Only 1.5 hours away I drive that far for a beer some days. I've bought on ebay over half a day away but I only put a $500.00 deposit and told the seller that if he's lying I'm walking and posting a negative sure I would of been out the deposit but it's better than being out the full price. I ask for all assurances and if they had a negative balance I would want the account number and make the deposit out to the lean holder and seller. Times are tough could be they're just getting rid of all payments.

 

That's my hunch too....as today she just added a fairly new Sea Doo 3 seat PWC on her eBay account.

Thanks to everyone for their input, I do appreciate it. I think I'll call my local HD dealership tomorrow and dig into their Dealer Assist program. IMO it's worth a few hundred bucks to ensure that this sale is legit and properly done, considering how clean this bike is and low mileage. I don't mind waiting a few weeks for the process via the dealership...heck it's mid-fall season here, and I haven't ridden since....oh.jeeze..(embarassed) 1989 I think (well...not counting quads on the ice). Time to get back into it.

Thanks again, signing off for the night, time to put the daughter to bed and chase the wifey around. Keep any input coming.

 

Wether you complete the deal via eBay or on your own privately with the guy: Use an esqrow account.
Or at the very least, make sure he understands that you won't hand over payment without a signed title.

Pretty much, do as some like Brunsickoh said: Find a bank that can handle all the paperwork, including the Lien Release right there on the spot.

 

Update for all...
I took the advice of taking the "Dealer Assist" approach. Today stopped into the local HD dealership, and explained the situation, and he said "we'll do this this this 'n this, blah blah"...sounded good to me, and I said it sounded good, I was fine with paying them to handle it...transfer the loan, inspect the bike, do all the paperwork, etc.

So I head towards the front of the store..and start talking with this girl there that my wife knows. I'm glancing at the row of bikes outside in front of the store, many are the used models..and there's a Dyna which I saw on their website...but I figured it had typical dealer prices on it and was like...9500 or higher, so I never pursued it. So I ask her. She said they're asking 6900..but it's flexible. I ask how many miles..she says she thought it was under 8000. I'm like...WHOA! It's a 99 FXDX. So I go up front with one of the sales guys...I'm not crazy about the paint job on the tank...not a biggie, can paint that. It had chrome flame wheels like you'd see on some of the OC Choppers show...I'd have to replace those pronto. Tassles along the side of the seat. And skull logos all over...gas cap, primary cover, rear fender tie down studs...they'd have to go. Engine painted black..cool. SE staggered pipes, she fired right up, sounded good, performance air intake. It looked like it fell over...not a road skid, but turn signal matched a dent in the gas tank, plus one of the rear tie down skull studs looked like it scraped hard against something.

I think, since I'm on a budget, the above bike, if I could get it for 6500 or so, spend some money replacing the wheels, replacing some of the skull stuff (no offense to anyone that likes skull stuff...it's just not me), I wouldn't have too much work to do to turn this machine into the bike I was going to drive 1.5 hours to look at...a nice lean mean clean black and moderately chromed Dyna. Change the wheels, find a belt drive cover, yank the tank and replace or un-dent and re-paint.

I wouldn't have found this bike if peeps here didn't send me in the direction of Dealer Assist....so "Thank You" to everyone. I think it's a good deal on a bike that doesn't need much de-customizing and re-customizing...and I'll still be great with the price. The wheels and tank will prob be the biggest thing to replace, and it seems they can be economically done.

 

Although I bought my bike nice and easy from Feebay (was a dealer tho...) I'd of told ya to keep looking. Sounds like ya mighta found it! Let us all know bud...

 

Don't be bashful about keeping looking in todays market are some great buys with a little patience ...

 

I bought a used bike a few years ago. Two states away 12 hours drive.
I watched it on Ebay for two listings and reserve never got met. Prior to him listing it for the third time I contacted him asking what he wanted for it and he said he was about to lower reserve 1000 dollars.
He owed about 4500 to the bank.
I ended up going to the bank and paying the 4500. He arranged for me to get the title from the bank. I sat in the lobby for about two hours waiting for the upstairs folks to do paperwork. He got the balance and I got the bike and title. Trailered it 12 hours back home. Yes it was a PITA. but worth it in the long run.
My rule is, NEVER buy a vehicle sight unseen, and never without inspecting the title first, or verifing it is legit.
Unless you got his account number and verified with harley financial that it was all legit, I'd say it smells like a scam...

Selling those custom wheels you want to take off will probably cover a set of factory wheels and maybe a tank too.

 

First things first, it is not uncommon for someone to sell for someone else on ebay. It's done all the time, I do not have an ebay account and have a friend sell for me all the time. Next you need to know they have the funds to pay the difference, HD financial will not release the title until the bike is paid in full, which means you will not get the title and probably not be able to get a registration. If she gives you the HD financial stuff call them and see they can tell you the payoff, and whose name is on the title. They may not do this for privacy reasons. If not have them request a payoff for you. Then make your deal, sign a bill of sale, send a check (certified) from you for your amount and one from them for the balance to HD financial. After HD financial has received and processed this the title will be mailed to THEM. Note NOT to you. The buyer must sign over the title to you, usually in front of a notary. Then and only then is the bike yours.
This generally the process in every state, and if you are not comfortable with this. Then I would do as one poster said do the dealer assist program. Beware of any red flags and do not ignore them because it will only get worse. Good luck, and let us know you made out.

 

Just saw this thread jump to the top, so I'll post an update.
The original Dyna that I wanted..someone beat me to it after I lined up the details with the local HD dealership and the Dealer Assist stuff.....the seller tells me they just took an offer.

ARGGG.
A friend of mine talked me out of the bike I was "settling on" at the dealership..."By the time you're done undoing the custom stuff on it, and then getting it where you want to be, you'll be 8 grand into it...and not as happy as you'd be with that bike you just lost".

The truth sank in.
So I hit ebay, punched out my distance to 100 miles for the search, and came across a bike that I'd seen on a wide ebay search over a month ago. Another Dyna owner with tastes similar to mine. He had a 2006 FXDBI, painted the tank and fenders gloss black, put in 49mm forks, a super glide bar, Screamin' Eagle Stage 1 intake, Screamin' Eagle II pipes. Has a windshield on it...which I'm mixed on windshields, but this one is some smaller Spitfire one..and tinted. It's growing on me. 11k miles. I settled in the low 7k range for a price. She's in my sig.

I think my only mods this winter will be...a tank bra, and I want to look into getting black rims for her...or maybe powder coating existing ones black.

 

Looks like you got something better than you expected. Sometimes things fall through and we get upset, and later it seems like it all happened for a reason.