[OzarksF6]

I'm looking for a bike for my wife. She says nothing but a harley will make her happy. (sigh)

I've been looking at the new sportsters. Nice.

I've also found a 97 sportster with less than 100 miles. Yes, 100.
A guy bought it for his wife. She never rode it. Now they are divorced and she has it on consignment at a local shop. My question is, what should I look for in problems with a bike that has not been ridden for a long time?

The dealer says they rebuilt the carb and breaks. $300 worth of work. Other than that, they say "okay" but I'm wanting to get you gearheads to give me an opinion.

Thanks.

 

[Lamonster]

Sportster is a great bike. Back when I rode a Sportster they weren't considered a "Girls Bike" I say buy the used one and go through the carb and maybe change the battery. Check the tires for rott too. Good luck

 

[Lucky Phil]

Last year I bought an 87 Wing with 7700 miles on it. Looked great, but had to rebuild master cylinders, and clutch slave cylinder, and the front fork seals. Tires were due anyway, so I changed those too. The clutch was really sticky, so I switched to synthetic oil, which was helping alot. I had 11,000 miles on it when it developed a shake while going through the gears. I took it in to the dealer to have it checked, saw the 02, and traded it that week.

 

[RaT Bake]

The brand new Sporty's have a counter balancer among other improvements. I don't know if they're at the dealers yet, but it might pay to check them out also.

:rat:
:yw1:

 

[Jim n Judy]

97 Sportster

Last May, my sister on her 97 Sportster and the wife on her 94 Gl1500SE trike took off from Ohio. They picked up the daughter in Boulder and left for California. Of course they reversed the route and arrived home some two weeks later. They had stories of rain, cold, snow, blizzrds, 100 degree heat and loved every mile. They asked me to go but told them it would not be the same. More of a story if they did it alone.

Sorry got off track. This was my sisters (all 100 lbs of her) third trip to Ca on the Sportster. Add more than a few trips to Fla, Kentucky, the Black Hills, Michigan and you can see she has bunches of miles. More than the majority of the hard core riders we know. She keeps it well maintained and it treats her good.

I think your wife would be happier on a wing but if she wants the sportster I say go for it. It is a lot more fun if both are involved.

 

[GrumpyVA]

Christmas Present--Sportster

If its been sitting that long-6years-I would check all the cables, throttle,idle,clutch, for lube. Those cables will bind if not lubed on a regular basis, and could break if operated dry. After 6 years of sitting I'm sure their dry. Check area around battery-if its leaked or vented you might have rust on the frame area under/behind the battery. Fresh oil, filter, and trans/primary fluid probably need to be changed to get rid of any moisture thats probably accumulated. Since it only has 100 miles, aproper engine break in is a must, but any lube/oil that was on the cylinder walls is probably long gone. Before you start it for the first time, to prevent a dry start , you might want to squirt a bit of Marval Oil in each cylinder via the spark plug hole, to lube the cylinders a bit. Thats what I'd do, but thats JMHO.
Luck
:s9:

 

[Mighty Joe]

OZ,,

I Have a '97 softail and although its been ridden pretty hard with a bunch of miles, its been trouble free except for the obvious upkeep. I would buy the Sporty and do the normal maintenance(i.e., Lube cables, check the battery and the carb and the tires. She'll be a happy camper.

Remember: Happy Wife, Happy Life! 8)

 

[Harm]

First go and test ride the new 2004 Sportster with rubber mounted engine and you won't even consider the '97.

 

[Tourer]

I suggest renting a couple of different bikes for a day and see which one the Mrs. likes the best. Most larger Harley dealers have rental programs. Happy Holidays.

 

[kpb46]

04 Sportster

Orderd one for the wife. 1200c pearl white. Will get it in April/May. Could have got it in Jan but will be in Fla so theres no hurry. Had to pay MSRP but sure is a nice bike

Kenb
:yw1:

 

[MesquiteBob]

Try the new Hondas

You may want to see if you can get her to look at some of the new Hondas. A few of the cruisers have really low seats - the reason some women prefer the Sportster. I haven't had any exposure to HDs, but feel sure the Honda will be more reliable, easier to maintain and less expensive overall. Yes, I occasionally do work for a Honda dealer, but the facts are the facts.

 

[kpb46]

Think I'll stay with the Sportster. If she decides she doesn't want to ride then MAYBE I can get most of my money back. Unlike Hondas

 

[Red]

I'd get Her a new one. The 04's are rubber mounted and will be tons smoother than the Sportsters of the past. You can buy a new 1200 Custom out the door for under $10K. They also have a 2 years warranty on them now!