Buying a used bike can be intimidating. Here are some thoughts about what to do and what to look for:

Good Buy or Goodbye.......Used Bikes 101.

It's very VERY easy to let the excitement of getting a "new" used ride cloud your judgment. The search can be long and difficult. You think you've FINALLY found "the one". You've probably been saving up for a long time. You've been thinking about it even longer. "Man..... it's even the right color!!!" Don't let your enthusiasm scuttle your efforts. Fully understand that the bike is being sold to you AS IS. Buying a problem will ruin your afternoon.

Here are a few tips:

Ask questions about the title. Is it CLEAR? Do they have it in hand or is there a lien-holder involved? The word "Salvage" on the title changes everything. Always ask about the registration. If it's not up to date, there could be a lot owed in back registration fees. Make it clear they are not to become your responsibility.

Ask the seller about having the bike inspected. If there is ANY hesitation here, find another bike. A bona fide seller will not hesitate because there is nothing to hide. When the seller says it's already been inspected, start walking. This means nothing. Bring someone knowledgeable or a mechanic with you or bring it to a shop for evaluation.

Know your budget. Allow for needed repairs if necessary. If you empty your wallet buying the bike and don't have the $600 needed to make it roadworthy, you're going to be very disappointed. Make sure you can afford the insurance on it if you buy it.

Research the make and model you're considering. Most times, their reliability or their problems are well known.

Look carefully at the bike. NEVER do this at night. Do it in the daytime when there's plenty of light. You only get one chance to check it out, so it had better be good.

Ask some simple basic questions. Why are they selling? Are maintenance records available to look at? What problems has the owner had with it? When was it worked on last? What for? By whom? Has it been sitting for a while? Did they charge the battery once a month? Spider webs are a problem.

Check the vitals. Bring a rag, flashlight, pressure gauge and other hand tools with you. Look for fluid leaks. Check the tire pressure and condition. If it's right on, that's good. If it's low, find out why. Inspect the tire condition. Look for the manufacture date on the tire sidewall. If the tires are 3 years old or older, you need to know this because they are junk. Look at the chain and sprockets. If the rear axle is all the way back in the swingarm slots, it needs a new chain and sprocket set. That's some $$$. Spin the rear wheel and see if the chain tension changes. Check ALL the fluid levels. Brown coolant is a sign of trouble. No coolant in the reservoir is trouble. Low oil is bad news. A burned smell can mean the clutch is toast.

Check the throttle, cables and control levers for smooth operation. Move the bars lock-to-lock and make sure the steering stops aren't damaged. Are the bars bent?

Look under the tail section for little ***** of rubber stuck everywhere under the fender. That means the guy was into doing burnouts.

Ask if it has ever been crashed. What was the extent of the damage? Who repaired it? How long ago?

Check to see if it is stone cold. If it's warmed up before you get there, they can be trying to hide something like hard starting. Ask them to start it. Watch and listen for difficulty. If it cranks slowly, check the charging voltage. Allow it to warm up and get to operating temperature. Make sure the cooling fan comes on when it's supposed to and cycles on and off. Does the idle sound smooth? Look at the underside of the motor with a mirror and check for signs of fluid leaks.

Check the neck and insides of the fuel tank. Is there any rust showing?

Look at the lever and bar ends for scratches. Move the bars lock to lock and check to see if the gap between the grip and the tank is the same on both sides.

Check the electrics. Make sure there are no fix it ticket items just waiting to bite you in the ***. If the previous owner buried his plate under the tail section with no license plate light, you can be looking at a stiff bill to bring it back into compliance.

Aftermarket parts can be great and not so great. Ask what was upgraded and who did the work. Dim flushmount turn signals suck.

Use a flashlight and check to see how much brake pad material is left on all calipers. Inspect the color of the brake fluid. The darker it is, the longer it's gone without servicing.

Bounce on the suspension. If it feels like marshmallows or stiff as a brick, ask why? If you buy a bike with a blown out shock, you'll be shocked at just how much it will cost to repair/replace it. Look at the fork seal area and make sure there is no oil there. Check for rust on the fork tubes.

Spin the wheels and see if they rotate true or not. A bent rim can mean trouble.

Make a list of what will be needed (if anything) to make the bike reliable and roadworthy. Figure that cost into the negotiations and be prepared to haggle. It's part of the game. You may be able to strike a bargain. Then again, you may not. Find another bike.

Be prepared to complete the purchase when you find the right bike. Don't **** around with deposits and a week to get the rest of the money together. If you can't pay for it then and there in full, you've got no business wasting the other guy's time.

As far as test rides go, different people have different thoughts. I recommend having somebody ride it to verify the clutch and all the gears work properly. If you're up to it, great. If you're not, have a friend or mechanic do it. The seller may want cash in hand first. Assume if there is a crash, the bike and the resultant problems are now yours.

Thorough preparation goes a long way to making this a good experience instead of a nightmare.

 

Good tips. Touching on the "clouding your judgement" thing. I find it best to take a buddy with you, one that knows bikes real well. Its pretty easy to get excited about a new bike purchase and overlook serious issues. Having a friend to calm you down and tell you to walk away is important.

Oh, and "problems" are bargaining points if you know how to fix it yourself

 

Great write up Mike!
The list of questions may seem long, but they all common sense and will save to lots of aggravation later.
While you going around the bike, you can also make it easier to remember by breaking the questions to the area of the bike you looking at like Rear Wheel - tire,brake pads, drive chain & sprockets, rear shock and etc... Or by subjects, like Doc's - title, lean holders, maintenance records and etc...

 

Not sure if anyone is interested but I use an excel sheet to help me know if it's a good deal, average, or way to cheap *usualy there is a reason.
if any one would like a copy of it PM me and I can email it to you.
[IMG]https://www.superhawkforum.com/forums/[/IMG]

 

While spinning the wheels, also keep an eye on the brake discs, chain and sprockets.
Check if brake disc rotors are warped, chain may have tight links, sprockets could have worn or missing teeth.

While negotiating, cash is king; show up with cash.
Make your offer, but willing to walk away if not accepted, plenty of used bikes out there.

 

Good tips to bike buyer, Thanks for sharing this nice stuff.