Hi,
I'm about buying my first Harley, which I found for what I think is a good price, but I wanted to know what's the common problem with it, and before I put the price for it, how much you think I should pay?
I really appreciate any tip that I should be looking at before buying it, and what do you think about this one



 

It is impossible for me to assess anything about a 26-year old bike from a picture. I'd have to see it, have hands on, and ride it for a long run before I'd be willing to utter one comment. Sorry, but too much to examine mechanically which simply can't be done from any number of external pictures.

 

2001 Sportster's were pretty solid...how many miles and do you have any additional information on the bike?

 

It's the 883, it has 21000 mile on it, there is couple of cosmetic damages on the back seat and the gas tank, which I really don't care as this will be my training motorcycle... just changes the breaks and tires and as per him "always running it on a fresh oil"
I'm going to see it tomorrow, but what about the size, I'm 6'2" and about 300lbs! Do you think that would be a problem?

thank you guys

 

Mid controls may be difficult to maneuver with your size.

 

Everyone is the ultimate professional in maintaining their bikes when they sell. It's just everything leading up to it often isn't what they claim.

That bike is a very stable platform. It basically has no bugs or very few, so any inherent problems would be in maint history.

At 6'2 and your weight - you will be a bit large on the bike. It doesn't look like the smallest model (Hugger) so you should be ok-ish but on the large end. It's still a very fun bike. The 883 is lower power than a 1200 but with a stage 1 it will have enough power for a starting bike. I would personally be ecstatic to have one but I'm not a power monger like some people.

The facts we know:
- What appears to be straight through pipes - not the best performers and could be an indicator of abuse

- Air cleaner - curious if that's stock or if it has a K&N. An air cleaner and pipe combination along with carb jets would be a "stage 1" mod to bring more power to a Harley. If they did it right - you will enjoy decent power. If they did it wrong - it will pop, have uneven acceleration and other bugs. Tell us how it rides.

- Damage on back seat and tank - this damage may appear small but if it's part of a greater repair that was done - you may need to run away. You need full history.

What I would do:

- Check title - if it's salvage - only experienced bikers should consider - very strongly suggest running away. Use nadaguides or kbb for pricing. No more than half of blue book if salvage, maybe 3/4 if meticulous and minor.

- Check the vin to see what model it is - there are vin decoders online. Suggest you keep with the "xl"models - not xlh or xlc due to your size.

- When test riding, check for any bugginess in throttle or power band, popping on deceleration or other gremlins.

- You will most likely need to replace tires so factor that in. You can inspect for cracks between treads for initial safety to get home but you will need to determine the DOT date codes and replaces if more than 6 yrs old (some would say 4).

If it really is well maintained it could be a gem.

Now a bunch of people will tell you to avoid an 883 at your size. I say balderdash. It's a sweet engine with sufficient power for a beginner and a very reliable platform when maintained.

 

I'm 6 foot. Weigh 280. I ride a 883 with no issues.

See if the seller will let you take it to a bike shop for an inspection if you don't have the confidence inspecting it yourself.

 

im 6'2" 220lbs and I can tell you that mid controls on a sporty were very uncomfortable for me. I have far forward controls on my sporty and I'm super comfortable. at your size, you can also expect for every bump in the road to be transferred straight up your spine until you change out those terrible stock shocks.

 

I would suggest lining up an inspection. I have a 99 1200 custom and it's a great bike but I'm near the same mileage and have recently started to run in to parts in need of replacing. I just found out the chain tensioner was burned out (not a big deal) but my bike has been coughing a bit recently; I suspect the carb is in need of a rebuild (not a simple task). I have also developed a leak that I think is coming from the base of the block.

All that said, it's a great bike, just have a pro look at it if you don't know what to look for.

 

I have a 98 XLH 883. It looks a lot like the bike in your picture (OP). I've had the bike a couple of years. The only problem I've had is a squeaky front wheel bearing. This may have been due to lack of use because the bike had about 3,500 miles on it when I bought it. I have had some fun customizing it. It always starts easily, runs great.