'15 RGS will top 100k this year.....new/used M8 or Steve Austin this biyatch?

[Shadowbennie]

Howdy all - my trusty '15 RGS steed will be topping 100k on the odo this year, and she's starting to show her age.

Lots of clunks, ticks, creaks, groans, and funny smells - you know, the stuff that happens when you get old! I've been thinking about whether I go full Steve Austin (aka Six Million Dollar Man) on this thing or start new/used bike shopping.

I've dumped more into this old girl than I'm proud of, cams, ICB's & such at around 50k (there's a thread here somewhere), suspension, bars, motor mounts, rear isolators, amp & speakers - just about everything has been updated/replaced as it has aged. And as much as I am fond of the 'old shytebox, there's something about those new-fangled M8 motors & new do-dads that I'm intrigued by, not to mention the immediate untapped power available with just a simple cam change on those bikes.

However, at my mileage, I think I'm going to find a very limited number of dealerships willing to take her in on trade and/or even get a reasonable amount for it. I actually have a good friend that is a salesman at a local dealership, and his sales mgr & owner already shut down a trade-in for me. Trading might be a loss leader at this point.....

I've tried to stay on top of maintenance, but some stuff I've milked as far as I can, such as, the primary is going to need some love - new compensator & clutch basket - so at that point, I was thinking it would be wise to do new inner primary bearings & seals as well, and on top of that, I fear the stock top end is nearing it's final stages of life. I'm crossing my fingers she has at least another year or two left in her (around 25-30k miles for me), but I don't know.....oil keeps disappearing at a more rapid pace from my dipstick every year.

The transmission seems strong and no signs of issues, but I'd guess there is some work that will need to be done on that too, maybe not right away, but eventually - depending on what I do with the engine of course.

What's a guy to do? S&S 124 LC crate for longevity? Tearout/teardown and have darkhorse do the bottom end (is this even necessary? or highly recommended?), have full-on headwork done, and a 107" kit?

In my eyes, rebuild/crate motor reeks of diminishing returns somewhat - it's a lot of dough to get decent gains that still don't really seem to keep up with a simple cam swap in an M8 motor.

On the other hand, the prices on used bikes are ridiculously out of hand and this one is paid for, so any work I do will still be cheaper than a newer used bike.

I'm asking this on the TC page to gauge the benefits to sticking with the trusty old twin cam vs. the M8 motors - and get some options for working with what I've got, and what the best bang for the buck will be.

Thanks!

[biggzed]

That's a tough spot. I was in a similar spot on my 07 RG back in 2019. The Rushmore/M8 platform made my old frame/TC really undesirable for the used market. I bit the bullet and sold it outright. Got a fair price ($9.5k) for it and moved on. I ended up buying a used BMW and rode that for a couple of years until the itch brought me back to HD. This time I sold the Beemer and paid cash for a nice '21 Street Bob (950 miles on it with a pipe and seat already on it). I couldn't be happier.

I say well it outright and move up to the M8. Take what you want off your old bike and put it on the new one if you want. Stereo, bars, suspension all probably can be fitted. The new bikes have the same frame as your 2015 IIRC.

Good luck.

Zach

[Hossamania]

I would probably feel out the used market and step up to the new bike if you can afford it. That 100,000 mile mark is a killer on resale. Any money you put into it will be throw away when you sell it no matter what, might be best to just cut losses, unless you're ready to commit to it for another 5 years.
A top end doesn't cost a lot if you don't get carried away, freshen up the heads, check the cylinders and maybe just run them or bore and cylinders, no need for a bottom end, and you'll get quite a few more years out of it. A clutch isn't a ton of money, compensator isn't a ton of money, run the tranny until it blows, and enjoy the hell out of it.
So, as I reread my post, sell it, take the hit on value and buy a new one, or put minimal money into it and run it for another 100,000.
The new one will need bars and a stereo, cam, tune, added to the cost.
You are in a good position either way if you can afford a new one but don't really need it.

[smoserx1]

I am sort of in Hoss's camp here but in an extreme way.  I ride a 99 EG standard that now has over 232000 miles on it.  I really can't prove it because the odometer is mechanical and goes back to zero at 100K but trust me.  I am also 70 years old and retired, so I don't have a big money pot (never really did) and after putting up with about a year of incredibly bad dealer service I began doing all my own and never looked back.  I am almost in that "no dealer will ever touch my bike" mind set, but not quite, there are some very good ones, and the one I was referring to went out of business.  I have always followed forums like this one so I know what to expect.  Anyway lots of things have been repaired or replaced.  Original swing arm cracked at about 120K.  Stator leaked oil at grommet about the same mileage.  Been in the cam chest several times and ended up doing conversion cams at 150K.  Replaced drive belt & pulleys twice.  Engine top end at 180K (went 95 then).  Clutch hub about 200K and changed to a 3.37 primary about a year later, and when I did that I essentially replaced an entire primary with over 200K with one that had only 75K.  I could list much more. Anyway the most expensive repairs like the conversion cams and the top end only cost me about $800 each with me doing all the labor.  Yes I have had to buy a few tools.  Anyway I fix things as they break and have the exact opposite of the Steve Austin approach...I won't proactively fix something that is working fine, and I don't crave more power.  Harley would go out of business if most of their customers were like me, but they used to advertise how rebuildable their products were (remember the Zippo vs bic lighter comparison?)  They were telling the truth.  Good luck whatever you decide, I will probably keep the one I have till I pass on.

