I don't know if this has been post or not, but in any case I think it should be made a sticky. Alot of people look to used bikes for good first bikes or if they just cant afford a brand new one. This website offer a very thorough evaluation guide for anyone looking at a used bike.
I agree, that was very informative. Most people would forget to look at all of the things that are listed to check. Like inside the gas tank for one, I would have never thought to look in there.
Not sure if this will help anyone or what, but this is what I take when bike shopping. It allows me to focus on every part of the bike and then come up with a quick list of problems etc to haggle about. I rate everything one to five, etc, and anything that scores below a four I put some thought into. I've never bought a bike new so I guess that's not a problem but for bikes a few years old I find this pretty useful, hope someone else does too.
I include little blurbs about testing some of the stuff because sometimes I forget if there's some guy standing there trying to hustle me. Maybe no one else has this problem but I get a bit flustered by high-pressure salespeople.
GENERAL
PAINT/BODY 1 2 3 4 5
Front and back, side to side
FASTENERS 1 2 3 4 5
Stripped or gouged
MIRRORS 1 2 3 4 5
Symmetry and condition
FAIRINGS 1 2 3 4 5
Symmetry
CRASH EVIDENCE
UNUSUAL PAINT 1 2 3 4 5
DEEP PARALLEL SCRATCHES 1 2 3 4 5
Especially above footpegs
BROKEN SIGNAL STALKS 1 2 3 4 5
NON-STOCK MIRROR(S) 1 2 3 4 5
NON-STOCK CLUTCH/BRAKE LEVERS 1 2 3 4 5
TWISTED/BENT FORKS 1 2 3 4 5
Sight from seated position
BENT MOUNTING BRACKETS 1 2 3 4 5
BROKEN MOUNTING TABS 1 2 3 4 5
RACE EVIDENCE
SAFETY WIRE HOLES IN FASTENERS 1 2 3 4 5
Front brake caliper, exhaust, casebolts, etc
TIRES 1 2 3 4 5
Balled rubber, in ragged strips
RACE COOLANT N Y
Pink or clear
STOCK ENGINE COVER N Y
BRAKES
ENGAGE SMOOTHLY FRONT 1 2 3 4 5
Bike in neutral, rolling forward
ENGAGE SMOOTHLY REAR 1 2 3 4 5
Bike in neutral, rolling forward
BRAKE DRAG FRONT 1 2 3 4 5
Release lever while rolling
BRAKE DRAG REAR 1 2 3 4 5
Release lever while rolling
STOP FRONT WHEEL 1 2 3 4 5
While rolling in neutral
STOP REAR WHEEL 1 2 3 4 5
While rolling in neutral
BRAKE DRUM WEAR 1 2 3 4 5
BRAKE PAD WEAR Front 1 2 3 4 5
BRAKE PAD WEAR Rear 1 2 3 4 5
ROTOR THICKNESS Front 1 2 3 4 5
4mm
ROTOR THICKNESS Front 1 2 3 4 5
4mm
ROTOR WARPAGE Front 1 2 3 4 5
12 thou - raise fw spin w/brakes app.
ROTOR WARPAGE Rear 1 2 3 4 5
12 thou - raise rw spin w/brakes app.
