Stopped and looked at a Harley a neighbor has parked with a For Sale sign on it.

According to the VIN, it's a 2002 883 EVO XL. Starts and runs, needs tires, battery and some general love.

He's asking $1800. I don't know diddly about Harleys but I'm semi-somewhat interested in the "You will by a Glock Harley" sense.

Dicker or Run Away?

I don't ride one but plenty of my buddies do. Their rule of thumb is walk away from any HD 10 years or older, UNLESS you know how it's been treated. Repairs are like a Porsche. Reasonable if you do them yourself. This post is coming from a CBR1100 rider so take that into account.

Googled photos don't look overly different to the '01 Indian Scout in my garage.

For that cheap, even if you just got it into good running order, could maybe turn an easy profit on it?

The first rule of buying a motorcycle: Don't buy one built in any country whose primary language is English.

I love my BMW and my Yamaha.

My ex had a 2001 883, and I'd tool around on it when my scooter was in the shop. I really loved riding around on it, although it lacked ooooomph. It only made it about 100 miles between fill ups but that wasn't a big problem. It did the potato potato thing too, which was a bonus. Would I get another today? Nope, for a little more you could get a used 1200.

There's one for sale on Cycle Trader at Smoky Mountain Harley. List is $3900. Might want to look at NADA or KBB value on that one before you buy, since it needs work.

What’s the mileage?

They are pretty easy to work on. Air cooled, everything is exposed, easy to find parts. Reading some of your posts, I don’t think you’d have any issues working on it.

883's are kinda the bottom feeder of harleys but they are still fun. Just make sure it's comfortable before you negotiate. Probably knocking on $400 for tires and a battery (unless you put chinese tires on). If the ergonomics suck for you then it's worthless. Some of those had straight drag bars I believe and some have curved bars. It's a cruiser. I don't think you'll be happy on it for any longer distance. But definitely a fun ride.

883 is the entry level engine on the XL (Sporty) line but that doesn't mean it's not a good and fun bike.

Unlike the big HD cruisers/baggers its got a higher center of gravity, corners better, and it has the HD sound.

Parts are available because it's been built for many years, and over 10 year old HD are at the bottom of the value list. If you're 6'4 and 300 pounds it's not a good idea but if you're under 6 foot tall and lighter weight they are fun bikes, handle good, lots of fun...

A good winter project would be to pull the cylinders and bump it to 1200 cc, the 883 heads with 1200 cyl end up with more compression than the 1200 off the floor, a set of cams and slip ons and it will put out decent power.

It's not 11000 rpm inline 4 140 hp crotch rocket power, but for bumping along the back roads, nothing like the low end grunt of a vtwin to pull you through corners and out

If you need parts I have a good friend that owns a shop specialized in HD, tires, batteries, etc he will hook you up...

See if the owner/seller has the service records from new. That will tell you a lot. I never owned an 883 HD but have owned '61 XLCH, and a later model Sportster. They are a hoot to ride, and I put many, many miles on them. I traded my late model Sportster in on a new STS Springer in '97, and still own it.

If the 883 has been maintained as it should have been, that price would not scare me in the least.

PHPaul, check your email...

Instead of "Potato-Potato-Potato" of the Big Twin, you get "tatertot-tatertot-tatertot"...

quote:

Originally posted by sigmonkey:
Instead of "Potato-Potato-Potato" of the Big Twin, you get "tatertot-tatertot-tatertot"...

still... sounds better than this!




Link to original video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fKYpyu1_1os

An old GF had an 883. I despised it. The more I worked on it the more I hated it. No power, didnt corner worth a damn (it had a big, skinny front rim). I wouldnt own one if you gave it to me. But I'm an old sportbike rider.

A bit more yakking and I found out a couple of things.

This guy makes his living buying stuff cheap, fixing it up and flipping it. I've known him for years. I knew the guy who last rode it. He OD'd on something, current owner bought it (no doubt for a song...) from his widow.

The guy was a complete hammer-head, so chances are it's had the shit beat out of it. It sure looks that way cosmetically.

I'm gonna pass unless he gets desperate and gets WAAAAY closer to $1000 on the price.

I've never owned a Sportster. I have owned two twin cams.

You'll hear that the evo Sportster engines are bulletproof compared to a twin cam.

Might be a fun project bike. Especially if you can push him down on the price a little.

I’d pass

quote:

Originally posted by GrumpyBiker:
I’d pass

+1.

quote:

Originally posted by GrumpyBiker:
I’d pass

Me too just because of what you know now about the bike.
The Evo motors are supposed to be great and last forever but if it was abused and/or not taken care of, you could be looking at a money pit.
My first Harley was a 1200 Sportster and I loved it. It was well taken care of and ran great.
Now I have the Milwaukee Eight engine in my Harley and so far, so good.

One thing I look for and will make me walk is the title being a "self-assembled" or "salvage". Not worth as much, they can be very iffy, a pain to work on, and an insurance company may refuse to have anything to do with them.
883 or 1200 evo Sportys are fun if as mentioned you're under the 6'0"/300 pound mark. Considering what you know now, let it set until this winter or later. If it has the Harley title don't go over $1200.