87000 miles, cause for concern ?

[mpheinitz]

Browsing CL I find a well loved Buell City for sale with 87000 miles.
https://santabarbara.craigslist.org/mcy/d/2005-buell-lightning-984cc/6389708079.html

Would you hit it?

Mileage does not concern me too much if responsibly ridden and with good maintenance, however the Buell (Harley) brand is new to me and I am not sure of the life expectancy may be, especially compared to Japanese bikes of the same vintage.

Does a high mileage engine / gearbox scare you?

Michael

 

[Cooter]

Nope. Not at all. She'll keep on ticking like a Swatch from the 80's

It's a lot of miles, the engine will last that long easily but make sure the 1-2 shift is smooth and it doesn't pop out of gear under hard throttle (worn dogs will take a full engine dis-assembly). Previous maintenance is key. Do you trust all the previous owners? Delve a little deeper. Steering head bearings, wheel bearings, O2 sensor, front rotor hardware, fork re-build, drive belt, idler bearings, swingarm bearings, rear shock... It's all relatively cheap. Check the fan for oil saturation too.

 

[mpheinitz]

Just browsing for now, but thanks for the tips. Trying to learn all I can.

 

[yellowcarbon]

I would if I could get it for the right price. But I think you can find a bike with half the miles for not much more money. I've seen a ton of bikes with 25-40K miles on it for the $3K range. I've been shopping for a Uly myself and currently have a Lightning, so I've been keeping an eye out.

The bike in question isn't a bad buy, but you will have to do minor repairs. Not only is the bike 12 years old, it has a bunch of miles on it. So bearings, seals, etc. may need repair/replacement due to age & wear. If you are handy, all the work can be done by yourself, Buells are very easy to work on. The shop manual is fantastic and walks you through just about everything. There are tons of parts available, either new or used.

The up side to the bike is that a bike being ridden has been maintained to a degree. 87K miles sounds high, but if you average it out over 12 years, not so much. So the bike has been ridden, which is good. I think a high mileage bike that is ridden is better than a low mileage bike that sits for long periods of time. As long as it has been maintained, which the ad alludes to, it isn't worn out by any means. Buells are very easy to service.

If you buy the bike and don't want the Ventura racks, I'd definitely be interested in them.

 

[GregoXB]

Don't buy it, it's junk.

Yours,

Tea Bag

 

[Outlaw]

Buy it. We will throw a bunch of snake foam at it, then complain about it together.
Tea Bag
Ps.....
If you want I can 3D copy my pos and we can re engineer them together.
Tea Bag