hello. im dave from florida
so... my last (and only harley) was an 08 heritage. had it a couple of years, had an incident, let it go, have not ridden in about a half dozen years or so. (im 49 now)
i recently saw a bike that looked like my old heritage and it got me thinking......... i'm more established, healthier and in a better place than i was previously. its time to buy another bike

after much consideration, the Road King suits me best for a myriad of reasons

while i have the credit and cash down to buy new, i consider used for a few reasons
1. a lot of "upgrades" and "break ins" have already been done
2. coming back after such a long break, a used bike could be damn near half the cost of a blank new bike

with that said.... (please correct me if i am wrong here)
1. it is my understanding that the rushmore bikes ('14+) are the bomb. (though i would love to hear from others as to problems/if there have been any major tweaks/changes within the rushmore years that make it worth the extra $5k)

2, '09-13 was a major step forward in terms of new touring frame and upgrades from previously (though the RK had the 96ci TC motor and 6gal tank?) these bikes can be had for low $10s

3. if i am willing to go in the low/mid 2000s years, i can pick up RK well under 10k all day every day.

so.... most used RK are in the 40-80k mile range. (supposedly well taken care of... )
do y'all have opinions advice about:

older vs newer
88tc (i am aware of the cam tensioner thing that isn't very costly) vs 96tc vs rushmore bikes
buying older vs new in terms of maintenance, parts availability, general proven reliability (i have been on earth long enough to know that sometimes, old school bulletproof is sometimes better than new age creature comforts)

i can buy cash under 10k (lots to be said for owned clean..... but then i am in a 2000-2010
if i finance a new one, i feel like, i might as well buy new. (but then we get into the whole tried and true vs new expensive break ins and high cost upgrades/upkeep)

yea yea.. i know . i am rambling
ps . i live in florida. so this is why RK appeals to me. i can ride year round and the fairing bikes (though beautiful) just cut out too much view for my taste (though we will discuss the whole memphis shades detachable fairing about 20 min after i buy the road king and ride it in a cool january night lol

ty in advance for your input
'Criello (its a bastardized shortening of my last name...its as good a choice as any for a "road name" lmao

 

We have Ultra limiteds and couldn't be happier. Stick with a bike that has the HO103 . You can always get a quick connect kit to take off the tour pak. Here's one in Salt Lake for a good price: https://classifieds.ksl.com/listing/57932805

 

Love my '13 Road King Classic. It has the 103, cruise, security, and ABS standard. There are some worthwhile improvements in the Rushmore models, but if cost is a major concern a bike in the 2010-13 year range may be your best bang for the buck.

Regardless, you can't go wrong with a Road King, good luck in your search.

 

I am partial to my 2000 ultra classic. If I were looking today I would buy an 2002 . fix the cam chest and put on a true track upgrade the suspension and be ready to roll for 7-8k. [ if you shop around.] good luck in your search and enjoy the ride. welcome to the forum.

 

I really like my 14, but if the price was right on a 9-13 i wouldnt think twice. You can swap the bags if you really want to and im pretty sure the only difference engine related are the cams. If you could get a 13 for more than 3k cheaper than a 14 id do it. You should be able to do cams and bags for less than that but factor in depreciation too and youd have to be way ahead on the 13 down bike.

 

I had a 2016 RK and a 2010 RK I was building at the same time. The 16 was definitely more refined but I still have the 2010. I put some money in the motor and suspension but still a solid bike stock.

I would look anywhere from 09 on up. The beefier front forks and the saddle bags are nice upgrades on the Rushmore it just depends on the deal.

 

I believe the HO 103 in our bikes has a cam that is very close to the SE 255. The 13 Limited 103 has 9.6 :1 compression ratio compared to 10:1 in Rushmore’s.

I have nothing against the RK, love the bike and the style but after owning several batwings I’m spoiled

 

Ya, i was just trying to cover the differences in the roadkings was all. I cant really say alot about the 103ho bikes since i only rode a couple but i know its not far behind the m8. I did those back to back and wasnt too impressed with the difference. I was just trying to point out that the 9-13 could have power similar to a rushmore with just a cam swap.

 

I would look for a '09 and up because of the frame. It handles better. IMHO. If you look you should be able to get a '09 up for under 10 grand. There was a '09 on Craigslist a few moths ago with 25,000 on it for 7 grand. Winters coming and prices drop in much of the country. You may have to drive to get a better price. Warm weather states seem to keep the prices higher. Good luck and happy hunting.

 

I bought an 08" FLHRC with 39K, Be advised, if you go 07 - 11" you'll be redoing your compensator, chain adjuster, clutch inner hub(they all have broken splines) and at the minimum a few starter clutches if not a whole new unit. I'm dealing with this now and special tools, parts & gaskets alone can range from $900 - $1500 doing it yourself depending on what's damaged on yours.

I found a complete clutch assy out of a 16" that was pulled at 300 miles to build a hot rod that was cheaper than the clutch hub & bearing which needed pressed in & out
Also bought a new All ***** starter which was hopefully worth the extra cost.

Even the 1 & 2 revisions of the SE HD Compensator have issues up to around 13".


As for Cam tensioners, 07" and up hydraulic only need checking at around 50K and don't have the issues 06" and below have.