Hi guys...I have been looking into the FLHP Road Kings. Have any of you purchased retired police bikes? What are some of the pitfalls or things I may not be aware of? I like the 08 and newer models and I have found a few with less than 20K miles for around $10-11K. Thanks for the help...

 

There good I likem. 09 up has newer frame if you care. come with abs, 103, oil cooler, Air ride seat. Do a search on Police here youll learn alot.

 

I purchased a 2007 Police Road King in August 2009 with 27,000 miles. It had the usual scratches on the saddlebag lids which I was able to hide mostly with pin stripiing. The floor boards were ground off back to the floorboard rubber inserts. I don't think it had ever been cleaned and it was very hard to get the wheels cleaned up. My bike was used in Oklahoma City. It had the 103, ABS and oil cooler. The first 10,000 miles was trouble free then all hell broke loose. I spent $700 in parts before finding out it was a bad plug in to the MAP sensor. The dealer had the bike off and on last summer for 6 weeks before they found the problem. (It would not give them an engine code)I realize it could have happened to any bike at anytime but I'm sure my bike has had the crap run out of it by an officer than didn't care at all for his bike. I talked to one of the officers and they say they go through a set of brakes and a clutch about every other month. I know these bikes idle a bunch when they are doing a vehicle stop. Another thing is for me, maybe not everyone but I found it extremely hard to sell once someone finds out it is an actual use police bike. My advise is to look them over good and buy one with very low miles. I was also told when I purchased mine that "Police Bikes are maintained very well" From talking to the officer this is BS! He said that most cities or hurting for money so if they do maintainance on them they do it with the city machanics, not Harley Dealers. And he said they don't do anything to them until they won't won't run then they will fix them.
I don't know where you are located but the Harley Dealer in Stillwater Ok, has Police Bikes with very low miles on them. I wish I could afford one just to fix up for a solo bike just for me. I love the way the RK handles, just check it out real good before you buy one. I was only able to put 2000 miles on my Police Bike last summer because of the problems I had with it. I could not wait to get rid of it for something with a warrenty but I'm sure this is not the same story for most Police Bike owners. Good Luck!

 

I bought mine in July 2009 from the Seminole County, Fl Sheriff's dept. I wanted the 103 and 6 speed. I got a copy of the service records with my bike, and it had been serviced by one of the local Harley dealers. It had fresh tires, brakes and a clutch when I bought it.



It took a few months, to get it shaped up, but the bike was solid under the ugly green sheetmetal. I bought a set of Road King tins off ebay, had them painted and added a Dragonfly fairing and a set of SE204 cams.




Brakes and clutch will need to be serviced if there has been any kind of miles on the bike since they were last done. The air ride seat is comfy, but ugly. The 08 and newer bikes have the Brembo brakes, which is a big improvement.

 

Picked up an 09 RK Police demo bike with the 103, ABS, and only 1,200 miles on her. Coming up on 10,000 now and couldn't be happier. Great bike at a great price, but, yeah, I'd be wary of them these days with too many miles on the clock given the state of most police budgets, etc.

 

One last one of my chrome addiction.

Also, here's a plug for those chrome rail inserts ... much to my surprise, they are more than cosmetic in that the way they come together, they strengthen the whole rail set-up. There's a couple of fairly beefy plates behind the scenes that I was pleasantly surprised by. Whadaknow.

 

Also for those with an eye for detail ... those are chrome - not black plastic - hole fillers where the rear passenger pegs/footboards should be.

I know ... pathetic ...

 

Great bikes for the money, but resale isn't good.

 

I think the market for all used bikes is a little soft right now.

A police bike can be had for quite a bit less than a comparable civilian bike. The 07s and 08s can be had for well under 10K, and for that you get a 103 and usually ABS brakes. Great starting point for someone who is going to do a custom build. Not the best bike for someone who just wants a turnkey ride.

 

Thanks Guys...I am looking for a bike that I will keep. I retire from the military in just over four years and plan to purchase a new bike at that time. So this bike will be used as a daily rider in Florida and probably become a project bike. I will be on the lookout for low mileage 08s or 09s. Thanks for the help...