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Is it worth it ? Should I do it ?

Maustarman

Active Member
Hello everyone
I'm considering moving up from my sporty and need some advice.
I'd like to get what I'm thinking might be s good deal but let see what ya'll think.
The bike is an 2005 Electra glide, pretty clean it has a 95ci engine on it.
*Now my concern is that it has almost 97K miles on it.
I'm not to familiar with this bikes but at almost 100k I imagine there isn't much more life in there...
I'm pretty mechanically inclined * no major engine tear downs of stuff like that but I know where in the tool box is my screwdriver :)
I've sourced a 2007 96ci engine with 24k miles and a transmission 6 speed trans with 18k miles on it.
Would this set up fit in the 05?

Questions:
Is a 2005 Electra with 97k miles for $5k a good deal?
The engine and transmission I found are about an extra $2k
So, I'll be out about $7k for a 2005 Electra with a 2007 engine.

I'm broke but I think I can make it happen by selling my sporty and various other toys.

Thanks in advance for your opinions and advice
 
Since you're asking....

I don't think that's a "great" deal.

I pulled up Electra Glide's on Craigslist (pricing may vary based on region and location) and found an '05 being sold by a dealer (retail pricing) for $7900. This bike is advertised as having 39k on the odometer. I also pulled up an '08 from a private party with 32k on the odometer and the seller is asking $10,000 OBO.

So, based on what you have stated, you would end up with a $7,000 machine with 100k miles on everything except the drive train. In reality, it would be more because you should consider "paying" yourself for labor for the transplant.

I realize you don't have the extra funds at the moment, but, you may want to consider financing an '08 or '09 through a credit union. You can find '07 - '10 Electra Glides in the $10k range. If you have good credit, you could get away with $2000 down and around $175 a month for 60 months (obviously all depends on the interest rate, amount financed, term and credit etc.).

If you don't want to finance, you may still find an '05 or newer bike with fewer miles for the $7k you're getting ready to spend.

Just be patient. (Easier said than done - I'm not patient at all).

Good luck! Let us know what you end up doing.
 
Depending on how handy you feel you really are, I would suggest that you strongly consider just rebuilding the engine on the '05. You should be able to get away with a top end job having the valve jobs and cylinder honing done by a good indy (unless you have or can borrow that stuff). You should plan to do the roller chain conversion (see below) on the cam drive since the '05 will have the OEM setup unless that was changed out in the past.

This is a bit dated since Herko does not do this any more, but rest applies:

Harley Davidson Forums

Unless the tranny has been abused, it should be OK with just fluid changes. Inspect the seams, seals, o-ring areas to make sure it is not leaking fluid alot.

This would be a bunch cheaper than the $2K you mentioned spending on the '07 engine/tranny option. The main consideration with that is the condition of that stuff and whether it is a drop in option.

Only you can determine those things.

Cheers,

TQ
 
There will be several wiring harness requirement differences between the '05 and '07 engines/sensors, etc. There's always "I didn't plan on that" expenses doing what you propose. When you are done, you will have a Harley with mismatched engine and frame numbers, which hurts resale and/or desirability down the road. If you are stretched for the cash, I'd hunt around for a solid lower mileage bike that you can finance. This is the buyers time of the year for a while longer.
A well cared for '05 with those miles can get away with freshing up the top end for many more miles.
 
I'm not sure what you mean by "pretty clean" but I think the advice to freshen up the top end is sound. Have you ridden the bike? If you have and it shifted well and felt sound (not tracking left or right, like the frame is bent). Take a close look at the cables and tires as that will drive up the repair cost. With those types of miles a lot will depend on what type of maint. the owner did. Ask if there are any maint. records. If the trans. sounds right and the motor isn't using an excessive amount of oil you may be able to hold off on the top end work too.
 
Thank you everyone..
I appreciate very much the advice and I think that I can be a bit patient here and get one with lower mileage and that will make me happier.
Thank you again
 
You said the bike has a 95ci engine. That bike came with an 88ci engine so someone has already freshened it up somewhere along the way. Why not take it for a ride and while you are on your ride take it and have a compression test done and see what the compression is and how close the two cylinders are on compression it will tell you a lot about the condition of the engine. This bike could possibly go another 50-80,000 miles with only regular maintenance. If you are satisfied on the engine offer him $4,500 due to the high mileage. JMO
 
Good advice from Steve07 on taking a ride and having a compression and leak down test done to evaluate the condition of the top end. Even though there area 97K miles on the odometer, there may be less mileage on the 95" motor because the 88" motor was rebuilt at some point.

Now clutch, steering head bearings, wheel bearings, drive belt, cables, etc. may need replacing but, if you are handy with a wrench, get the service manual, the cost to replace is not high, just a lot of work and will require a few special tools.

Forget the 2007 96" motor, even with the transmission there are too many fitment issues; you will regret going down that road.

Is the bike carbureted or EFI? If you are prepared to pay $7K, I think you should keep looking for a bike with lower miles, even if an earlier year; they are out there.
 
If the 95 was updated with late style chains, and oil pump that is a plus IMO
 
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