Hello guys. Well the 2006 Fatboy that I won on Ebay finally was delivered. Dead battery, some rust (with pitting), the bike has 4,800 miles on it-not 1,400 like it said in the add. And lastly, when I checked the oil dip stick, there wasn't any on it.

I took a flashlight and looked down the filler neck, and there was very little at the bottom. The tags on the bike are 2009, so I'm guessing it hasn't been rode for a long while?

Here's the question: Has the oil found it's way to the bottom of the engine after sitting for so long? And, should I top it off before starting (to just before the filler neck weld) in order to get a "hot" reading?

Oh yeah, using Coca cola and SOS pads really works on most of the rust! Some parts I'm going to have to replace..So maybe it wasn't such a good deal at $9,895 after al l

 

Probably still not a bad deal. The oil is probably in the engine. My 06 does it and its pretty common due to the oil tank being above the crank case. I would start it for a.few seconds to see if the oil refill into the oil tank. It probably hasn't been started in awhile. You can also just drain all the oil out and put new in. I would definitely recommend changing all fluids.

 

If I'm not mistaken, on eBay you have $50K worth of fraud protection when you buy a vehicle. In this case the mileage was misrepresented, which is fraud. if I were you I'd investigate that avenue, unless you are ok with paying for a great bike but getting and dealing with what might be a problem child.

 

Not sure exactly how much oil a Harley crankcase will hold (if totally sumped) but I'm pretty sure it's not three quarts. Just to be on the safe side though I'd turn the motor over by hand (jack up the rear, put the transmission in a high gear, and rotate the rear tire through a couple piston strokes) to make sure there is no hydraulic lock going on. If there is and you start the motor you could bend, or even snap, a piston rod.

As for the oil tank being empty it's possible the oil (and gas) was drained as a requirement for shipping.

 

IMO.. unless you're pissed about the mileage being misrepesented, i would do one of two things:

1) drain ALL of the fluids and put new fluids in..gas tank, primary, transmission, oil, maybe even the brakes if you're adventurous.. $50-70 in new fluids could save you hundreds/thousands later on..

2) take the bike to a trusted motorcycle mechanic or something and have him open up everything and give it a good once-over. how do you know the previous owner hasn't be running the thing with no oil in the tank anyways, ya know? something could be mucked up that you can't even see.. if that's the case, do what Keith says and contact eBay about it.

 

I went back and read their information page http://pages.ebay.com/ebaymotors/buy...ion/index.html, and I doubt you'd have a case.

Its says its not a substitute for due diligence - and specifically mentions pre-purchase inspection. I presume you didnt do a pre-purchase inspection because whoever would have done that - you or third party - would/should certainly have caught the difference in claimed/actual mileage.

 

THIS!!!

Why would you contemplate starting a motorcycle that you just paid almost 10K for without first changing the fluids so you know what is in it? I wish I had $10K that I could watch go up in smoke, I'm sure you do too. Lets not start here.

 

Yeah, you got to LOVE some ebay sellers!! As said before depending on what YOU are feeling about the deal, you have a couple options. IF you think the bike is worth it thatn i would STILL contact the seller. Don't let them off the hook on this. And FOR SURE reflect your dissatisfaction in the feedback you leave. For under $10K a 2006 with still relatively low mileage isn't that bad of a deal, but it isn't in the condition stated in the auction. Were you able to see these problem rust areas from the pictures in the auction? MOST of the time I've seen a picture of the odometer to verify mileage.
But I would take the suggestion to have a trusted mechanic do a once over on it BEFORE it's started, just to be safe. You can have this done while you are contacting ebay and the seller.
I've been on ebay for MANY years buying and selling, I've never sold anything but smaller items and vehicle/motorcycle parts. have heard MANY stories about bikes and vehicles that ended up being something WAAAY different than what they THOUGHT they were buying. I hope it all works out for you. keep us informed.
and how about some pics

 

My guess would be that the fluids and gas were drained before shipping as stated above. With 4,800 miles on it I would send it up to the dealer and have the 5,000 mile service done and ask the tech to give it a good once over.

I know I did that when I bought my 06 SB and a 15,000 service. Tech found spokes out of whack, belt loose and a few other things I wouldn't have found myself.

98 Fatboy is there now getting a good once over as well as a few mods here and there.

Karsten

 

Thanks for all the replies guys. Well, I just got back from the parts store with a new battery. Installed the battery, hit the starter, bike turned over and, yup, there's plenty of oil in it. No smoke, runs without much vibration.

I did not do a pre-purchase inspection on the bike (the seller was in Newport beach California and I'm in Oregon.) Don't think there's anything I can do about fraud at this point, because it's going to be the sellers word against mine as far as the miles are concerned.

I do want to have the 5000 mile service done on the bike, however, the nearest shop is about 90-100 miles away. So, it looks like a road trip for me in the near future. I will change out the engine oil and filter before I go.

I know for some, rust/corrosion may not be the end of the world, however, it still pisses me off because the first question I asked the guy before buying was " Does it have any rust?" And he said "None."