[calif phil]

Sell it locally and buy a new bike, it's not worth putting a bunch of $$ into it.   Even with 100k on it a 2015 RG should sell for a decent amount.  What are you thinking it's worth. $8k-$9k ?

[cpiccarr]

Awesome job. Best bang for your buck.

[Shadowbennie]

I am sort of in Hoss's camp here but in an extreme way.  I ride a 99 EG standard that now has over 232000 miles on it.  I really can't prove it because the odometer is mechanical and goes back to zero at 100K but trust me.  I am also 70 years old and retired, so I don't have a big money pot (never really did) and after putting up with about a year of incredibly bad dealer service I began doing all my own and never looked back.  I am almost in that "no dealer will ever touch my bike" mind set, but not quite, there are some very good ones, and the one I was referring to went out of business.  I have always followed forums like this one so I know what to expect.  Anyway lots of things have been repaired or replaced.  Original swing arm cracked at about 120K.  Stator leaked oil at grommet about the same mileage.  Been in the cam chest several times and ended up doing conversion cams at 150K.  Replaced drive belt & pulleys twice.  Engine top end at 180K (went 95 then).  Clutch hub about 200K and changed to a 3.37 primary about a year later, and when I did that I essentially replaced an entire primary with over 200K with one that had only 75K.  I could list much more. Anyway the most expensive repairs like the conversion cams and the top end only cost me about $800 each with me doing all the labor.  Yes I have had to buy a few tools.  Anyway I fix things as they break and have the exact opposite of the Steve Austin approach...I won't proactively fix something that is working fine, and I don't crave more power.  Harley would go out of business if most of their customers were like me, but they used to advertise how rebuildable their products were (remember the Zippo vs bic lighter comparison?)  They were telling the truth.  Good luck whatever you decide, I will probably keep the one I have till I pass on.

I'm right there with you as far as working on the bike myself, not only am I a cheap bastard, but I'm reasonably mechanically inclined and feel like I can take on most repairs myself. Some of the time, I end up having to recheck or fix what I've already fixed, which I guess is part of learning.

[Shadowbennie]

That's a tough spot. I was in a similar spot on my 07 RG back in 2019. The Rushmore/M8 platform made my old frame/TC really undesirable for the used market. I bit the bullet and sold it outright. Got a fair price ($9.5k) for it and moved on. I ended up buying a used BMW and rode that for a couple of years until the itch brought me back to HD. This time I sold the Beemer and paid cash for a nice '21 Street Bob (950 miles on it with a pipe and seat already on it). I couldn't be happier.

I say well it outright and move up to the M8. Take what you want off your old bike and put it on the new one if you want. Stereo, bars, suspension all probably can be fitted. The new bikes have the same frame as your 2015 IIRC.

Good luck.

Zach

It is, I'm really just dreading a 2nd vehicle payment if I were to sell and buy a new or newer used.

I would definitely be able to swap over all of the add-on's other than exhaust, tuner, engine related stuff, but unfortunately, I wonder how much of the swappable add-ons would actually add enough value to the bike to make it sellable or tradeable. There are a couple of items I just won't part with, mainly my new Kraus t-bar package & suspension, so at least I wouldn't be completely starting over from scratch

[Shadowbennie]

I would probably feel out the used market and step up to the new bike if you can afford it. That 100,000 mile mark is a killer on resale. Any money you put into it will be throw away when you sell it no matter what, might be best to just cut losses, unless you're ready to commit to it for another 5 years.
A top end doesn't cost a lot if you don't get carried away, freshen up the heads, check the cylinders and maybe just run them or bore and cylinders, no need for a bottom end, and you'll get quite a few more years out of it. A clutch isn't a ton of money, compensator isn't a ton of money, run the tranny until it blows, and enjoy the hell out of it.
So, as I reread my post, sell it, take the hit on value and buy a new one, or put minimal money into it and run it for another 100,000.
The new one will need bars and a stereo, cam, tune, added to the cost.
You are in a good position either way if you can afford a new one but don't really need it.

