Good evening my friends. I found what I believe is a sweet deal on a 2008 Ultra Classic at my local dealer. I was just in to buy a gacket for my FX and it caught my eye. It has 27K on it, bone stock, got them down to $12,999 from $15,100, which i thought was kinda good, (what do you think?). KBB gives retail at $16,500, so that makes me think it may be a good buy. Anyway, my question is this, what are the most prevelant problems with this model bike?? I know the OEM inner cam bearings would be coming out as soon as I got it home. What about the stories about the OEM compensator?? Any other areas of interest on these bikes?? Thanks in advance for your replys.

 

Make sure you allow for mileage when looking up KBB. Not saying 27K is a lot but you can find some real low mileage bikes. Shame it is bone stock, a lot of people throw a lot of money in their bikes and don't get the money back out at trade in. It'd be nice to hear you were getting some nice goodies. 'Course it might be nice to know nobody has screwed around with it.

It is the last year b4 the frame change and everybody really wants the frame change starting in 2009, along with the wider rear tire. That is probably helping to bring the price down. I think it's a great bike and it sounds like a good price.

Keep us up to date...

 

What all did they change as far as frame and tire size go??

 

The frame went to a 2 piece design. It is what allowed for a factory Trike. It can also allow for a wider swingarm. Stock swingarm is already wider allowing for a stock 180 rear and some guys put 200's on. If you are height challenged the new frame also allows you to lower seat height 3 inches. In addition to that the new frame has 4 rubber mounts instead of 3 and lastly it is supposed to be a much more solid ride as some report the previous frame had a bit of a wobble at certain speeds in certain corners.

If you had that wobble it can be fixed with True Track. '08 has a lot of things to it's credit though. It has the 6-spd, it has the 6 gallon tank, it has TBW, and it might have ABS.

 

A lot... But if I saw a good deal on an 08 - I'd take it.
I've been kinda looking and the 'best' I've seen was an 08' Ultra for $14 or an 07' Ultra for $12.5

 

The "wobble", wow.
http://www.kpho.com/story/14896060/s...bble-5-16-2011
Found that after reading your post. Maybe I need to contact the previous owner before I jump into this?? Thanks for that bit of info.

 

it has TBW

I would consider that a major disadvantage--would NOT own a TBW bike. Too many glitches, and the lag makes the ride very unenjoyable. I want cables attatched to my gas.

13 large is a tad high for the mileage, IMHO. You can do better, & I would definitely NOT buy used from a dealer.

 

Why not buy used from a dealer??

 

While I can't speak to the '08 Ultra, I do own an '08 SG and the frames are the same.

Being a 'senior' rider I don't ride with my *** on fire anymore so the issue with the wobble has not been a problem with my '08 frame, it feels solid. I would be the first to complain if it made me uneasy.

As far as TBW I have zero complaints. I first experenced this in a boat with twin engines and going from hard cables to wire guided was a change and it took some getting use to. Not difficult at all, two or three times out and I never noticed it again. To me, the bike was even less noticeable and I have had no problems with it.

As others have said there are many used bikes on the market now and some with much less miles, although I would not let 27K be a deal breaker if the price was right.

Good Luck and enjoy your search...

 

Wobble is no reason to be scared away from the bike and it is no reason to talk to the previous owner. (although I can think of general reasons to talk to the previous owner) This wobble is not an '08 issue. It is an issue for pretty much all year touring bikes previous to '09, and some with '09's have actually claimed a lesser wobble. It is noticed by some people on some touring bikes, on certain kinds of turns, usually when they are going faster than they should. Of the people that do notice it, a vast majority feel a little uncomfortable, back off of the throttle, and all is well. If you notice it go buy and install a True-Track. It is not a problem. Just good to know.

I think the TBW is great. It has been used in almost all automobiles for over a decade. It is used by most bike companies. It cleans up the bars. Especially when you run internal wiring and only have a brake cable showing.

Have you checked Craigslist in your area or the want ads in this forum to see what else is out there? A dealer is a middle man trying to make a profit so it seems logical you can get a better deal from the actual owner. Plus you can talk to them and get a feel for how they ride and what has been done.