I agree the CV would be just fine, I wouldn't go throwing money at the carburetor, for the price of the Mik42 you could swap in an EV23 or EV27 and get much more bang for your buck.

The only reason to hold out for a 97 or 98 is seat height and that's not going to be a problem for you.

Try to find a friend to go with you, but there isn't much esoteric about a 96 carbureted road king that someone familiar with motorcycles wouldn't notice.

I thought Ronald Reagan saved the motor company from bankruptcy.

 

I bought a 98 RKC classic that was a garage queen like yours. Fantastic bike. I had to replace the rocker cover gaskets on mine since it had been sitting around for a long time. Other than that, everything was fine.

If I had to do it all over again, i'd do it all over again.

 

It seems some have gotten their underwear in knots because I said I like the mikuni carb best, even though I clearly stated that the factory carb will work just fine. Again, the cv carb will work fine and you may want to spend your money elsewhere. Good luck with your purchase. Id also like to welcome you to the forums, you can learn a lot here.

 

Wow! How great is it to see those '96 RK's! I couldn't possibly pass-up the opportunity to post a pic of "Old Blue," who went to his new owner four years ago. When the pic was taken it had 100k miles on the clock, and I added to that before buying my SG in late '06. I rode it through 33 states and it never stranded me, except once because of an irreparable flat tire, but that was 35 miles from my house.



I had a CV carb and added a Thunderslide kit to it, which boosted mileage, performance, and smoothed the torque curve. Highway mileage in the mid-50's was the norm for this bike as long as you kept the speed <65mph. I added an EV13 cam early-on which helped performance greatly, but if I had to do it again I'd probably pick the EV23 since the EV13 didn't torque-up 'til around 2500rpm and was a bit weak below that with the low stock compression. BTW the CV is a great carb as long as you don't ask it to feed more than about 80hp. I never had a lick of trouble with mine.

As has been mentioned already, the Evo is practically bullet-proof, but they have some quirks. Base-gaskets can leak, although I never had a problem with them on my bike. I think their durability relates to careful warm-up procedure. If the base gaskets need to be changed I would shave .30" off the heads to add some compression, as the 8.5:1 stock CR is on the low side.

I would worry a bit about the low mileage, as sitting around for long periods without running is not good for mechanical hardware, nor is taking short trips and shutting down before the bike is fully warmed-up. I agree that getting a thorough check-up by a qualified tech is a good idea. I would also want to see maintenance records.

The downside to the '96 is that it was the last of that older frame type, and quite a few parts for later models won't fit--e.g., seats. Thus, finding compatible used parts on Ebay, etc. will be more difficult than for later models. Otherwise, I say get the seller down to $7k or so and go for it.

 

Bull s..t on the Morelli,I don't think you'll find too many guys on here with 96-98 RK's that have had many problems with their fuel injection.I have a Evo,98,injected and I'm doin just fine.You prob. never had one so I doubt if you really know much about them.
As far as the Evos go,esp. the last years,they're damn good motors and the guys with 99 thru,say 2003 twincams aren't gonna walk away from you...yours will run as good.The thing with Evos...let em warm up good before you go blasting down the road. Sometimes there are issues with the rocker boxes leaking and both my 92 Ultra and my 98 weren't immune to it.But it's not a hard job and you don't have to remove the gas tank to replace them.
The bike doesn't have crap for miles so it prob. looks pretty darn good.Take an extra set of eyes to look it over.Find out about service on it and if it's local,call the service place and find out what they have to say.Check the fluid levels in the motor and tranny before you start it up(Harleys need to be sitting straight up )Find out what oil he's been using in all 3 holes and when was it last done.If it was last fall or something,plan on changing them before the riding season starts.If it's got crash bars on it,look on the lower edges for scrapes to see if it's been dropped...a tip over mark happens sometimes and it's happened to alot of us but you don't want a "wrecker" And don't let these guys start in on you about buying a green bike....
Try offering the guy $7000,tell him all you got is $7500 and the $500 left will get you back home,get it titled and taxes paid.$7000 grand in $100 dollar bills put in a guys hand is hard to turn down and always looks better than a single paper check! If he starts to balk a little,tell him you're looking at a 97 RK in another town for around the same money and you're goin home that day with either his or the 97.....then shut your mouth,don't say another word,even if you have to stand there for 30 freekin minutes...
Let us know how it turns out!

 

yup -im calling him tomorrow to set up a meet for saturday-from what i gather there is not much that i should be looking out for on the road king than any other bike -i like the carb idea -i kinda know my way around them from the other bikes -and ill look out for those base gaskets -i just caught myself dreaming of modifications and i dont even own it yet l.o.l but thats me -i sure appreciate all the replies and ill let you know how it goes ..thanks ...mike...

 

well-went to check it out today -nice bike -no leaks that i could see -but it felt like the brakes had air in them or something-bottom line the guy wouldnt budge on the price so i had to walk -well see if he calls me in a few days or not -meanwhile still checking out more recent models thanks again for the replys ...mike

 

This is so simple....if you like it enough to buy it ...then get a good mechanic...like a good independent in your area who knows Harleys.....to check it over....if he tells you there are just a few minor things wrong ..then buy the dern thing and get the stuff fixed....and you will love riding that machine....you really will...this is so simple....remember...never let a good thing pass you by....becuz ...it may never come your way again....that is it ....good luck....either you get it or you don't..but get somebody who knows what they are doing in your area...not from a forum.....

 

There are so many Bikes out there and it is not a sellers market you should be fine if this guy does not want to sell it? I would think that a bike that has some years on it would be a little Neg ?
Well at least you know there is another one around the corner, I still like to know why he did not give a little ?I almost bought a 1998 Dresser, it was like a NEW PENNY and I loved the color Dark Green (Triumph color) and Black. Any way the guy would not come down the $500 I offered, so I walked and ended up buying a 2010 Ultra the other bike was sold to the next guy who had seen it , Hey it's only money !
Good Luck in your search.

 

Keep in mind the frame change in 97, you'll find the impact of this when you want to add a certan part like maybe a backrest or somethng like that and you'll find out that it fits 97-07 bikes only. Not that pre 97 touring parts are not available it's just that those parts maybe more limited in choice and supply.

The other neg is the single pot brakes on pre 2000 touring bikes which is more noticeable on the heavier bikes. 2002 brought the beefier rear swing arm and axle. Brakes, axles, swing arms can be upgraded to newer styles.. but if you start to add up the cost, many may better off with a newer bike.
With that said I have a 97 Eglide and I'm happy with it but it did cost a few pennies to upgrade it.

I'd also suggest moving this thread to the EVO section.