I am looking at buying a used motorcycle. It is a 2001 Harley Electra Glide with only 6,800 miles.
Is there any reason for me to be concerned about the low miles?
I would think that would be a good thing seeing as it is practically brand new...

Thanks

 

hey devildog, a bike like that may have a tendency to turn into all the local watering holes or Dairy Queens, and some have been known to quit at the city limit sign. With patience and practice I believe this behavior can be corrected. Good luck.

 

MightyMo...That's the funniest reply i've read in a long time, thanks.
I hope DevilDog gets the joke.

 

The big risk is that it becomes "Garage Candy". That's a condition that the owner wants to go for a ride but instead just calls his friends to see if they want to come over and see it.
Seriously, there are a lot of low milage bikes out there for a lot of different reasons. A low milage bike or any used bike requires due diligence on the part of the buyer.

 

Gaskets, seals and hoses can be dried up due to non-use.

Start the bike and look for leaks or seepage.

It really depends on if the bike was ridden regulary for short distances, or sat for a long time without being run.

 

Is it fuel injected or carbed?
It has the older style swing arm.
The engine in those have no issues except for the tensioners.

 

Buy it and ride it if it is what you want at a price that suits you. It will be fine. All of this worry over dried up seals, gaskets, and hoses is being overstated. It will be fine. So what if a gasket leaks?...replace it and ride on.

My '77 Ironhead had 11k miles on it when I bought it in 1992. Even for an Iron, it didn't leak like a sieve from sitting. My 1990 Mustang only has 41k miles and hasn't had an average of 200 miles a year put on it over the past 15 years. It doesn't leak. Our '77 Ford pickup has less than 50k miles on it and only gets driven a few hundred miles a year. It ain't a leaker either. I bought a '87 Mercedes last year that had only been driven 600 miles in 9 years. Since then, I've put 7k miles on it. It hasn't sprung a leak, yet.

 

sounds like the bike is just waiting for a real rider.

 

fresh tires, oil, and brake fluid, and don't look back

 

I have often wondered why when it comes to Harleys people allways seem concerned about low miles. When buying any other vehicle we all look for the lowest miles.