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  In4toV2

  2 years ago

  Hi All, 

  
  

  Firstly glad to be a member, secondly my first post is going to be about whether to get this particular bike or not:

  
  

  https://www.bikesales.com.au/bikes/details/2009-harley-davidson-dyna-street-bob-96-fxdb/OAG-AD-20209616/?Cr=4

  
  

  Now, I've always wanted a HD, and particularly loved the TC96ci which this is.  I'm looking to trade in my 2014 ZX10R, hence the username (Inline 4 to V-Twin).  

  
  

  My main concerns are the age of the engine, after test riding it I made the following observations:

  
  

  Bike turned over fine, ran fine

  Throttle response was great, not lethargic relative to what I expected (I'm not expecting a rapid jolt like I get with my Ninja)

  Brakes were good, no visible warping in the rotors and plenty of meat on the pads

  No major oil leaks except for the hose leading from behind the oil cooler under the crankcase into the brake pedal side (not sure as to which part that is).  It looks like it's been a slow leak, as there's dirt and such clogging on the hose so it's been doing it for a while

  
  

  Basically the major things I can see being wrong were like surface area rust where the paint has flaked off, cables looking functional, yet ratty.  Best way to describe it is that it's definitely been someone's daily ride and looked after mechanically, but not in a show pony sense.  

  
  

  So my question comes back to at that km range (117,000), what sort of things/issues should I be worried about? One of the guys at work has a 96 Night Train that has done 240,000km and he's never had issues. I wouldn't normally consider that sort of km except that it's likely been a daily so it's been consistently used rather than left to sit for months. 

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  steelo

  2 years ago

  Welcome. Priced ok. Just just get a bad feeling at bikes that have been too personalised and modified cheaply. 

  My Softtail has done 122k so distance is not an issue. 

  Getting it back to “nice” may be expensive and road worthy difficult. 

  Pipes and bars come to mind. 

  Look around some more. By the sounds of it dealer will trade your existing bike. That helps but a better price may be obtained privately. 

  In4toV2 likes this post

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  In4toV2

  2 years ago

  thanks for that, I'm not infatuated with this bike so happy to pass on it.   As far as conditions of trade it had to be registered, and as for the condition as long as it performs as a daily I'm happy - as my long term idea was to restore it. 

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  brucefxdl

  2 years ago

  gooday,didnt see an  oil cooler[ maybe im a bit poor sighted ].....for what its worth i'd explore the market a bit better ,unless "a rat rod " is what you had in mind.cheers

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  In4toV2

  2 years ago

  Thanks for that! The photos really didn’t focus on the bottom end - there is an oil cooler but lower on the front of the belly. Puny thing given how hot it got but anyway (I’m new to riding these so I’m probably talking out my ass). 

  
  

  The rat rod style was exactly what I was chasing although I’d get lower bars - not a fan of the ape hangers. 

  
  

  As I plan on having this bike a while, I know I’m in for a bit of restoration work which is actually fine with me, so long as for the most part it runs well. 

  
  

  Last bike was a Buell 1125r (yes a V2 I know, so my username isn’t WHOLLY accurate :P) but that turned into a nightmare quick smart just on how rare they were by the time I got it. 

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  brucefxdl

  2 years ago

  do you mean the finned item low in front of the frame ?

  In4toV2 likes this post

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  In4toV2

  2 years ago

  No, it was sitting just above that. in between the chassis frame. 

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  HD17

  2 years ago

  I always shop around and don't settle for the first. You have to be 100% happy with the bike your going to purchase. Happy hunting mate.

  In4toV2 likes this post

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  John.R

  2 years ago

  Much tidier bikes about mate. Have the cash ready, know what you're after, and keep an eye out on FB, Gumtree etc and jump when you see what you want.

  In4toV2 and AlexSteele like this post

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  tussuck

  2 years ago

  Welcome to the world of Harleys. 

  I would pass on that one...looks nice and may be reliable but the cost of tiding it up will start adding up.

  Just take your time and you will find that 'one bike' you fall in love with.  

  In4toV2, AlexSteele and brucefxdl like this post

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  AlexSteele

  2 years ago

  Dyna’s are great as you can make them your own over time. That bike has too many km’s for me. If you can stretch your budget to 15k there are a few 103ci’s about. Are you attached to the Streetbob? Superglide’s, Fatbob (2012-13) or a older Lowrider may fit your vision long term.

  In4toV2 likes this post

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  In4toV2

  2 years ago

  A good idea, honestly I wasn’t attached to that particular bike - but I really did enjoy the 96 and how it all felt on the test ride (if that makes sense)

  
  

  Could I stretch it to $15k? Sure, in a couple of months it wouldn’t be an issue, just sell the ninja and make up the balance. 

  
  

  Do I really want to stretch it to $15k at this time? Not at the moment, the thing that initially grabbed me was the price, then knowing that they COULD (potentially) get to almost double that km before a rebuild (so the km didn’t scare me as far as a number), then the thought of restoring it to something pretty amazing looking was the appeal, plus as one user stated it had the rat rod look.  

  
  

  That and knowing what I could get for my Ninja it would be a straight swap it was more seeing an opportunity. 

  
  

  If the bike wasn’t at least initially reliable - then I wouldn’t even entertain the thought. But it seems to be so here I am. 

  AlexSteele likes this post

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  In4toV2

  2 years ago

  To clarify - restoring it over time and as was said “really make it your own”. 

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  In4toV2

  2 years ago

  Would also like to say a big thank you for everyone who’s taken the time to read and respond to my post, especially being a newbie - I really appreciate it. 

  AlexSteele, brucefxdl, STEAMER and imoo6170 like this post

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  tussuck

  2 years ago

  We are just being nice to you first time around to lure you into a false sense of security.

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  In4toV2

  2 years ago

  That would explain the chants in the background;

  
  

  “One of us.  One of us. One of us. “

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  wadewilson

  2 years ago

  Quoting In4toV2 on 09 Feb 2022 07:01 AM

  That would explain the chants in the background;

  
  

  “One of us.  One of us. One of us. “

  Run now while you have a chance and especially before that bastard Steelo "befriends" you...

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  steelo

  2 years ago

  It’s too late. 

  

  Spook likes this post