LIGHT ILLUMINATES Front N Y
LIGHT ILLUMINATES Rear N Y
FLUID COLOR 1 2 3 4 5
Light amber
HOSES & LINES 1 2 3 4 5
CLUTCH
SMOOTH ENGAGEMENT 1 2 3 4 5
DRAG 1 2 3 4 5
Spin rw w/ clutch in
SLIP 1 2 3 4 5
Engine revs w/o match in speed
MILEAGE 1 2 3 4 5
GAS TANK
OEM KEY WORKS GAS CAP N Y
DENTS 1 2 3 4 5
RUST 1 2 3 4 5
Inside
COATED 1 2 3 4 5
Milky plastic coating inside
NEW GAS N Y
Dark in colour-necessitates fuel system cleaning
SEAT
CUTS OR TEARS 1 2 3 4 5
OEM KEY WORKS N Y
LATCHES ON SNUGLY N Y
TIRES
CONDITION 1 2 3 4 5
Bald, dry rot, squared off
BURNOUTS 1 2 3 4 5
Bald in center, edges fine
FLAT SPOTS/UNBALANCED 1 2 3 4 5
Rhythmic thumping or shaking
OLD 1 2 3 4 5
Check date code
MASTERLINK CLIP STILL THERE N Y
Facing direction chain moves
TIGHT SPOTS KINKS ETC 1 2 3 4 5
Eng in nuetral, tire in air, spin wheel by hand
TENSION 1 2 3 4 5
1 inch of play botton center
EXHAUST
HOLES/LEAKS/CRACKS 1 2 3 4 5
Listen and look
HEAT TEST 1 2 3 4 5
All cylinders firing
ENGINE/CARBURETORS
COLD START 1 2 3 4 5
SOUND AT IDLE 1 2 3 4 5
SOUND AT 7500 RPM 1 2 3 4 5
SMOOTH ACCELERATION 1 2 3 4 5
In neutral
ALL GEARS ENGAGE 1 2 3 4 5
Bike on centrestand at idle
ENGINE OIL LEVEL 1 2 3 4 5
ENGINE OIL QUALITY 1 2 3 4 5
THROTTLE MOVES FREELY 1 2 3 4 5
COOLANT LEVEL 1 2 3 4 5
COOLANT COLOUR 1 2 3 4 5
COMPRESSION TEST 1 2 3 4 5
OIL LEAKS 1 2 3 4 5
CENTRESTAND CHECKS
FRONT AXLE BEARINGS 1 2 3 4 5
Move fw back & forth while in air
HANDLEBARS MOVE FULL L TO R 1 2 3 4 5
Notchy = steering head bearings
SWINGARM PIVOT 1 2 3 4 5
Rw in air, side to side play
HI I HAVE BEEN RIDING ABOUT 4 YEARS ON A HONDA CBR 600 AND A GSXR 600. I WANT TO GET A BIKE THAT WILL STUNT ALL DAY. I HAVE TONS OF EXPERIANCE WITH WHEELIES STOPPIES ETC. WHAT DO GUYS THINK.
HI I HAVE BEEN RIDING ABOUT 4 YEARS ON A HONDA CBR 600 AND A GSXR 600. I WANT TO GET A BIKE THAT WILL STUNT ALL DAY. I HAVE TONS OF EXPERIANCE WITH WHEELIES STOPPIES ETC. WHAT DO GUYS THINK.
I agree, that was very informative. Most people would forget to look at all of the things that are listed to check. Like inside the gas tank for one, I would have never thought to look in there.
Yep when I bought mine I noticed the very old gas inside the tank and that was the main reason it was running like crap but that helped me to buy it off the other guy for way less than what he was asking for.
Dude, thanks a whole bunch for this... i just bought a 2002 600m telefonica, and the online guide helped so much. it saved me from buying 2 crappy bikes..
i dont agree with the safety wire comment.. i dont race my busa but am wanting to safety wire my brake calipers and drain plug and any other bolts where it may look trick.
i have known people to have brake pads replaced then once back out on the road the bolts backed themselves out and they were dragging a caliper.. not a good thing if u are at freeway speeds..
instead i would say talk to the owner nonchalantly about the track and stuff and see what he says. if he says yeah ive been there and all yeah the bike may have been raced otherwise the bike may not have been and he did it for the same reasons like me.
I wish i woulda read taht before i bought my first bike, when i first brought it home the first thing my dad said was "what is this piece of shit", i was certain that it was a good bike, but the more i looked at it in depth i would realize new bad things about it, i finally sold it and bought a new unused bike!
:fu:
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