Like someone else already said.. its a buyers market out there, just go on craigslist and there are 100's of bikes a day for sale.. and if you have the money in hand everybody will let you test drive the bike they have. find whichever one feels like you can't live without and go from there. mods can always wait..

 

Why would you spend $6600 on a bike that's 19 years old? Either get the Fatty or keep looking. $10K will buy you a nice, much newer bike. Good luck.

 

I would not go with the older bike.. It looks to me that you are really not happy with either bike because right off the bat you want to change them... I would keep looking around for a bike that better fits what you want. And don't go to a dealer to test drive a bike, they may be the same model but each bike will "feel" differnt depending on how it is set up... Always try to test drive the bike you are thinking about buying... You can find a lot of bikes out there that already have most of the mods you want and save yourself a lot of time and money...

 

Sounds to me like the Fatboy is too far from what you want, and you'll end up spending quite a bit to get it there. I agree that you should keep looking around to find one closer to your target.

OTOH, I wouldn't be afraid of that older bike at all, although $6,600 is a little more than I'd pay for it. Those Evos are rock solid, and it sounds like the guy has kept it up well. The only knock to me is the soild mounted, unbalanced engine which is pretty buzzy at certain RPMs. I'm currently working on a '93 Fatboy, and the vibration is its biggest negative.

 

Older bikes have more character and are not "electronically challenged", Ya I said it.

 

Keep looking. Lots of deals out there. One more thing that may or may not matter to you, lots of Harley dealers will not service the older bikes. Not a concern if you know a good indy or can do it yourself but just something to consider.

 

Thanks for all the replies, keep them coming.
Couple things, $10k doesn't buy much in a used Harley in So Cal. Most 2002 and newer heritages get around $13k or so. (which most of them need add-on to make it what I want)
I have seen some bikes that I love but if they are evo they are $12k or more and if they are twin cams they are $18k or more.
I am looking for a stripped down, sleek, beach bar kind of look. fishtails, chrome etc.

I don't mind wrenching, actually would like to. Changing pipes, bars, rebuilding top end, etc.

 

Let the bike pick you!

I was all set on buying a Fat Boy Lo in denim black. I went with $1000 in my pocket to put a deposit on it, but then it happened.....I saw MY white and black Deluxe! The moment I saw it, I forgot all about the Lo!

 

I think I decided, I am going to grab a trailer and head over to see that fatboy. More than I want to spend but a newer bike, twin cam, etc. I'll feel better putting money into that bike over the years to come.
I looked at it and did the math, all I "need" for it is front fender and stock wire wheels. Those are not hard to come by and I can get them all for $500 or less. I'll sell the stock rims and tires to off-set that cost, so maybe $300 out of pocket?
I'll end up doing the samson pipe, $700 but I'll sell what is on there and get a couple hundred. ($500 to the pipes, out of pocket)

I'll just re-paint the sheet metal and that will be cheap enough. (and custom)

It will be very close to perfect for me with about $1000 out of pocket put in. A kick *** bike for $9800 with the pipes I want and new custom paint. I couldn't buy a 2004 with that low miles for that price. (not around here)


BTW- Nicky, this FB will look a lot like your deluxe when finished.

 

Go with the Fatty, you will spend a lot of money on the older bike to get it to run the way you want etc.. plus the Fatty won't rattle the filling off your teeth at highway speed.

The 2004 is a GREAT model, skinny tires in the back makes for great classic look. IMO.