Hoss - this is the kind of feedback I was hoping for relating to some of the bigger ticket fixes. I keep reading so many posts about the cranks on the late twin cams and whether or not they're a ticking timebomb - which is probably related to how much TQ/HP you're making, how you treat it, etc. - but still, even if I were to go to, say a Fuel Moto 107" w/minimal headwork (new valve guides, springs, valves only), probably what, $3k?

Clutch/comp - around $1k? I was likely going to do a trask basket to eliminate the scalloping I'm seeing on my stock basket in the future, so maybe that pushes it toward 1500 - but scope creep seems pretty likely digging into the primary given the mileage.

So basically ~$5k into that won't pay dividends later, other than make it rideable for however long.

I would definitely keep as much of the add-ons as possible, so that might help with the cost when looking at a new bike.

[Shadowbennie]

Sell it locally and buy a new bike, it's not worth putting a bunch of $$ into it.   Even with 100k on it a 2015 RG should sell for a decent amount.  What are you thinking it's worth. $8k-$9k ?

I guess that's probably about where I was leaning, ~$9k ish - maybe $10k if I leave some of the aftermarket stuff on, I mean it does have quite a bit of extras and it certainly runs fine overall - in fact, I'm going to be riding it to eastern TN and rip up the smokies with some buddies in September and it's my daily commuter vehicle. Have no qualms about taking it out there, and if it breaks, welp, I suppose the decision is made then, LOL

[Hossamania]

The suspension, if a higher end setup is definitely worth removing from the old and transferring to the new. Bars? Depends on how much they cost to replace.
Scratch that, I just looked up Krause bars, close to $1000. They come off to be installed on the new one.

[Shadowbennie]

The suspension, if a higher end setup is definitely worth removing from the old and transferring to the new. Bars? Depends on how much they cost to replace.
Scratch that, I just looked up Krause bars, close to $1000. They come off to be installed on the new one.

Yeah, Ohlins 30mm +2 front, RWD RS-1's rear, so very likely that stuff will be coming with me. I do have a set of Legend Axeo's that I might try to tease potential buyers/dealers with, plus I can throw on my Factory 47 14" apes back on for an additional carrot, but the Kraus setup is DEFINITELY coming off

[harpwrench]

I've been in the same spot, and kept the old girl. No regrets at all. My '16 ultra with 105k on it rides and runs better than a new one and I don't have a payment. Last year it turned into a 117, went through the transmission too. M8's are cool but not 30k+ cool, and in another 5-6 years I'd be in the same spot again.

[Shadowbennie]

I've been in the same spot, and kept the old girl. No regrets at all. My '16 ultra with 105k on it rides and runs better than a new one and I don't have a payment. Last year it turned into a 117, went through the transmission too. M8's are cool but not 30k+ cool, and in another 5-6 years I'd be in the same spot again.

Good feedback, almost exactly the same situation. That's the thing, if I pour $$ into it, I'm leaning toward the aspect of that it's gotta be enough to be worth the effort, which usually means more $$ - and yeah, the pricing on used M8's right now, at least at dealerships, are stupid. I was eyeballing a very nice lightly used red/black 2021 RGS w/2k on the ODO with just slips on's & apes, but not much else, and they're asking $33k for it - that's more than new.....for a used effin' bike!

[bigfoot5x]

I had to make the same decision recently. My old Street Glide was a 2013 with 121,000 miles on it. I replaced it with a 2016 Street Glide with only 2300 miles in June. The dealer did not give me much money for the trade in, but I expected that. I had a 3 hour ride to the dealer for trade in. All the time I was wondering why I was doing it. The old bike had an Andrews cam and a tuner along with a painted inner fairing. It ran great, still looked great and had never been dropped or had any major problem. The biggest issue was a neutral light that didn't work. There is a world of difference between 2013 and 2016. The newer features are great and the ride is better. I love it.

My wife chose to replace her 2011 Super Glide Custom with another 2011 Super Glide Custom painted exactly the same. This was done in February. Again, went from 92,000 miles to only 10,000 miles. She loves the color and the bike and has no interest in the newer bikes.

The issue I am running into is Harley no longer really supports the Twin Cam engine and certainly not a Dyna since they are no longer produced. We keep running into back order, out of stock or no longer offered issues. Something I did not for see and something to consider when it comes to keeping an older bike, now.

[Hossamania]

A good independent shop is your friend when it comes to the older bikes. In fact the shop I use doesn't work on M8s yet, last time I talked to him. Pretty sure he's going to have to step up to those newfangled machines pretty soon, they are already 6 years old.

[smoserx1]

The issue I am running into is Harley no longer really supports the Twin Cam engine and certainly not a Dyna since they are no longer produced. We keep running into back order, out of stock or no longer offered issues. Something I did not for see and something to consider when it comes to keeping an older bike, now.

It has always been like that with any motor vehicle (and really any product) of any manufacturer.

[fbn ent]

A good independent shop is your friend when it comes to the older bikes. In fact the shop I use doesn't work on M8s yet, last time I talked to him. Pretty sure he's going to have to step up to those newfangled machines pretty soon, they are already 6 years old.

