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$3000 for a 2005 Road King???

16K views 48 replies 27 participants last post by  captainhook455 
#1 ·
Hey guys and gals,

I am new to the forum and I apologize for having my very first post as a "Need Help!!!-What's the value?" type post.

Anyway, I have a chance to buy a 2005 Harley Road King for $3000. Problem is, it has no oil pressure.

I have read a few posts here in the last few hours of how this could be caused by the notorious cam chain tensioner breaking apart into the oil-pump but then again, there are dozens of other reasons why a bike can loose pressure.

THe owner says he did not run the bike after realizing the problem and there were no weird sounds of such when he killed the motor.

Do you think this purchase would be a nightmare of a project? Should I pass or should I chance it and swoop this thing up?
at this price.

I will see the bike in just a few hours and am afraid that if I do not put down a deposit for it now, it will be gone within a couple of hours

Any help appreciated.

Thanks!
Jason

2005 Road King
27,000 Miles

 
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#3 ·
Srip talking and Jump on that...yeah you're probably going to have to rebuild or replace the engine, but in the end it will be a good deal..plus, you get to learn the inner workings of the harley engine. Take it up to a 103 with more compression and cams, it will be a blast to ride..
 
#4 ·
If that is on a craigslist ad and the owner and bike are in separate locations, and with that statement about not running the bike after realizing the problem, I would consider that a scam. The price is too good to be true. Even if you have to put a new engine in the bike for, let's say $4500.00, the price is still too good to be true. Send no money, and go see the bike in person.

Now, on the other hand, IF you know the owner personally, and he is just the type to off some expensive item for a ridiculously low price, then it's a great deal.
 
#6 ·
Well, I bought the bike.

It has a few nicks and scratches here and there and a bit of surface rust in some areas and will need a new front tire shortly. But the motor seemed good enough despite the said problem. It started right up till I told the guy to kill it after a few seconds of running. I didn't notice any smoke or weird noises as it run either.

We will see how this all pans out as I will pick it up tomorrow.

I'm still not sure this is the bike that I want though. I went from looking for a little 305cc Honda to pretty much buying one of the biggest bikes on the street.

With that being said, stay tuned as there may be a cheap road king for sale in the classifieds

Btw, I gave a $300 down payment with a hand written contract.
 
#9 ·
IMO--you got a heck of a deal.
A Road King is a versatile bike and you will enjoy owning it.
Don't be intimidated by the size and weight. They are well designed and balanced and you will be riding with confidence in no time.
Congratulations on an awesome transaction.
 
#10 · (Edited)
As mentioned don't let the size/weight bother you. There are two big gyroscopes on the bike, front and rear, that keep the bike upright when moving LOL.

What's telling you and/or the previous owner there's no oil pressure? What I would do....Drain the the oil and check the filter for metal/debris. If no debris in the filter add fresh oil and new filter and use a mechanical gauge to check the oil pressure.

I think ya done fairly good. Even if the mill trashed and it needs an engine, I've heard of complete pull outs for sale in the $3,000 range.
 
#15 ·
If the motor sounded normal with no indicated oil pressure, then I'd guess that the problem's in the sensor or gauge or whatever and the oil pressure is actually fine.

At the very least, the valves should have been raising total hell with all the lifters empty and collapsed (which they would have been in the case of zero oil pressure).

Sounds like a helluva deal, regardless. Congrats! :)
 
#17 ·
You think this guy never confirmed what his problem was on the motor?

Surely he had it looked at, it be very humiliating if all it was is the gauge going bad and he sold a perfectly fine RK.

I know a guy that sold a nice 87 olds with the tach and console package back in the 90"'s believing the rear main sill was out on the engine, and the fella that purchased the car believing he was going to have to pull the engine to fix this issue was told to look at his oil gauge sensor first and behold, that was what was leaking. A 10 dollar part later and he had a very nice ride that he practically legally stole.
 
#20 ·
Phew... I am tired!!!
I picked up the bike today and she looks better than I remember from yesterday. I guess beauty is now in the eye of the beholder.

First impression is something You guys have warned me not worry about. .. She is huge!!!! I mean, I was aware of how big and heavy these things are but she is really big and really really heavy! And I have to admit, I am quite intimidated by her presence.

Anyway, she looks good and I feel like she will clean up very nicely. I didn't have a chance to check anything regarding the pressure yet as I spent a good hour or so just looking at her on the trailer and wondering how the hell I was going to get her down without killing myself. I was so intimidated in fact that I almost called my buddy who works at the dealership to see if he wanted it. After all, it was still on the trailer and I didn't even fill in the blanks yet for my name on the title.

Here are some pics from pick up.
$3000 out the door with title in hand:













 
#21 ·
Don't be intimidated by the size or weight. Go to YouTube and search a woman picking up a touring bike. Once you get it going there is nothing to it other than to learn the bike and how to handle it. Best of luck and hope all turns out well for you. Find a good Harley Indy and you just may find that you found a diamond in the ruff.
 
#23 · (Edited)
Hahaha... I am proud to say that I am 100 percent self taught LOL!
However I did have some help form the very knowledgeable gentlemen who sold me his RK for $3000 :p.

I am particularly proud of the fifth and sixth straps wrapping the tranny. Although it wasn't my idea I thought it was pretty ingenius. NEedless to say, by the time I got home they were looser than a ____ at a ____ in Tijuana.

We were at least careful enough not to pinch any cables, hoses or delicate parts.
 
#24 · (Edited)
I have a 117 built motor for sale for 4K that will fit right in that bike....Juat sayin.
Why cant I find deals like that!
 
#27 ·
I would of dropped 3k on that bike in a heartbeat
 
#28 ·
Welcome to the world of Harley Davidson.

Take your time, get a Harley Davidson manual, locate the oil pressure sending unit, trace the wire(s), see if they are ok. If they are, then see if the gauge or the sending unit isn't working. Follow the troubleshooting guide. You are going to have a great bike.
 
#30 ·
What he said...good advice right there!!

And, they're only heavy if you gotta get them on or off a trailer, or pick'm up after ya drop'm LOL. Road King is prolly the most versatile bike Harley makes...good find. Hope the oil pressure thing is something simple, and cheap!! :)
 
#31 ·
I bought my first bike in 2007, it was a 2005 Police Road King. I was intimidated for about a week, then it all came together. Do a couple of nice country rides on uncrowded roads to get the feel, then once you feel comfortable, try maneuvering at slow speeds around an empty parking lot to get in tune with the balance. Road kings are very well balanced and are a great all around bike. After about a month you'll be glad you went big early and saved yourself having to step up to a larger bike.
Good luck with your new bike!!
 
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