So I've had ironheads since I was a lid in 1974 and have come close several times to buying a panhead but always walked away because I just do not know enough about the bikes to make a good purchase.

There is one in Minnesota, a 1963 that the guy claims is original frame, tranny, and motor. He wants 8,000. I will look at it but I'm wondering if there is something I should really look for.....sounds too cheap but who knows.

Should the first digit in the production run number be odd? In the ironhead world we tend to think that in 1963, all the bikes should have an odd number sequence number. Is this true of pans?

Bike was nt ridden since 2007.

 

This is just my thought for what it's worth. I had a 56 which I restored. Rode it for several years. Got tired of oil on the floor and chain adjustments monthly. They're great for bar hopping and getting a lot of thumbs up from passerby's, that's about it. For daily riding and trips go EVO, that's my opinion. Do you have something else? Pans are a great second bike. Let me also add very uncomfortable with a passenger.

 

Wow...proof positive that ignorance is bliss

For 1963...63FLH1234 - good numbers; 63FLH2234 - go to jail; 63FLH23445 - good numbers; 63FLH22445 - go to jail. production numbers w/ 4 - first number is odd; production number w/ 5 - first two numbers are odd.

If you been around ironheads since 74 you shouldn't have a problem with pans. Not really much more to them IMO. Not going to go into the maintenance thing because pans like all older iron do take routine maintenance.

A definite plus - Original frame, tranny and motor. These parts are all date coded so this can easily be verified. Be SURE to inspect the vin number. There are some serious number jobs that are showing up as the availability of pans and knuckles diminishes.

On the minus side - hasn't been ridden since '07. Question of why? Motor? Tranny? Owner no longer able to ride?

Complete bike or basket case? Anything else "original" comes with the bike. Be careful of folks who use terms like "restored" unless they back it with pics and parts lists. More often than not it is someone's customization ideas using cheap Taiwan Tedd parts.

If you go to look at it take someone with you who has a good understanding of panheads. One of the best books out there (sort of the "Bible" for old iron) is Palmers Guide to restoration. He really breaks down the 'what-fits-what'.

What are you looking to get? Basket case? Complete bike with some assembly required? Just a basic motor, tranny, frame? What are you going to do when/if you get it? Back to showroom, just a rider, mild custom?

Think a lot plays into the price you should pay. Original/NOS parts are very expensive. So if it is NOT a complete bike it might just be a good candidate to assemble and ride it. If it is complete then you just have to determine how deep your pockets are.

8K could be a good price depending on what is there and it could be a couple of grand too much. Obviously it is only worth whatever agreed upon price by both side. Market on old iron is down (Knuckles excluded) and the price on a non-running bike should reflect that.

If you go look at it post some pics, detailed ones are the best with just a couple of general ones. There are pan riders on this forum (and shovel as well) who can provide some good input.

BTW...my 65 is my main rider since I bought her in 1970. Best purchase I ever made. Tractor seat is best seat design MoCo utilized. The ride of a pan over a Sporty? You will think you are in a Cadillac

 

++ to panz4ever post. all good points.

Depends what you're going to get on the price. Motor, transmission and frame nothing else drops the price. The more stock original parts drives price up. Pictures and more information would be helpful.

If you've been riding sportsters since 74 you've got enough experience mechanically for a panhead. You're going to have to do maintenance on it but the thing is if a pan breaks down you're not going to have to cart it to the dealer for repairs. Granted I'm not going to be riding mine to Daytona or Sturgis, age of the bike and age of me not witholding, but I put on about 250 miles every month.

As for things to look for the VIN #s are first priority. If they're questionable I'd walk. Does he have a title? If not you can get one but that can be risky too. Numbers will only stay on the stolen list as long as the person keeps reporting them yearly. If they fall off and someone reports them some years later after a replacement title is issued you'll have to negotiate with the original owner. Can be done but is an extra headache.

As a general checklist I'd look at the motor mount areas of the cases for cracks or weld points, that goes for any part of the cases as well. Cracks or broken/chipped fins on the heads. If you can check the compression of the cylinders. Just the general mechanical condition, sproket condition, chain wear, etc.

The best I can do for comparing the ride of sportster to a pan is when my top motor mount came loose one time. It rattled the fillings out of my teeth and any rings I had on my fingers.

Good luck with your choice.