Shopping for a bike. What should I look out for?

[Mike546]

I watch The People's Court all the time and it's always people that bought cars or motorcycles. They never test drove them or had a mechanic look the vehicle over and then want their money back when something is wrong. I might be guilty of trusting the seller too much myself but I know it's my fault if I've been taken advantage of. But even asking the seller to pull the spark plugs to see if a cylinder is running lean can seem like a major inconvenience. If I was selling I wouldn't mind at all. I always showed off the airbox on dirt bikes I was selling because if it's clean you can bet the rest of the bike was taken care of. You have to trust your gut feeling but it's usually the shady characters that are the best salesmen.

[pearljam724]

A major inconvenience if you don't. Is paying purchase price for said bike, bringing it home and finding out within a short period of time it has crank seals that are shot. It's gonna cost you 2 grand to fix and the bike is worthless if you don't. These bikes are often sold with bad seals. Sellers sometimes know that and don't want to buck up the price to repair it. Or the seller doesn't know it themselves. So they push the bike onto someone else that wouldn't know any better. Find a short time after, cause the bike started and idled fine when you looked to buy it. It's too late. It happens. I'm being brutally honest, to help prevent you or anyone else from the misfortune. Not trying to discourage you. But, buyers should know these things and investigate them. Cause it's very expensive to pay someone else to replace a crank. You can't tell that a bike has bad seals by simply starting it, letting it idle or taking it for a short modest ride. When the seals are bad, the bike has to be put through continuous mid to high rpms to show signs. It will start puking motor oil from the breather at higher continous rpms only. Which can also cause piston seizures, if you someone continues to run it. Not knowing better. Very costly and time consuming repairs.

[Suzukidave]

Understand, that sellers say a lot things that aren't quite truthful.

No!!??!! Say it isn't true!

It ran great when i parked it

[vmxwinn]

New to this forum but have bought many, many bikes and cars. One thing I always look at is the sellers garage or house. Sounds funny but if sellers house/garage is clean tidy you can assume they are more meticulous and therefore take care of what they own. Look over the whole bike and see how it is put together paying paticular attention to what hardware is used and how it is assembled. Hack work = No go. And records.

Its not everything but it is just one thing of many to look for.

[pearljam724]

New to this forum but have bougth many many bikes and cars. One thing I always look at is the sellers garage or house. Sounds funny but if sellers house/garage is clean tidy you can assume they are more meticulous and therefore take care of what they own. Look over the whole bike and see how it is put together paying paticular attention to what hardware is used and how it is assembled. Hack work = No go. And records.

Its not everything but it is just one thing of many to look for.

I take a similar step. The very first thing I look at on a bike is the chain. If it's dirty, lacks lubrication, has rust, isn't adjusted properly. That tells you the owner wasn't very meticulous about maintaining the bike. It doesn't break the deal one way or the other. But, that's a big determining factor for me. As contradicting as it sounds. Sometimes, bargains can be found through mildly neglected bikes too. Depending on how much neglect and what has been neglected.

[Mike546]

Now I'm thinking I would be better off finding one with bad seals at a good price and fixing it myself. I like working on bikes as much as riding them.

[pearljam724]

Now I'm thinking I would be better off finding one with bad seals at a good price and fixing it myself. I like working on bikes as much as riding them.

With that outlook, just buy the original bike.

[Alan H]

I like working on bikes as much as riding them.

Any chance of you moving near me for a few weeks? I really have a lot of work for you!!!

[Vintageman]

Oxidation level and if it is complete.

Connectings rods for crank are obsolete for example

Near me there is a local motorcycle shop with three generations of mechanics. The middle aged one who is a little older than me once said "there is always a reason a bike get's parked".

The owner may keep it thinking someday it will be fixed, not by him of course for he can not... he needs to save up the money, never does. He stores it OK, holds onto to a memory as long as he can.


Right now all bikes are priced very high. Even if it doesn't run and very oxidized: it's priced like a runner with fresh crank. Well I suppose its worth what someone will pay and people seam to be paying.

I know a person who bought a T500 at almost $3000. Tank very rotted, crank rusted. Water, mositure, and time s a terrible thing.

To me this is a nightmare for example -> http://nh.craigslist.org/mcy/4933140346.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[pearljam724]

Agree, the bike in the Craigslist add has seen way too much moisture over the course of its life. Internal parts are subject. I won't purchase a bike, that I can see was stored outdoors at one time or another. Some rust here and there is expected. But, clearly that bike has sat outside or a long time in a basement. Moisture causes all kinds of problems, beyond surface rust. Mike, what's asking price for the bike you're considering ?

[Coyote]

$1500 Have another toke sonny.

[Mike546]

. Mike, what's asking price for the bike you're considering ?

He was firm at $3000 but it was real clean. It did have the wrong year tank. I don't want a $5000- $6000 bike if it does need seals. I got cold feet and backed out.

[ConnerVT]

To me this is a nightmare for example -> http://nh.craigslist.org/mcy/4933140346.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I will bet any of you $1, that this is one of the bikes (probably one of the best ones) from the YouTube video, selling the barn full of GTs, by the History Channel guy.

viewtopic.php?f=10&t=11168&hilit=sheffield

[Coyote]

That's the first thing that came to mind for me too Conner. I've seen better bikes in the salvage yard

[Mike546]

Here is the one I was looking at.
http://hudsonvalley.craigslist.org/mcy/4942514685.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;