Im planning to go look at an 08 Fat Bob either today or tomorrow. The bike has 21000 miles. When you break it down, it is roughly 3000 miles a year which isnt crazy. Im honestly not that concerned about it. The bike is clean. Like rolled out of the factory clean. This leads me to believe one of two things have happened. One, the previous owner took amazing care of it and there isnt too much to worry about. Two, the dealership is trying to cover something up.

I know maintenance records are the thing to ask for. Im working that angle, but it is a Honda, Yamaha, whatever other random brands dealership. Im not so sure they will be able to get me those records. Is there anything I should look for on the bike? I currently have a Sportster and dont know a whole lot about the other bikes in the Harley line up. If there were a few things that I should check out that would really tell me what kind of bike Im getting, I would appreciate the info.

Also, does anyone know if there is a way to get harley to run a VIN and tell you what maintenance has been performed?

 

Harley can run the VIN - only info that will get you is the original dealer that sold it, the date of manufacture, original color and options of any. Ride it - make sure it shifts properly - up & down, corner with it to make sure it feels stable, do a few hard stops (front & rear braking), and get it out on the open road at a speed higher than you intend to ride to make sure there is no undesirable vibration or shake. Ride smooth roads to listen for noises and rough roads to feel the suspension. Pretty straight forward - if there is another one at a H-D dealership, test ride it first so you will know what it should feel like - don't compare it to your Sporty.

 

What Tshelf said!
Don't worry about the shine all dealers will buff up a vehicle to yield top dollar. It doesn't necessarily mean there is anything to hide or not. My'08 fatbob has over 60k miles and i find it doesn't have enough miles on it yet!

 

Like I said I'm not too concerned about the miles. It just threw me off with how clean it is. The first question I asked when I called was whether or not I could ride it. I've already mapped out a good little 25 mile route that includes interstate, turns and traffic. Should be a good little test ride. I've already planned my first 5 mods. As long as it rides good, I'll most likely bring it home.

 

Keep us posted! I just pulled the trigger myself on a new to me fat bob with 20k miles on it. Won't get a chance to ride it for another 5 weeks or so, but whatever. Nothing ventured, nothing gained.

 

A well maintained bike can be detailed and look brand new. There is not a speck of dirt on my buddy's CVO Breakout. He just keeps it that clean.

 

More than likely one of the surrounding Harley dealerships in the area sold the bike and performed the service on it. I helped my father in law at the time with something similar (private seller). Turned out the local dealership could pull the service records from the VIN. I would look into that. There also could be an extended warranty still on the bike (it follows the bike not the owner).