Forum

[Jamesy]

Covelad are you aware member jonhill has an Electra x for sale on this site?

[Adrian]

That one's up for £2100, still much better than the North Wales dealer asking £3500, that's what they cost new 14 years ago!



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[Jojje]

I read the horror stories,too. When my 2005 Electra (bought new) had reached 38,000 kms few years back I had the connecting rod changed, partly because a trusted mechanic was about to retire. He said there was absolutely nothing wrong with the old one. Now it has 65,000 kms in the odometer.

[Adrian]

That's in excess of 45,000 miles, why couldn't they have built Norm's Electra-X that well, I wonder?



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[Norm]

Yes we hear of the odd one doing big miles, but if you don't already own one, why put your head in the noose?

[steveW]

[steveW]

Its always a risk buying without first seeing for anything! Ive had my Electra X since new 2007 and now 25k miles, but was laid up for about 4 years when the sprag clutch went again. Ive toured Scotland and Germany on mine without any issues apart from 1 front wheel puncture..
Yes there are horror stories and as Adrian says the alloy con rods on earlier classics snap clean in half (causing ruined crankcase on mine) but overall I find the X much better than the 4 speed when its going well. Thats the key, if you go in with your eyes open and be prepared for never knowing how it will decide to run, then I think they are good fun, just like my brit bikes in the early 70s!
The dilema comes as papasmurf says is what is it worth, I keep toying with selling mine (only for another RE, ?650, ?500 classic) but for what I could get/ask Id rather just keep it in the corner.

[Adrian]

I think if you were looking at the Electra-X as an investment you'd definitely be looking at the wrong bike, except MAYBE a totally unmodified, pristine, low-mileage, late model tucked away in safe storage.



If you DO spend the necessary wedge taking care of an Electra's mechanical weaknesses, that is unlikely ever to be recoverable when selling the thing, which kind of suggests that the surviving examples are really enthusiast's bikes for those of us who can live with their reputation and will enjoy them while we can. They're a bit counter-cultural even for the world of old Indian Bullets.



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[Bullet Whisperer]

Quoting Adrian 'If you DO spend the necessary wedge taking care of an Electra's mechanical weaknesses, that is unlikely ever to be recoverable when selling the thing, which kind of suggests that the surviving examples are really enthusiast's bikes for those of us who can live with their reputation and will enjoy them while we can. They're a bit counter-cultural even for the world of old Indian Bullets.' - Doesn't that apply to practically all R.E.'s anyway? Regards, Paul.

[Adrian]

You make a good point, but the Electra-X seems to take that to extremes, I don't recall seeing such a love/hate reaction for any other RE model over the last few years. Would calling it the Marmiteâ„¢ of Bullets be fair?



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