply collect bikes, never intending to put many miles on 'em...
I would suggest you check the validity of their statements, by asking who did the build and contacting the builder. If the build was done by a reputable shop, there should be records. Otherwise, just let it blow thru one ear and out the other...
I can rebuild almost any engine, or tranny. I can even show you reciepts, for parts purchased. But being as I am not a professional builder, that won't impress too many buyers. No one but me knows how proficient my skills are...
I would suggest you check the validity of their statements, by asking who did the build and contacting the builder. If the build was done by a reputable shop, there should be records. Otherwise, just let it blow thru one ear and out the other...
I can rebuild almost any engine, or tranny. I can even show you reciepts, for parts purchased. But being as I am not a professional builder, that won't impress too many buyers. No one but me knows how proficient my skills are...
Road Master
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 992
Likes: 143
From: eastern NC
The one I had was rebuilt (top end) at 33,000 miles. It had set up for a number of years and was leaking oil after being put back on the road. If you are going to change the gaskets, you may as well do rings and everything else while it is apart.
Road Captain
Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 671
Likes: 0
From: Toledo Bend Lake Texas
Rebuilds?
I have been looking with my grandson for a used harley,we have seen several ads claiming the engine was rebuilt at 30,000 miles only 2 to 5 thousand on new top end etc... etc.... I was curious as to why so many rebuilds/ Is this nessacary or just someone blowing smoke up our asses?I just don't see why a motor would need rebuilt with that low milage unless they hardly ever changed oil or otherwise really abused the motor.
You can shop around, take your time and score big on a "one owner" "garage queen" right now. The key is taking your time.
In most cases, a well cared for Harley, should require nothing more than regular maintainance for well over 50,000 mi.
Some people selling used bikes tout, "rebuilt engine" as a plus. That puts the bike into the minus side for me. Unless the rebuild is done by a trained mechanic you don't know what your buying!
It's your money, but were it me, I would rather spend time sifting thru the want ads and buying a "cherry", rather than buying some "cobbled up" piece of someone else's trouble!
Just my $.02
Last edited by Harleybass; Oct 31, 2010 at 10:16 PM.
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Road Master
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 1,203
Likes: 1
From: North Carolina
Dont make sense to me, I have a little over 62,000 miles on my 06 and aint cracked it open yet. I take very good care of my baby.
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Road Master
Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 1,243
Likes: 7
From: MN
Yup, depends on a bunch of things. When I was looking for a car as a teenager, my old man instructed me to stay away from anything rebuilt. "You don't know who did the work or what else may be worn out." Pretty good advice, I guess. Some people would put "rebuilt engine" in their ads like that was a plus. BUT...I did buy a '76 FLH in the mid 80s with a rebuild by a reputable mechanic. Total piece of crap. The bike I currently own, an '85 FXR was a remanufacture of the original engine and it runs flawlessly. Best running H-D I've ever had, including new ones. So....again, lots of variables. Boils down to who did the build.
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Road Captain
Joined: Oct 2009
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I would not let him buy one that had been rebuilt,there are too many others out there.I was just curios as to why the trend.I also am amused at the craigslist ads that have a picture of a nice bike,then at bottom of the ad says this is not actual picture but what one like it looks like.(I was born at night but not last night!)He is mostly looking at wide glide,he had a lead on a sporster but it was pretty ruff.Maybe a softail,had got a little excited looking at a vrod,being as he is 21 just home from Iraq less than 1 year,I am glad he is not looking at crotch rockets( not that they are that bad but after 2 1/2 years in Iraq we have had enough worrying about his safety for a lifetime.