Buying a Harley Sportster

[cheshirecat]

A friend of mine is wanting to buy a Sportster for around $9-8000. I know next to nothing about Harleys but there's a few on trademe with one in particular looking v promising but a little suspicious with no Harley decals on tank and not too sure re exhaust.
see here http://www.trademe.co.nz/Browse/Listing.aspx?id=192215277

Any advice - without dropping anyone in it!

[scumdog]

A friend of mine is wanting to buy a Sportster for around $9-8000. I know next to nothing about Harleys but there's a few on trademe with one in particular looking v promising but a little suspicious with no Harley decals on tank and not too sure re exhaust.
see here http://www.trademe.co.nz/Browse/Listing.aspx?id=192215277

Any advice - without dropping anyone in it!

I'll have a look, I'm curious about your comments re decals and exhaust.

[Coyote]

No Harley badges isn't such a bad thing. Go on, admit it, there is no 'friend of yours' :laugh:

Harley's owners tend to take good care of the looks of their ride. If they paintwork gets shabby, they'll get it resprayed. That could be the reason for there being no decals. Respraying is not a bad thing if it's done right. Original paint can make the bike more valuable, but you can buy yourself a bike cheaper that looks just as good.

I'm not sure if they come out of the factory without badges. Doesn't sound like something an American company would do.

[scumdog]

THAT seems to be a good buy at that price - (if it's in good mechanical nick.)

Points: Should have mag wheels, should have a V-shaped 'chequered-flag' emblem on the tank, should have speedo and rev-counter (seems to only have a small speedo) should have flatter, narrower bars.

Have a look at normajeans avatar to get a bit of an idea what one should be like.

PS I think air-filter insert is aftermarket (Screaming Eagle) one - but the udjustable front forks and rear shocks are factory, hence why a Sporty 1200 'S' is better bang for your buck than a plain old 1200 Sporty.

[Shadows]

A friend of mine is wanting to buy a Sportster for around $9-8000. I know next to nothing about Harleys but there's a few on trademe with one in particular looking v promising but a little suspicious with no Harley decals on tank and not too sure re exhaust.
see here http://www.trademe.co.nz/Browse/Listing.aspx?id=192215277

Any advice - without dropping anyone in it!


Speaking of "dropping" I've just put a feeler out for you. I'll let you know if it comes back with anything.

[cheshirecat]

No Harley badges isn't such a bad thing. Go on, admit it, there is no 'friend of yours' :laugh:

.

Ha, I've got a VFR, what other bike could I possibly want!
Mind you wouldn't mind test riding the Harley occasionally.

Oh, many thanks you guys for the comments.

[mudthug]

pic of stock bike

[wbks]

You should look at a '89 1200xl on there for a few grand cheaper. Fuckall km's on a completely rebuilt engine and repaint, new bars and risers and brake disks and wiring just basically pretty much a new bike for around 8k maybe lower

[sinfull]

Mate of mine just sold his for 7 k which was an 03 sporty with faark all ks on the clock ! Tell him to hold out and make rediculous offers, he may be surprised what gets accepted for them as the shops wont give them SFA as a trade and things are as tight as hell out there, then follow up with a compresion and aa sorta check at a shop of yr choice, to see how they respond !
Buyers market out there !

[Shadows]

The feelers I put out drew a blank... but looking at it I'm 95% sure its been crashed and repaired. It may have been repaired well - or it may not. The frames aren't very substantial and as such can bend easily, if the guy is thinking of buying it at least get the frame checked out first to make sure its straight.

[popelli]

You should look at a '89 1200xl on there for a few grand cheaper. Fuckall km's on a completely rebuilt engine and repaint, new bars and risers and brake disks and wiring just basically pretty much a new bike for around 8k maybe lower


89 is a four speed - best avoided if at all possible, not only because of the 4 speed gearbox but also because of the alternator mounted behind the clutch

the later 5 speed motors are a lot better

[74 knuckle]

mate when I bought mine I had evryone wantin to give me there opinion. Theres a shitload in your pricerange and it dont take much to check them out, the one you really want will come to you, if its put out there. As for info on Harleys try Readin the latest book Harley haxe put out called The Harley Archives. I guaantee it'll give you more than surfice info

[peasea]

THAT seems to be a good buy at that price - (if it's in good mechanical nick.)

