i have a chance!! on a harley..$3500.00 : V-Twin Forum: Harley Davidson Forums

bsa_bob · 11-03-2009, 07:06 AM

A fella called me here recently..concerning an ad i had placed.i was looking for a" harley basketcase". Heres what he said........... and do you think? this is good oppurtunity for me, for my winter project and/or should i keep looking? i have triumphs BSAs and a shadow plus a few street rods.i never had a harley,Do you think this a bike to take a chance on????.You can tell me whatever you wish....as i can rebuild ant type vehicle.
I have heard horror stories about the AMF in the 70s era being junk this bike btw is a; 79 FLH. model----- i'm listening

bsa_bob

monkeyboy · 11-03-2009, 07:08 AM

Not knowing what condition it's in but being described as a "basket case" it sounds like it's over priced.

Traakon · 11-03-2009, 07:19 AM

Since we don't know what "he said" because it didn't post...hard to evaluate. How about you just give us the details without the direct quote?

bsa_bob · 11-03-2009, 07:54 AM

My biggest concern is what the bike is, or was a leaking kind a hard starting bike, is it one i can get parts for? Not the $3500.00

As i said the "AMF" factor enters my head and i know they were not a good bike, or so it goes. I don't need to know about how many pieces its in. as that is a factor......... the minute i walk in this guys shop and see it..........basically how bad do i want to do this bike? enters in.......... an an easy yes or no to the owner is forth coming pretty quik on whether i will take it.. I like i say want a harley! ..........all he knew ;[the bike was passed down from somewhere]was it is an FLH is all he said.
Is this any clearer??or you ask me what , you want to about this situation thanks again guys for any help bsa_bob if its in a "million pieces" ...i don't have that much time left in my life.

When he called he..... just told me what it was........... and it went in one ear and out the other.when i heard AMF. Thats still a bowling ball!!!! what year did the AMF building of harleys stop!!!

shovelmike · 11-03-2009, 08:09 AM

A lot will hinge on what state of disassembly it is in and if it is complete. The original problems stemming from AMF's labor problems and substandard parts may have been corrected by previous owners by now.
I ride a '73 FX which is AMF of course and it has been a very good bike. I bought it in '87 for $3,000 and rode it home.
In the present state of the economy you can probably get yourself a newer Harley in very good condition for not much more than what that guy wants for the basket case.

MilesToGo · 11-03-2009, 08:21 AM

AMF bought Harley in 69 and sold it back in 81. I wouldn't let the fact that it's an AMF bike affect your decision. There are 1000s of these bike still being used as daily riders. They do require maintenance more often than your modern bikes but that's usually due to age more than quality of build.

As for what the bike is worth, that's hard to say without pics and a detailed description of the condition. I know i wouldn't pay $3500 for a basket case. Depending on how bad it is you could easily spend $10k just to get it back to original condition. Parts are readily available though.

I've seen some really nice AMF bikes in my area going for $6-7k. My point is i'd rather spend a little more and get a bike in nice condition. Of course there's the satisfaction of restoring something yourself. Good luck.

springer- · 11-03-2009, 08:53 AM

Being an AMF has nothing to do with anything at this point. AMF did more good than bad by a long shot.

A "basket case" for $3500 is way too much IMO unless it is ready to be assembled. In other words, the engine is fresh rebuilt and sitting on the bench. The transmission is fresh and ready to go back in, etc. $3500 for a bunch of stuff that all has to be redone, etc, is way too much. For $3500 I can have a complete bike that needs some maintenance but runs and can be ridden home. $1500 and you might be on to something.

route66paul · 11-03-2009, 09:35 AM

These days you can buy running shovels for 3-4k. Just the cost of licensing a bike that had not been licensed for a few years can be very high. Once they are out of the system, you have to have an inspection(in many states). These inspections will want to see certificates for ant item that is not obviously part of the original bike.

Photo John · 11-03-2009, 09:38 AM

As others have said, pass it up. You should be able to get a damn nice reasonably leak free and well maintained shovel for $4k if you take your time. If you really wanna piss away some cash but in a good way, get a perfectly restored factory original shovel from a reputable source with rebuild/restoration documentation. You can still tinker with it, as the beasts do need some love.

Personally if I were going to go with an older bike and wanted to do a lot of wrenching, the Pan route would be my choice.