Just so happens that the dealer contacted me today and asked me if I would be interested in a "pre-owned" heritage. I guess the idea was to make trading in my sportster less painful. Told him I would give it some thought. But I dont know. Either way I will still be upside down. I figure if thats going to be the case, why not be upside down on a spanking brand new heritage as oppose to a used one? And also, I fell in love with the 6speed transmission. Then again, what do I know? Maybe some of you guys could give me some of your input and opinions. Transmission before 07 models are an obvious difference, but what about the 88b enginecompared to the 96b? How much of a difference is there? Please feel free to respond

 

Sell your sportster on craig's list. i sold my 06 for $300 more than i paid for it after 10 months and 10,000 miles.

I have not had the 5 speed but i know there are pros and cons to the 06 and older ver the 07 and newer. Big problem with the 07 and newer is the heat caused by the running lean for the EPA. You will have to spend at least $700 to have the dealer correct the problem. You will needs a stage 1/2 or stage 1. The 07 also has the automatic chain tensioner and you also get a warranty. Has the reduced cluch effort also. I also understand because of those issues you can get a good deal on the 07.

 

Unless your going to be running 70+ mph all day, there is not a huge difference between the 6 speed and the 5 speed. I have both a TC-88B and a TC-96B. To be honest, there is little difference in the performance of the motor. The TC-96 runs considerably hotter than the TC-88. I hate the starter on the TC-96. Sounds like the damn things going to come apart when you fire the bike. The TC-88 starter is smoother and quieter. I do like the stock exhaust sound of the '08 bikes over previous stock exhausts. There is enough "sound" to make me reluctant to change the exhaust. My '06 was quieter than a Honda and required an immediate upgrade of the exhaust after purchase. The engine ping of the TC-96 can be unbearable on hot days. I suggest you ride both the new and used bike to make a comparison. If you are happy with the performance of the used bike, save yourself some money!

 

"Too bad I will have to be stuck with my sportster for at least another 2 years. Since I just purchased it earlier this year, I dont have much equity in the bike and it would be fool hearted of me to trade it in now. But at least I came away knowing what my next motorcycle will be sure. For now I will just continue to dream and continue to second guess my decision to buy the sporstster in the first place[sm=smiley6.gif]"

Will power bother...just say no when the dealer calls! You can do it...

 

Are you absolutely sure you're upsidedown in your sporty? Did you at least ask the dealer what they'd give you for it? Just wondering dealers will do anything to sell a bike.

And don't listen to Silverback LOL!

 

I'd probably buy a new '07 before I would buy a used bike.
Unless he has a real deal on a good used one. But I haven't seen a dealer have one of those yet.

 

I've got an 06 Fat Boy, 88b, five speed, and love it. 99% of my driving is city or back roads and it seems perfect. Like others have said, I suppose if you go over 75 mph for a long, the 6 speed would be better. It's just not my thing. Get the one you like best that fits your budget, and enjoy.

 

Get an 01 or 02 if you can. They are the best built engines on the Twin-Cam platform. All downhill from there in terms of quality. The newer they are after 02, the crappier and cheaper they have been built. Less case material and cheaper bearings. The bottom end of the 96" motors are junk.

 

I started looking used at first, and my criteria was a bike in very good to excellent shape with low miles. Seems that used bikes, unless they had a lot of miles on them, were not that much less than new. Also, I wanted to get a stock bike so I could do my own customizing and upgrades. Since I knew I was going to finance, I went new (07) because I could get a better interest rate on new, and a warranty, which I wanted because I'm not really mechanically inclined, nor do I have the time to mess around with mechanical issues. I've ridden 88's and 96's to compare, and I really coudn't tell much difference with both stock. I think everyone has an opinion on which model, year, etc. is best. I just like having something new that no one else has f&cked around with. My payments are the same, or lower than a bike a few thousand less, I have a warranty, and most importantly I have a new bike that I can eventually start customizing the way I want.

 

The bike market is soft right now and if you're willing to go used, you can find some great deals. That will also work against you when selling the Sportster, so maybe the net difference is the same. I personally don't mind buying used Harleys, especially if they have low miles and someone else already paid for some of the basics like Stage 1 upgrades and some chrome. Also, lots of the used bikes were owned by guys who took real good care of them - often much more mature about their bikes than younger guys and their speed machines. Finally, in some states, you only have to pay sales tax on the price difference, so that can help.

Regarding being upside down on the Sportster, I guess it depends on your financial situation. No one likes to lose money on a deal, but if the money isn't a real big concern, I'd suggest that you get what you want and put the money behind you. However, if the additional cost doesn't make sense financially for you, then you might regret it aftera few months. For me, I waited to get a Harley until I could pay cash (that's why I bought a used one)because I knew that a monthly payment would take a lot of the fun out of it.