Is 21,000 miles much on an Ultra

Looking at a 2004 Ultra with 21,000 miles. Is that too many miles on it to consider buying it? How many miles should I expect to get out of the Ultra before I have to invest more in to it?

 

That's about 5k a year which isn't bad at all. With a good maintenance schedule, you should get many miles out of it. Just keep a check on the cam chain tensioners starting at about 25K miles and then again every 20K or so to see the pattern of wear. They all have the same problems with the TC engines and the tensioners.

If you neglect to check them and they go out on you, you may end up getting a new engine.

 

Sorry guys, I didn't mean to ask so many questions or be so disoriented. I'm a newbie and I am just trying to get as much information as I can to make a good purchase. As I went along this trip, I found out some things, thanks to you guys, and my direction changed as I was given information. I appreciate all that you have shared with me and you all have helped a lot.

My wife and I want to get in to some thing new. We have been sailing for 30 years and it is getting old. When we first got married I had a Triumph Bonneville. That was my only means of transportation for a few years.

Recently, I first started looking at new bikes and then realized that I could buy a used bike with a lot of accessories and not have to pay as much for the accessories. I want a touring bike because we plan to do some trips. Most of the trips will be overnight trips but we may also do some vacations that will be a week or longer. I think I need something like the Ultra so I can have room for all the stuff my wife will want to bring along. Being 58 years old, I also want something that is as comfortable as possible.

I've found a bike locally that I think will do the trick. First of all it looks great. It has chrome everything. It has 21,000 miles, but it had the engine changed to a 103 at 10,000. It has Rush pipes and stage whatever, footboard inserts, chrome gauge trims, chrome front end, etc. It was driven by a 60 year old guy and is a 2004. The bike has about $10,000 worth of extras. What should I offer for this bike?

Edit: Oh, yeah. My budget is about $15,000 to $16,000 for a used one. That's all I really want to spend. But if I need to go with a new one, I'd consider spending up to $20,000 (that could put me in a bind).

 

Where is the best place to buy helmets?

 

$16,900

 

This bike has been upgraded to a 103 cu in engine. I think it is the mod that brings the displacement and power output up to the CVO Screamin' Eagle model (1690 cc). That includes the 4-3/8" stroker flywheel assembly, 3-7/8" big bore cast pistons, big bore cylinders. SE-253 camshafts, cylinder heads, air cleaner assembly and cover insert. It has Rush pipes on it.

I was told it was basically a racing engine. However I was told the guy that owned it didn't race it or abuse it. He just wanted the power when he needed it. But then I was also told that HD won't warranty it even though the parts are HD parts.

Please give me your thoughts on this. The bike looks to be in great shape, but I don't know if I should be buying a bike with a "racing engine" and I don't know if this could lead to more potential problems.

 

The 103 is hardly what I would call a racing engine, I think the dealer is trying to blow some smoke here to up the price. Seems odd that the previous owner would do all that work then sell it. Why?

My own preference is to run a stock engine with just intake and exhaust for the long haul. The extra power is a nice thing to have but the stock engine with just some external enhancements will usually give you dependability and performance ,that's what I'd look for.
The Harley motor by design isn't far from a tractor motor and building them up in power usually shortens the life span of the motor. They have a lot of torque from the larger pistons, but not designed to put out a lot of power like sport bikes with the smaller higher revving engines without a sacrifice somewhere.
Quite often when you see an engine that has been modified, there's associated problems that go along with it and headaches as well. Fuel and ignition mapping is an example here for starters. Bigger engines are hard on stock starters that are basically designed for the stock motor and it's compression/cams. Once you up the power, expect to be replacing starters down the road for openers.

Not trying to discourage you here but as said above, the bigger engines come with trade offs such as engine life and maintenance issues as well.

Make the right choice because YOU are the one that will be living with the bike and no body wants to see the bike laid up because of problems after a hasty or incorrect decision.

I would opt for a bit newer bike that is closer to stock myself and probably about the same money too.. JMHO

 

Thanks for you comments.

I did notice that the engine has two little buttons on top of the engine that you are supposed to press to relieve the pressure in the engine before you start it. I was told these were necessary for the higher compression. Would these help prevent the starter issue that you mentioned?

 

They are compression releases and yes that would prolong the starter life as long as you remember to use them.

Question here, do you really want a 103 compared to a stock motor for it's dependability?

Don't let the glitz of the 103 and chrome make the decision for you.

Also the higher compression requires premium gas or you will run into problems with pinging which is a very destructive force in engines that are bigger than stock.

If you check on a high performance harley forum, anyone that does this type of work usually ends up chasing down problems long after the conversion.

 

You must have read my mind! That is exactly what I'm debating in my head. It is really a nice looking bike and I don't think I will be able to afford all the chrome it has. I see this is a way to get the chrome without the cost. But if it will be at the cost of less dependability, I'm not the type to ignore that.