Points: Should have mag wheels, should have a V-shaped 'chequered-flag' emblem on the tank, should have speedo and rev-counter (seems to only have a small speedo) should have flatter, narrower bars.

Have a look at normajeans avatar to get a bit of an idea what one should be like.

PS I think air-filter insert is aftermarket (Screaming Eagle) one - but the udjustable front forks and rear shocks are factory, hence why a Sporty 1200 'S' is better bang for your buck than a plain old 1200 Sporty.

What the fuck would you know?

[JimO]

What the fuck would you know?

thats not nice

[peasea]

thats not nice

It's ok dude, I'm just trying to rark him up after a long absence. Plus he rides a Harley, fuckin' nancy boy.

[JimO]

It's ok dude, I'm just trying to rark him up after a long absence. Plus he rides a Harley, fuckin' nancy boy.

ok:2thumbsup it takes more than that to rark the scumster up

[peasea]

ok:2thumbsup it takes more than that to rark the scumster up

We'll see. Way back he said something like "you don't know anything about me" etc, but he's a cop and they're all the same, so I think I know him intimately.

[Rob Taylor]

A friend of mine is wanting to buy a Sportster for around $9-8000. I know next to nothing about Harleys but there's a few on trademe with one in particular looking v promising but a little suspicious with no Harley decals on tank and not too sure re exhaust.
see here http://www.trademe.co.nz/Browse/Listing.aspx?id=192215277

Any advice - without dropping anyone in it!

Tell your friend to talk to Kerry at KTL motorcycles...Go to his web site for contact info www.ktlbikes.co.nz Bloody good guy and im sure he can put him/her on the bike they want...Worth a try.Good luck;)

[scumdog]

What the fuck would you know?

Yeah, you'd almost think I use to own one eh?:bleh:

It was being ridden around Nelson and Mot on Monday and Tuesday last week, you might have seen it??

[peasea]

Yeah, you'd almost think I use to own one eh?:bleh:

It was being ridden around Nelson and Mot on Monday and Tuesday last week, you might have seen it??


Ah he lives! Was wondering if a bit of lip might brighten your day. I thought you'd vacated the site, but no.

Been catching the bugs lately have ya?

[scumdog]

Ah he lives! Was wondering if a bit of lip might brighten your day. I thought you'd vacated the site, but no.

Been catching the bugs lately have ya?

Bugs? burgs?....same thing I guess.

[peasea]

Bugs? burgs?....same thing I guess.

You get burgs in your teeth?

[scumdog]

You get burgs in your teeth?

Nah got bugs in the teeth alright, also got some burgs in the cells....

Speaking of bugs..went to the Woodstock rally via West Coast, them 'coast dragon-flies are massive, reckon they would whip your leg right off if you hit one, lordy-knows what would happen if ya got one in the gob..

[Subike]

spied this on Trade Me yesterday

http://www.trademe.co.nz/Browse/Listing.aspx?id=199097558

It would be the best of the bunch in my opinion, I had one for a while, whish I still had it.
You can keep ya belt driven, 5 speed, 1200 cc sportster evos, these 1100's were the origional design from the engineer , not the enhanced design from the marketing men.
They will show their tail to many a 1200 XLH, no problem.

now all I need to do is find a sucker to buy it for me:niceone:

[popelli]

You can keep ya belt driven, 5 speed, 1200 cc sportster evos, these 1100's were the origional design from the engineer , not the enhanced design from the marketing men.
:


no the iron heads were the original design

originally designed as a stop gap model whilst they sorted out a replacement engine for the side valve k model it was one of the more successful stop gap models lasting 28 years

[Subike]

no the iron heads were the original design



I didnt know that the Iron heads were evolution mtrs.
which ones were those?
Im talking the first alloy evo 1100's

[popelli]

I didnt know that the Iron heads were evolution mtrs.
which ones were those?
Im talking the first alloy evo 1100's

his thread is titled "buying a harley sportster"

and weren't the first sportsters iron heads?

