Hey guys, looking for a little expert knowledge/opinions. I'm looking at buying a 2005 Softail Deluxe. It has about 10k miles on it. Looked in pretty good shape. Are there any major problems with this year and model? Also should I have it taken to the local Harley dealer to get it checked out by one of their mechanics...if they provide such a service haha. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks guys!
Chris

 

Welcome from Jacksonville, Florida!

I can only tell you that my wife and I (mainly her) both ride the 2011 Deluxe and love it. No issues with it to date and it has 17k on it. If you don't trust yourself to check it out, then I would absolutely get someone you can trust to do it.

 

Pics would help. How much $$$? Pretty low miles for an older bike. How long has it been sitting? Carb or EFI? Colors? Mods? Tires? Nothing in particular about a '05 you should worry about as far as I know.

 

I would think its been sitting for some time it was pretty dusty. I'm going to talk with him this week again. I'm not sure if its carb or EFI, Another good point to check on haha. Its black, tires looked pretty good. No mods, stock pipes unfortunately. The battery was dead so he will be replacing that and getting it detailed this week. He's asking $9500 which seems like a pretty fair price compared with what I've seen around. Thanks for the input!

 

Are you a girl?

A deluxe is a girls bike, you know that right?

 

A big welcome to you from sunny Southern California. Glad to have you on board.

 

No Igenf I'm not. If you have the extra cash laying around to buy me a "mans" bike that'd be great. But I'll make sure I take your opinion into consideration when I think about buying a bike.

 

Check the sidewalls of the tires for cracking. The only real issues you may find would be gummed up fuel lines and dry seals that could leak if it hasn't been run recently. $9500 might be a little high, but if you think it's a good deal for your area and its what you want, go for it. Having it checked might be worth $100 to you if your not sure what to look for.
P.S. The "girl bike" thing is a running joke in here.

 

Welcome to the forums Chris, from Texas.

 

Welcome to the Forum If you have a Local indy close by it might be an idea to have him have a look, He might do it for nothing if he feels he is going to get your future business, The tires are at least 7 years old and should be replaced irrespective of wear, the last thing you want is a blow out at 70 mph. I would go for a full lube service as soon as it was mine,and would request he removes the plugs pumps some oil into the cylinders and turn her over manually to make sure everything is free before firing her up. Other than that find out why he stopped riding, did he drop her and do dammage that has been fixed but scared him so much he didnt get back on the bike,
Sounds like a reasonable price if it is the bike you are wanting but I would offer $1000 less telling him all the things you need to do. ie, service new tires etc etc,
Good luck and keep us informed