I'm about to buy a 2008 E/G Classic. It is in immaculate shape, for a reasonable price, IMO.
However, there's nothing worse than having a seed of doubt planted in your head by a friend. Admittedly, I know little about the various years of these bikes. My buddy tells me that the chassis and tire sizes are different (in a positive way) from 08 to 09. He says to "possibly" steer clear of anything before 09, and that the 09 up has a much better ride.
Is this true? Is there that much of a difference between 08 to 09-later (besides the obvious fact that it's a year older)?
The 08 I'm looking at buying has quite a few extras, very little miles, and only one owner, in almost showroom condition.
Thanks for any info.

 

I don't know if there is a huge difference in ride, but, as an investment the 09 on up has the newer design chassis. If the buy was right it wouldn't make any difference to me. If purchasing as a short term filler till you can get a new bike I would try to find a 09 or newer (BETTER/EASIER RESALE), if not, get a great buy on a 08 or older and ride the **** out of it!

 

09 has a slightly better ride and better upgrades. However if the deal was good enough I would not hesitate to buy an 08

 

I am by NO means an expert, but I do know that the touring chasis were changed from 08 to 09 for the better. I have ridden an 08 Ultra and loved it, but it was only a short ride. I've also riden a 09 RKC and loved it even more. The ride felt tighter. As for the tires, I'm not sure what the size differance is, but I think the rear tire on the 09's are a little wider. I just bought a 2011 FLHX 103, but haven't ridden it yet. I don't pick it up until August when I come home on R&R. Anyway, what I would consider most important is if YOU are happy with it. There are a lot of opinions out there. Some will be good, some will be bad. Whatever decision you make, enjoy your new scoot.

 

Depends how you ride. If you ride hard, and corner hard, you will enjoy the 09up. the new frame is very stable and rarely "wobbles" on the low side of 110mph.

I have ridden both and I think the 08 has a softer suspension setup, and is a nicer bike to tour on. A lot of this is subjective and others may disagree.

If you do a search for magazine reviews you will find that when the 08s came out they were universally praised as the best tourers yet. If you are a touring / cruisy rider then the 08 is a very nice bike, and you will be very happy with it.

Hope this sort of helps.

 

If it is a sweet deal, low miles, and YOU like the bike..... Just Do IT........... enjoy and
dont worry about what others say......... You are the man and nothing wrong with a
08 Harley. Of course ALL years have some sort of problems, and you can nit pick that
subject to death..........................................hdm an

 

You can put a Bagger Brace on the '08, and it will be close to the handling of the '09.
Progressive also makes one.

 

As far as I know the only difference is the neck has either 2.5 or 3 inches more reach in the neck, so the frame is stretched out a little more.
If you look at the older style you will see that on the newer ones there is a larger gap in between the frame down tubes and the forks...
Go to a dealer and take a look and you'll see.

 

The bike is $21,000 (CDN), with lots of extras, and only 7300 kms.
I agree, everyone has their opinions, but my buddy has a 09 U/C and no doubt knows what he's talking about.
I, on the other hand, have little to no knowledge of the H-D touring line, and could be misinformed if I'm not careful (hence the questions).
I think I'll just go for it. If I have nothing to compare it to, then I guess I'll never know the difference. :-)
I'm sure there's no one here that owns a 08 E/G Classic that would complain about it.

 

If you like the bike - buy it and don't give it a second thought. The price seems high for an 08 considering you can buy a brand new black ultra for $23,350.......