A lot of guys are not buying tooling for the M8s.

[Shadowbennie]

I would probably feel out the used market and step up to the new bike if you can afford it. That 100,000 mile mark is a killer on resale. Any money you put into it will be throw away when you sell it no matter what, might be best to just cut losses, unless you're ready to commit to it for another 5 years.
A top end doesn't cost a lot if you don't get carried away, freshen up the heads, check the cylinders and maybe just run them or bore and cylinders, no need for a bottom end, and you'll get quite a few more years out of it. A clutch isn't a ton of money, compensator isn't a ton of money, run the tranny until it blows, and enjoy the hell out of it.
So, as I reread my post, sell it, take the hit on value and buy a new one, or put minimal money into it and run it for another 100,000.
The new one will need bars and a stereo, cam, tune, added to the cost.
You are in a good position either way if you can afford a new one but don't really need it.

Welp - bit the bullet and bought a used '21 RGS w/114 & 2200 miles on the clock yesterday. I tried to convince the dealership to take mine in on trade, and initially, they threw out a ballpark offer of $10k, but when I started to get serious, they decided they didn't want to have it sitting over the winter, so had to buy the new one outright.

I guess the upside to not trading in the 2015 is now I have a bunch of my aftermarket stuff that I can move to the new bike - suspension, amp & speakers, LED front & rear turns, rider backrest, tour pack, etc.

I'll be stripping the old shytebox down over the winter, but get it to running condition with a few extras (Legend Axeo cartridges & pro-action shocks), ape hangers, passenger backrest, etc. and see if I can't unload it for a reasonable price. Didn't quite hit 100k though, at 99,100 mi as of yesterday.....LOL

what's the consensus on a fair sell.... ~$9-$10k including the above stuff? I'll be honest with whoever buys it - it runs now, but time is ticking and additional work will be needed at some point to keep it running.

[calif phil]

I would list it for $9.5k and take anything over $8000 and I bet it will sell fast.

[dogger]

Cheaper to keep her.

[biggzed]

That is a reasonable deal. I bet you get north of $9k. Congrats on the new bike. Those 114" are pretty stout for a factory motor.

Zach

I would list it for $9.5k and take anything over $8000 and I bet it will sell fast.

[Shadowbennie]

Cheaper to keep her.

I certainly thought quite a bit about keeping it, but in the end, I think Hoss made the best point about that. I could certainly just throw a 107 kit on it, fix what's wrong and run it for however many miles, but the value certainly won't go up and then I'd be in the same fix as I was before, with a bike with even more miles and more difficult to sell.

No matter though, it's a done deal and I'll be honest, this 114 makes my old bike feel like a pig

[RoadKingKohn]

I would probably feel out the used market and step up to the new bike if you can afford it. That 100,000 mile mark is a killer on resale. Any money you put into it will be throw away when you sell it no matter what, might be best to just cut losses, unless you're ready to commit to it for another 5 years.
A top end doesn't cost a lot if you don't get carried away, freshen up the heads, check the cylinders and maybe just run them or bore and cylinders, no need for a bottom end, and you'll get quite a few more years out of it. A clutch isn't a ton of money, compensator isn't a ton of money, run the tranny until it blows, and enjoy the hell out of it.
So, as I reread my post, sell it, take the hit on value and buy a new one, or put minimal money into it and run it for another 100,000.
The new one will need bars and a stereo, cam, tune, added to the cost.
You are in a good position either way if you can afford a new one but don't really need it.

Welp - bit the bullet and bought a used '21 RGS w/114 & 2200 miles on the clock yesterday. I tried to convince the dealership to take mine in on trade, and initially, they threw out a ballpark offer of $10k, but when I started to get serious, they decided they didn't want to have it sitting over the winter, so had to buy the new one outright.

I guess the upside to not trading in the 2015 is now I have a bunch of my aftermarket stuff that I can move to the new bike - suspension, amp & speakers, LED front & rear turns, rider backrest, tour pack, etc.

I'll be stripping the old shytebox down over the winter, but get it to running condition with a few extras (Legend Axeo cartridges & pro-action shocks), ape hangers, passenger backrest, etc. and see if I can't unload it for a reasonable price. Didn't quite hit 100k though, at 99,100 mi as of yesterday.....LOL

what's the consensus on a fair sell.... ~$9-$10k including the above stuff? I'll be honest with whoever buys it - it runs now, but time is ticking and additional work will be needed at some point to keep it running.

Make sure you replace the compensator with a Dark Horse unit. Next keep an eye on the stock oil pump. I have a friend that has a 2020 Road Glide an at 10,000 miles his oil pump was not clearing the sump. So a S&S camplate and pump went in.  Also did a DK Custom breather system at the air cleaner.