I'm looking at selling my 2004 XL1200R and getting a FXLRS 2021

For those of you that have the bike, what would you look out for when buying one?

Knowing what you know now, what would you have done differently if you had too?

Many Thanks

 

The LRS is a great bike right out of the factory. The handling is great, dual front disks, inverted forks, a pretty good lean angle, and even the stock suspension is pretty good. And the M8 is a torque monster that pulls hard right off of idle. If I was shopping around for a used bike, two things I would really look for would be ABS and cruise control. ABS, because gravel and wet pavement don't care about your experience. Cruise control, because both of my current bikes have it, and it is the cat's *** for freeway riding. Now that I have tried it, I can't image doing any kind of serious mileage without it. I think that in 2021 ABS and cruise were both options, so you would need to confirm it for any bike you were considering.

 

If the bike had a cam install find out what the crank runout came in at if possible. Look for a good deal as the market is flooded with s and st models. The s and st has been a great seller for Harley as it is a great bike. Be sure you are ok with the riding position. It is a very aggressive riding position that many don’t like. The position can be tweaked for comfort.

 

I would do a test ride first. The LRS is one of the most uncomfortable bikes I have ever ridden. Lots of guys have had to spend time and money to get it to where it was fun for them to ride. But some like it the way it is.

 

Coming from the 2004 XL1200R you already have mids and high mids at that, so the LRS will feel familiar.

If it was me, I would look for a stock 2021/2022 LRS. Slip-ons and bolts on that you like would be OK. I personally always stay away from any used bike that has had engine mods or tunes. You just don't always know what was really done and/or how well it was done. Also ask for service records or if they don't have them contact you local dealer who can look up the bike to see if the service and service intervals were done.

Other than that I've found you can tell a lot from the owner of the bike and how knowledgeable they are the bike.
Seller 1 - Yep I'm the original owner and have every take off part and a complete list of parts and maintenance records. Motor is stock and here is a list of bars, risers, pegs. levers, seat, etc I did. Title in hand =
Seller 2 - Yeah I'm the second or 3rd owner I think. Nah no records as my buddy built the motor. It runs fine you just need to keep the revs up as the new cam doesn't like the low RPMs. I'm always full throttle so it doesn't bother me. I don't have the title but you can get a copy.

 

Every Harley I've ever owned has been in this category.

 

And same for traction control. I don't think that was till 22/23. It's not a must, but if that's your thing, it will be late model. At least that you can turn off if you want.

ABS... it's been around for decades. It's a no brainer. If you are better that ABS, then it will never activate. Cruise control... I love cruise in cars... And I won't buy another without adaptive, but I don't use it much riding. Yes, I use it to give my hand a rest. Do things with that hand. It's definitely nice for those reasons... But I don't sit there and cruise with it on like I do in a car. I don't see the point really. That's just me. TC would not be a buying decision. Big picture... Has to be past 2020 to have the updates.

Riding position is a problem it's scrapped. It's not mids, it's high mids. Worse the taller you are. Go for a ride. But many do something with boards and most will do something with bars so it's a good chance that will already been done for you.

My LRST is absolutely perfect for me. Love it. Great bike.

 

buy the buell super cruiser instead...............

 

At $26K MSRP buy 2.

Zach

 

Good call on the LRS. As mentioned before with the sporty and mids, you should feel close to home with the stock setup.

Im sure you’re aware of the bar reach and high knees already. Other than a seat and some bars (which every bike will need to fit you) the LRS is really good out of the box. The cruise is worth it, after a long day when you’re on the home stretch it’s nice to be able switch hands and keep rolling.

I’ve had mine for around six months, approaching 3k miles and it’s been a peach. Ran the seating, some cosmetics (fat bob rear) and a S1, so far I’ve managed to keep my paws out of the motor, it’s that good. Budget for tires.

Instead of looking for a deal on a used one, I’d look for a new leftover 23 at the dealer. You never know who or how the initial break-in and maintenance was done, let alone any modifications. If you can get pricing within 2k of a used one, I’d opt for new.

The used market is a bit saturated now, maybe you can find a mid-lifer who punted after a few miles and score a deal. I’d still hunt for new one, my local HD dealer is not moving many new bikes now and winter is coming, so deals can be had.

Good luck