Questions about Harley Sportsters

Gamecock

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I have a friend/aquaintance who has a few too many toys and needs to sell his 2003 Harley Sportster. Its not a desperation sale, but he definitely needs to get rid of the bike. He heard me mention that I wouldn't mind picking up a cruiser as a second bike for the Summer riding season if I found a good deal, so he asked if I am interested in his. It is a 1200 (XLH, I think?) and he said he would take $4000. While it is true that I wouldn't mind buying a cruiser if I found one that is a good deal, since its a 2nd bike and I don't even get to ride my 1st bike as often as I'd like, what I'm really looking for is a pretty killer deal.

I don't know much about Harley Sportsters, so I figured I'd draw from the vast supply of motorcycle knowledge on this forum to get an idea of a)what to look for, and run away from, in a Sportster, and b)just how good of a deal this bike might be.

As to the 2nd part of the question, it looks like he is asking about $300 less than the KBB retail for the bike. (the bike is basically stock, btw). Based on the retail, its not a bad deal, but its not a "can't miss" deal either. But in looking at classified ads and Craigslist listings, his price seems to be a good bit lower than the asking price on a lot of other Sportsters. But asking prices are asking prices - I don't know if any of those bikes are selling. Are most of these sellers over-pricing their bikes, or does the presence of aftermarket accessories (loud pipes, forward controls, windshields, etc.) mean a lot more in the used Harley market than the used Honda market?

Does the fact that this is the "100th Anniversary" edition really mean anything as far as value is concerned?

As to the first part of my question, are there any specific things I need to really look for when looking at this bike? Any specific issues or concerns with Sportsters? It only has about 4000 miles (is that good or bad?) and he has owned the bike about 18 months or 2 years and put about 1500 miles on it. The bike looked good and seemed to run well the last time I saw it, but that was back when I wasn't thinking about buying it, so I didn't look at it with a critical eye. I will probably meet him this weekend to test ride it. I've never ridden a Sportster before, so I'm not really sure what to expect. Obviously, I'm not expecting a ride as comfortable as the ST, but hopefully, I'll be able to tell if the thing isn't acting right.

Understand that my goal is to buy a bike that I can enjoy for a little while just to provide a little variety and change of pace from the ST. I also wouldn't mind being able to say "I've owned a Harley" and experienced a littled different side of motorcycling than what I've been used to. But once I've done that, I would hope to sell it for more than I paid. After registering the bike, paying sales tax, property taxes, insurance, etc., I don't reasonably expect to walk away with much profit, if any. But it would be nice to "break even" by basically riding it for free for 2 or 3 months. That's the kind of "killer deal" I'm looking for. Any input would be appreciated.
 

Silver Bullet

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Sounds like a pretty nice deal to me considering the low miles and an anniversery addition . If it,s been well taking care of and moves your soul, go for it ! IMHO

MIKE
 

Shadowfax-ST

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Only emotional caution of a friend who bought one as the fulfilment of a long enjoyed dream to complement his ST1100. He quickly fell out of love with it and stuck to the ST.
 
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Is it an 883 or 1200? The 1200 is a nice bike, the 883 is, ah... underpowered. Also the 2003 is not rubber mounted so its going to vibrate quite a bit although it smooths out about 2500 rpm. The 100 aniversary model only means something to someone who wants it. HD makes a lot of special editions.
 
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Let's see, you have an ST and are considering a Sportster......
That's like the guy that was married to Eva Longoria and decided to fool around.
 
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One big question ... how big are you if you are a good sized guy sat 6'2" and say 200 lbs you will look foolish on it
the bike is rather small it makes a good learners bike if it is an 883 it has little power 1200 is better.
that bike also has a bad reputation for elect. trouble. 4K is high you should be able to get is for less unless he has loaded
it up with stuff (chorme everything)
I have had the sportster and it is small for me I am the size above 6'2" 220 lbs. try the FX or larger.
Dave
 
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Gamecock

Gamecock

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Let's see, you have an ST and are considering a Sportster......
That's like the guy that was married to Eva Longoria and decided to fool around.
:DFor my all-around use, the ST1300 is the best bike in the world, but I ain't married to it. And, fortunately, even if I were, there's no law against motorcycle polygamy. There's nothing wrong with experiencing different kinds of motorcycle riding and the Sportster offers its own type of enjoyment.

The other thing the Sportster offers is a VAST market of prospective buyers. You can enjoy it for a while, and when you inevitably tire of it, sell it to one of the multitudes of folks looking for the very same bike. It isn't the fulfillment of a lifelong dream for me and its not about buying a bike I can use an enjoy for years and years. Its a fun little diversion that doesn't require much of an investment.

As an update, I passed on the deal and my friend subsequently sold the bike (a 1200, as I mentioned in my first post) for the same $4000 figure to another buyer. All parties involved, including me, were happy with the deal. I think it was a fair deal, given the condition of the bike, but not quite the homerun deal it would have taken for me to be interested in the bike.
 
Joined
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Is it an 883 or 1200? The 1200 is a nice bike, the 883 is, ah... underpowered. Also the 2003 is not rubber mounted so its going to vibrate quite a bit although it smooths out about 2500 rpm. The 100 aniversary model only means something to someone who wants it. HD makes a lot of special editions.
I had a 90th anniversary sporty for 5 years. Great bike. (6'0 @ 180) Just not a bike for any distances. Rubber mounts are for wimps...you gotta feel those rockers right up in your boys...:D...and then you get older and kinda like your boys to hang around a while longer.
 
Joined
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local funeral director(read into the $$$$) has a sportster, 1999, black(of course!)...been sitting on funeral home driveway for sale off/on for over a year...no takers...surely not a sellers market...regional paper has almost all the bikes listed for sale as harleys... even with his perky biker chick wife doing her best to rep the bike(low miles, also) as i walked by on an outing...just not my interest...went back home & enjoyed an st13 ride!:03biker::)
 
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