With the economy the way it is & money getting tight I'm considering trading in my 2011 Limited for something a bit less expensive & more affordable. Been looking online & have saw a few 88 ci Road Kings that the previous owners have obviously dropped a good deal of coin into & need to know what to look for.
Really need some help here fella's. I love the Limited with all of the bells & whistles but like I said, moneys beginning to dictate my choices. While I can afford to keep it, we're starting to juggle & I just don't see it as my best choice. Any insight as to the older Harleys would be much appreciated.

Clay

 

Hey that sucks, I've read your posts and I know you love your bike.

1.) you've already eaten the depreciation on your bike- I doubt that you would get near what it is worth

2.) you know what it is mechanically, no 2nd hand issues- many owners sell vehicles because they know a.) something is about to wear out or b.) some below standard work has been done on it. c.) it's been wrecked and repaired.

3.) I believe it took H-D 10 years or better to sort out the Twin Cam- that's why I waited to last year to sell my evo ( neither a, b or c above applied) and get my 09.

While i was shopping I did look at a couple of Limiteds 2010 and 2011- in all cases the owners were looking at taking a huge loss--- ( say $18,500 or so)

A test ride confirmed to me that the 103 was no huge advantage ( for my riding needs)- and I found a great deal on the EG Classic, in the end paying about $15000

Hope you can find a way that makes sense to keep your bike.

Mike

 

A lot of folks say that '02 was about the best year for RKs....first year of Delphi Fuel Injection, first year of extened life drive belt, last year of Timken bearings, and a few other things. Pros and cons to any year model. One of things many of us are finding on the older models is that the cam chain tensioner pads that were supposed to last 100k miles don't make it that long. Most seem to get at least 30K miles....some a lot longer, some a little shorter. I inspected mine at 32k, they're a little more than half way toast...gonna get replaced by next year. When they fail...it's bad. At the very least, you should have it thoroughly inspected prior to purchase. The trouble being is that anytime you buy used, you may be buying someone elses problem. My '02 is creeping up on 35K miles and other than maintenance and minor mods, I haven't had to do much of anything significant. Of course that doesn't count the clutch I blew up doing burn-outs one New Years Eve with the fellas....that one was purely on me. The only gremlin I chased for a while ended up being a bad injector o-ring that cause a lean condition. Took a while but eventually figured it out. Bought mine new in '02 and have been completely satisfied with it the entire time. Saw a used '03 on the HD showroom floor the other day for $9K, lots of extras and very low miles. Nothing wrong with older bikes, just fully check it out.

 

I got an 03 RKC with 20k miles. it has a PCIII, Screamin' Eagle air filter, but has the stock exhaust. runs great, and never fails to carry the GF and me any where I've ever asked it to.

I'm pretty sure this will be my last bike. for sure I won't ever wear it out, but I'll be worn out.

 

My '03 EG Classic was rock solid at 26,000 miles when I sold it.

 

Bought an 05 WG , 88".. Injected, with 30K on it. On second set of tires. gonna have to do cam tensioners this winter, and check compensator sprocket. other wise no problems. heard 06's and up had gremlins 96" and 6 speeds. I'm shure people are going to find problems with anything you find, but there are 100 year old harleys running around out there.

 

I just ordered the cam plate upgrade kit along with some Wood Tw6-6 cams. My inside cam shoe was at about 60-70% worn at the 20K mile marker....got 22K on it now.

That's the biggest issue with the TC88's.....my RK gets great mileage and runs great!....I enjoy her very much! She looks good too....

Buy one with the cam plate tensioner upgrade and you will be set. I plan on putting many miles on mine.

 

don't buy anything after an 06.

 

Well, you can get a carb...and in my book that is a plus.

My '99 has needed a starter, cam tensioner upgrade and that's about it. I've added cams and stage 1 and my personal stuff. Otherwise it has been a dependible trooper! 55k + miles.

 

Is there any advantage to changing intake and adding a tuner if you leave the exhaust stock on a pre-07 HD?


Dennis