CL explanation please  By  SylvreKat (Read 562 times)

I think that this ad might be legit, to some extent. It is quite possible that the bike sat for 30years with very few miles on it. You see it all the time, some bike sitting for 30 or 40 years in the back of someones garage before it emerges for sale with less than 5000miles on it. So, I can see someone getting this bike and only putting several hundred miles on it before deciding it was too much bike for them and putting the bike in the back of a garage, barn etc. and forgetting about it.

That being said, I suspect that the bike was not stored in the best of conditions since the bike has been painted and the tank coated, the fairings and luggage could be missing because they may have degenerated from sitting around in poor conditions. If the bike was in pristine original condition it could possibly be worth what is being asked, but, not as it sits. I think that the seller just has delusions about what the actual value of the bike is.

Might help if I knew what an AMF is. Was. Whatever.

I think it was his insistence that it's basically a new bike, including original tires, that set my 'Kat-klaws out. Plus he's gone through five batteries? Ever heard of a battery tender, dude? Mine is still on its original battery thanks to my tender. And it's just like new, except for the replaced shovel head cherry (?? something mechanical, I'm guessing?). Oh yeah, and the home-jobber new paint? Isn't the whole point of a pristine "just like NEWNEWNEW" 30-year-old bike that it's in original condition?

And it took FOUR theft attempts before he got wiser? And by "wiser" he means he won't even show a prospective buyer the bike 'til he sees the cash?

And finally, this 30-year-old not-just like new bike is supposed to be worth more than my top-end Taurus was new?

You know, Jim, maybe whoever buys it for $20k and who then buys your whatsit for $40k, maybe his wife'll buy my Beanie Babies for $100 each.

>'Kat

Oh say, I recognize that logo, 'pok. They're bowling machine suppliers. Or makers.

So, uh, now I'm more confuzzled what a bowling pin setter maker has to do with a Harley.... (off to actually read the wiki link)

Ah. So they also owned Harley, along with just about one of everything else out there except cars. Does it matter who owned the company when that NEW I tell you NEW bike was made?

(seriously? They made yachts, monorails, and nuclear reactors along with tennis rackets and inflatable balls? Anyone else think that's just a little...uh...odd-puppies there?)

>'Kat

To kinda clear things up Kat. Harley Davidson was a family owned business that was started by the Davidson brothers--William Davidson, WalterDavidson, ArthurDavidson, and William S. Harley. They designed and developed their first bike in their family shed. Just a 3 horsepower machine. In 1903 they founded the Harley Davidson Motor Company with just 3 models. In 1909 they developed the V twin which is still the signature and basis of all the machines they produce today.

In 1969 AMF (famous for bowling machines) bought the family out. All AMF was concerned about was the economic bottom line. Quality suffered, spare parts were hard to come by and almost 30% of the bikes being built were leaving the factory incomplete. Now this is were it gets interesting, this is the same time frame that the Japanese introduced Honda to the US, in 1969 HD sold 80% of the big bikes on the road, in 1979 that number dropped to 20%. By 1981, HD was on the brink of going under, so 13 HD executives rallied together to effect a buy out. In June of 81 they succeeded in buying out AMF.

In a nut shell, that is why the H-D AMF years bikes do not bring the prices that the early and later HD bikes do.

Jim

Original paint and complete, top dollar 13K

William, Walter and Arthur Davidson, and William S HARLEY