OK, One more Fatboy question.
#11
02-20-2011, 04:29 PM
#12
02-20-2011, 05:56 PM
Road Captain
Spoken like true owners of pre-'07 bikes... until you've ridden the 96 with the six speed you just can't appreciate it. Sure, the 96" displacement isn't much more than the 88, but the transmission and other advances are well worth it, as is the wider rear.
Knowing what I know, I'd never go for a pre-'07 bike myself, nor would I recommend one.
To each their own, though...
The other thing is whether you want to make it your own, or settle for someone else's vision and upgrades. Some don't care, others do... which are you? In the end, you have to be happy with whatever it is you purchase, so think it through and the decision should come clear.
Roger
Knowing what I know, I'd never go for a pre-'07 bike myself, nor would I recommend one.
To each their own, though...
The other thing is whether you want to make it your own, or settle for someone else's vision and upgrades. Some don't care, others do... which are you? In the end, you have to be happy with whatever it is you purchase, so think it through and the decision should come clear.
Roger
Engines aren't much different. You may get more outta the 88 upgraded to a 95 but not if you take a 96 and upgrade it to a 103.
Is your buddy's a carb or EFI? A lot of guys like the carb.....but bottom line is EFI is the future of the bikes. Whether you want to admit it or not, it is. Sorry, it is what it is.
The transmission is key. That 6 gear transmission is nice to have, especially at highway speeds. I have also found that when I ride with my buddy who has a 5 speed down the twisting turning backroads in the foothills, he spends a lot more time shifting thru 3rd, 4th, and even 5th while I can stay in 4th most of the time....with an occasional switch to 5th for a longer straightaway.
This will allow you to be better prepared and concentrate on the road and not the gear selection.
And the blank canvas vs. someone's dream. Get a newer one and make it your own.....or buy the older one and deal with it. And remember, upgrades are nice....but they don't always make the bike worth a whole lot more.
And if you want to consider resale....the '05 is gonna lose a lot of resale value once a dealer can no longer offer an extended warranty on it. So unless you do private sale....your gonna be stuck between a rock and a hard place. But even with private sale, you will still need to compete with newer bikes all over the place.
#13
02-20-2011, 10:05 PM
Cruiser
Join Date: Jan 2011
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#14
02-20-2011, 10:31 PM
Elite HDF Member
#15
02-20-2011, 10:34 PM
Cruiser
#16
02-21-2011, 12:25 AM
Road Warrior
The transmission is key. That 6 gear transmission is nice to have, especially at highway speeds. I have also found that when I ride with my buddy who has a 5 speed down the twisting turning backroads in the foothills, he spends a lot more time shifting thru 3rd, 4th, and even 5th while I can stay in 4th most of the time....with an occasional switch to 5th for a longer straightaway.
Ane while I personally love the fatter rear tire, the only time you see it is when you're looking at it from the rear... don't quite see why anyone would be that biased one way or the other, but to each their own and that is why there are different models and different mods out there.
Roger
#17
02-21-2011, 04:06 PM
.... having owned various carb'ed and EFI machines over the last 40+ years ... if you live in the south ... and u don't have strict emissions checking ... carburator wins out anytime ... everytime ... and I say this riding a 2010 Fatboy ... from which I had to pitch out the factory ECM to get the thing to start up correctly and run with some guts ...
Last edited by cpiad; 02-21-2011 at 04:11 PM.
#18
02-21-2011, 05:25 PM
Ultimate HDF Member
#20
02-21-2011, 06:14 PM
Sounds like you don't have the "07 to 09" option narrowed down yet, so I'm guessing you're still in shopping mode.
Shop around and decide what you want out of the bike. Oh yes indeedy, the wheels & paint & options he has on his are worth some serious $$$, it's still an '05, and getting worn down. Probably needs some engine work done in the near future. You also got to look at whether or not you're completely happy with those aftermarket parts... otherwise you'll be getting it repainted anyway!!
With a newer (or BRAND NEW) bike, you gotta fork out all that cash for paint & rims & such, but it will definitely be YOUR bike and it will mechanically last longer. I got an '09 and I LOVE that wide 200mm rear tire!!! No small amount of rocks/gravel will control my destiny!
So...... go with what makes you happy. (I'm hoping you'd do that anyway, no matter what us jokers on here say.)
Shop around and decide what you want out of the bike. Oh yes indeedy, the wheels & paint & options he has on his are worth some serious $$$, it's still an '05, and getting worn down. Probably needs some engine work done in the near future. You also got to look at whether or not you're completely happy with those aftermarket parts... otherwise you'll be getting it repainted anyway!!
With a newer (or BRAND NEW) bike, you gotta fork out all that cash for paint & rims & such, but it will definitely be YOUR bike and it will mechanically last longer. I got an '09 and I LOVE that wide 200mm rear tire!!! No small amount of rocks/gravel will control my destiny!
So...... go with what makes you happy. (I'm hoping you'd do that anyway, no matter what us jokers on here say.)