Ok so I went to the local HD dealer(Harley-Haven in Irmo) just to look around and wife do some x-mas shopping.

Walked up on a 1998 EG with 42k miles for $8500. I always loved baggers when done right and this may be my chance without spending $20k. Its black with silver flames on the front fairing, tank and hard bags, had exhaust,crash bars, highway pegs,etc. Looked like it had different than stock grips, some sort of black leathery animal skin feel/look.

It did need some TLC. Paint job would be on the list. Just old maybe,wasnt peeling etc.. Front fender needed some work,had some damage on the front of it. The dash had some fading which could be removed and painted the guy said. Engine could use some chrome refurbishing or maybe tape everything and have it painted black.

The sales manager said it was a techs bike. That whatever bike comes in is looked over heavily and engine is great but would need some love on body etc.

So anything to worry about a 1998 other than its a 1998! I mean my nightster has 5k miles for an 07( only 1k are me) and it has a good amount of parts on it. I havent dumped any money into it so Im not throwing money away If I get rid of it.

Love my nightster but with my Dad in Tennessee and step dad and mom in FL that far of a ride on a nightster is painful. I rode to Rockingham a couple weeks ago and back and was sore after. A bagger will be much better on my body.

So 42k miles a lot? Am I getting into a money pit on a bike that old? I do love the potential of a bagger though.

Im sure I can get it for less than $8500. Like I said its the techs bike and most likely no lien on it and he probably just wants to get rid of it and use money for next/other project maybe.

This style flames

 

As for me I think that 42K would be a little more than I'd want to trade a 07 in for. I know that I don't have a bagger, but I bought my bike for only 5K more than that and it had under 10K on it. But on the otherside that is only about 3500 miles a year. Me personally I wouldn't do it if you are talking about giving it a little TLC what will your cost come to afterwards?

 

Thats whats keeping me from wanting too. 07 with 5k for a 98 with 42k. If I wanted to go all out it would be a lot of money into it. But I can go a cheaper route and wouldnt be too bad.

From what I could tell from a quick look over. Some paint issues, front fender, engine could just be painted black and touched up(but I mean it is 12yrs old so I didnt expect it to be all that nice), inside of bags needs some sort of fabric( I could do that), dash is faded.

I could do inside of bags,engine, and dash.

Wheels I would probably get rechromed or PC black

 

As nice as having a bagged would be I personally don't think I would go that old. For me it's not about reliability. It's about technology. I like fuel injection, 6 speed trannys and a laundry list of improvements that have occurred since '98. That twin cam engine for example. It's you money so get what you want but myself, I would just save the money and get something newer.

 

I ride a '96 so the age is not an issue with me. Is it what you want? If you could get it for less and use the difference to do the upgrades you want, then why not.

 

If its what your interested in. JUMP !Satisfy yourself, just do your homework on the year and model. Getting another sporty is no problem. You know they are everywhere.
This bike is getting back to the reliability, longivity, and simplicity of a harley. That is the year I wished I had in the first place. Last year of the EVO. Carburated (so simple to adjust) Gear driven camshafts. Not many of these around for sale.
The newer H-D's may be designed to not go the longetivity distance, who knows ?
BUT....here is NO reason that bike, with regular maintenance, should not go 300-400,000 miles. So you have to rebuild at 200K ? What the heck is wrong with that ? A little paint..... make it what you like.
You should pick up that bike in the $7k range.
Again....do your research and congrats on your find.

 

Isn't your year Sporty one where HD gives you MSRP as trade-in? See if you can swing a deal on '10 leftover bagger...

 

I'm pretty sure that deal is over. Besides, you had to buy the Sporty new and trade it in within a year, or before 4k miles, on a new larger bike. I did that with an 09 Nightster and traded after 8 months for an 09 Street Bob.

That said, if they want to get the bike off the floor you should be able to get them to give you a better trade in price. The Nightsters seem to sell pretty quickly. My trade in was gone within a month.

 

There are better deals out there. I would not do it.