I was just correcting your quote about the 1100 being the original design which clearly it is not

[Subike]

his thread is titled "buying a harley sportster"

and weren't the first sportsters iron heads?

I was just correcting your quote about the 1100 being the original design which clearly it is not

I now understand what you mean,
I was refering to the "origional specs" for the evolution motor, not the orig sporty motor.
The 883 and the 1200 evo motors were, as far as I am comcerned< marketing developments.
The 883 as un underpowered , low riding bike to get girls onto harleys,
the 1200 for the guys who wanted that "extra" power and the go boost that went with it. Owning an 1100 evo was not cool , just like the 1340's grew on cc's but not in performance.
Thus IMO, the 1100 evos were the best of the bunch, even buel used them in preferance to the 1200 IIRC.
anyways, give me an 1100 evo sporty anyday, thrash the crap out of it,
it will be faithfull as any Jap in line 4 would be.
Thrash a 883? run a bearing,
Thrash a 1200 (early)? cook the top end.
Thrash a 5 speed belt drive, hope you got a deep wallet.

[popelli]

I hate to disappoint you but

the 883 and 1100 were both released in 1986

the 1100 was originally designed as a 1200 but the factory did not think the 4 speed gearbox could handle the extra power so it was released as an 1100

meanwhile the aftermarket started selling 1200 kits for the 883, surprisingly the gearbox's did not disintegrate and seemed to handle the extra power

this left the factory little option but to drop the 1100 and release a 1200

bottom end bearings on the 883 are the same as on the 1100 and 1200

however as stated previously the 5 speed sporties are a vast improvement over 4 speeds and do not have the troublesome alternator mounted on the back of the clutch

one thing the 1100 did have that no other evo harley had was different heads (with bath tub style squish bands in them i think), harley only tried this for a year or so (at the same time ford did who also dropped the idea)

[Headbanger]

meanwhile the aftermarket started selling 1200 kits for the 883, surprisingly the gearbox's did not disintegrate and seemed to handle the extra power


Not mine, even when it was an 883 I destroyed the gearbox 3 times,and a couple of clutch assemblies.

Perhaps I was a little hard on it.....

[scumdog]

Not mine, even when it was an 883 I destroyed the gearbox 3 times,and a couple of clutch assemblies.

Perhaps I was a little hard on it.....

Yeah well SOME people are capable of breaking a lead slab in a sand-pit using a rubber hammer ya know...:rolleyes:

[popelli]

which is why everybody recommends that you buy the 5 speed versions

I rebuild a 4 speed iron head sporty box, a right pain in the butt, full of shims and verything ahd to be checked and rechecked

built right they are ok, built incorrectly and they will probably lunch the cases when they let go

not 100% sure but the 4 speeds evos are probably not much different

[Headbanger]

Mine was built fine...by a very talented man (not me), It was my dirtbike inspired riding, to dumb to give a fuck attitude, and the large difference in ratio between 2nd and 3rd that contributed to the destruction.

[cheshirecat]

Thanks for your comments folks. Another friend just got herself a 883 08 for under 11. Not a bad machine, even from my one eyed vfr perspective.
When other gets back from states will resume looking but seems more a buyers market these days.

[Bonez]

There's a 1200s up for grabs on KB at the moment. Arguably the one of the best appointed Sporties to date if you ignore the XR.

[Shadows]

There's a 1200s up for grabs on KB at the moment. Arguably the one of the best appointed Sporties to date if you ignore the XR.

I wouldn't say arguably. :msn-wink: