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
ELECTRICAL
HEADLIGHTS 1 2 3 4 5
Highbeam and Lowbeam
TURN SIGNALS FL FR RL RR
OIL PRESSURE LIGHT N Y
On with ign, off when eng starts
NEUTRAL INDICATOR LIGHT N Y
HORN N Y
IGNITION N Y
SIDESTAND CUTOFF N Y
KILLSWITCH N Y
BATTERY 1 2 3 4 5
Headlight brightens with revs 2500/7000
STATOR 1 2 3 4 5
Good battery but lights still brighten
SUSPENSION
RECENT FORK SEALS 1 2 3 4 5
Last 15 - 20k miles
FORKS PERFECTLY SMOOTH 1 2 3 4 5
FORKS STAY CLEAN WHEN PUMPED 1 2 3 4 5
Some dirt first pump ok
SUSPENSION MOVES SILENTLY 1 2 3 4 5
NEW FORK OIL 1 2 3 4 5
Three years max
REAR SHOCK GOOD 1 2 3 4 5
Jounce test
WHEELS
DENTS 1 2 3 4 5
SPEEDOMETER/ODOMETER N Y
Spin front wheel in air or run eng in gear
SPIN FREELY N Y
SPOKES 1 2 3 4 5
CHAIN/SPROCKETS/BELTS
SERIOUS WEAR 1 2 3 4 5
Pull chain back, expose more than 1/2 tooth
HOOKED SPROCKET TEETH 1 2 3 4 5
ROLLERS SMOOTH/SHINY 1 2 3 4 5
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
ACCESSORIES
TOOLKIT N Y
OWNER’S MANUAL N Y
AFTERMANKET EXHAUST N Y
TANK BRA N Y
TANK BAG N Y
AFTERMARKET SUSPENSION N Y
PAPERWORK N Y
:fu:
