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I ended up not buying the bike. It still had water in the engine.. it was worth checking out and a fun adventure but ultimately my bike is yet to be found.
just goes to show that you can't trust anyone these days....
Originally Posted by SJT
he said none of the fluids got moisture in them and he has be riding it for a year problem free. The bike rides 100x better than any evo era dresser I have ever set on.
There are plenty of bikes comparable to what you are looking at that are not salvage bikes cheap. Just goes to show you that the outdated dinosaurs are no longer holding their value. MoCo can blame their selves for that when they decided back in 03 to start mass producing them. Now? Everybody has a Harley sitting in their garage. The supply far outweighs the demand for them these days.
Last edited by Jaftica; Dec 19, 2019 at 05:57 AM.
Reason: Reworded
Yes, but it started out as a salvage. Then after it's repaired it's issued a rebuilt. It still could have started with a COD. A carfax will tell the story.
Dont be fooled by that carfax crap. Had a car that had over 6000$ in damage and guess what? Not on carfax.
This thread keeps cracking me up. Hysterical. The guys saying flood bike is a bad investment, you wont get your money out of it are riding what road glides, ultra Limiteds, road glide trike. So basically 25-45k motorcycles.
Every one of these investment analysts have already lost 10-15k on THEIR motorcycles talking smack about a 5k bike. Thats pittance. Less than most have thrown away in aftermarket parts. SMH!
Interesting comments.....
I just reread this thread and I didn't see anyone using the word "investment".... other than you...
I didn't see anyone say it was a "bad investment", just not worth the $5K, and to stand-by for a myriad of other problems...
The OP thought it was a good deal because he could get an '09+bike for $5K.... Most posts pointed out the problems/pitfalls in buying a flood vehicle, from electrical gremlins to title issues, and then the eventual resale when the majority of people won't touch a flood/salvaged bike.....
Certainly people have wasted $5K on many things, but that's not the point.
The OP wanted advice, and I believe he got a lot of good advice. If the OP wants a bike to ride reliably... the vast majority of responses were telling him this isn't that bike.... "investment" has nothing to do with it...
If top resale value is not important to you, then a salvage title should not be a concern. Even so, the resale value is closer to 75%, depending on what it is and why it has a salvage title. A flood salvage tends to be on the top of the price range. Some states, like Texas, have a killed title designation that means that you can purchase it and part it out, but you cannot get registration to put the vehicle VIN back on the road.
I would not pay $5000 for a 11 year-old flood bike with a salvage title that needs restoring. $3000 tops, and that is only because I can restore it myself.
If you want to get a good salvage project to work on and put back on the road, there are far better deals. Older insurance totaled bikes with blown engines or other repairable issues are something to look at. Some good deals there but you have to look for them. I spent a year looking for a project and put in many bids before scoring a pristine 2003 FLHCTUI that was insurance totaled because right side engine case was broken at the main bearing journal drain plug. Most of the engine was in boxes. I paid just over $2100 for the bike and have just over $5000, total, invested in it right now. That includes the 95 high performance engine rebuild, Progressive Monotubes, 10" handlebars, Mustang seat, new hardware, and some bling...and I am not finished.
Last edited by skinman13; Dec 20, 2019 at 10:33 AM.
My two cents. I would take a look at the fuse box and any wire connections I could see and look for corrosion and rust in all the hard to see areas. If you are someone that does his own work and like the bike, I say go for it.
7 Surprising Harley-Davidson Products that Are Not Motorcycles
Slideshow: The bar-and-shield logo shows up on far more than motorcycles, some of the company's most unexpected products have nothing to do with riding.
Slideshow: From the troubled AMF years to modern misfires, these bikes earned reputations for reliability issues, questionable engineering, or disappointing performance.
Crazy Bunderbike Build Looks Amazing, But Is It Impossible to Ride?
Slideshow: The Swiss custom shop has taken a Harley Softail and stretched it into something so long and low that it looks closer to a rolling sculpture than a conventional motorcycle.
Engraved Rebellion: Inside Bundnerbike's Glam Rock II
Slideshow: A standard cruiser becomes an intricate metal canvas in the hands of a Swiss custom house known for pushing Harley-Davidson platforms far beyond their factory brief.
Slideshow: Harley-Davidson's challenges aren't abstract; they show up in dropping shipments, shrinking dealer traffic, and strategic decisions that aren't yet translating into growth.
That goes for anything all the time...YOLO
