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NEW !!! |
What do I look for when buying ??? |
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This is probably the most commonly asked question. First, make
sure you have a brain and double check that it's functioning correctly.
Motorcycles are not toys (they're a heck of a lot better!) - lots of people die
on them. Find someone, a friend of the family, a friend of a friend, someone who
can help you out with the millions of questions you'll probably have when buying
your first bike. Tires- tires can cost a lot (~$200-$400/pair usually). When compared to the cost of some used bikes, that can be a lot. Tires are really important - how many motorcyclists have you heard of that have had a "blowout?" There's a reason why you haven't. Here's what to look for:
Oil Leaks- The severity of an oil leak varies extremely from bike to bike. My bike has had a little oil leak for 3 seasons now, and it's fine. I had another bike that started to leak a little oil and within 1000 miles, I was getting a generous blessing of hot oil on my leg when I hit the highway (had to replace the upper head gasket). Check around the middle of the engine - is there a lot of oil, the head gasket may need to be replaced soon. The other common place for oil to leak from is the valve cover, which is the top-most part of the engine. If you are unsure as to whether you should worry about it - ask the owner to wipe off the old oil and then take the bike for a test drive (or ask the owner to) for at least 5-10 minutes after the bike has warmed up; then carefully (don't burn yourself!!!) examine the area you saw the oil at with a flashlight. If there's oil - then the gasket most likely should be replaced. Has the bike been "down?" - This may or may not be that significant. Most used bikes have got a history of scratches. If you see any significant ones, ask the owner for the story - you'll find out (hopefully) if it was a serious hit, or "just a scratch;" you'll probably learn something too. Here's the most common places to find "evidence" that the bike's been "street slidin": The ends of the hand grips, the edges of the turn signals, the ends and sides of the tailpipes, and the front edges of the "case" (bottom right and left as you look at the front of the bike). Some types of "scratches" may be more than "just a scratch". For example, the bike's charging system is occasionally damaged when certain areas of the "case" are damaged. Why is he or she selling the bike? - If their answer seems kind, of "wishy-washy," you may want to think twice and have a mechanic look over it. I've seen people start the bike before I got to the garage because the starter motor and charging system were on the brink. Brakes - The rear brakes, if they are "drum" brakes (there is no metal "disk" on the back wheel like there is on the front wheel), are usually real easy to see when they need replacing. There is usually a "wear indicator" on the drum itself. Press the back brake pedal all the way down and see where the "pointer" points - if it travels more than 75% of the scale, you'll probably need to get new rear brake "shoes" within a couple of years. The front brake(s) is (are) a bit tricky some time. If the front wheel were a circle, place your eye (close one) at the edge of the circle. While looking at one brake disk at a time, move your head along the edge of the circle until you can see material inside the caliper (the thing that straddles the "disk") almost touching the disk (on both sides)-those are the brake pads. The pads are mounted to a metal material on the outside edge. If the amount of material on that metal is more than about 1/8 of an inch, you're probably ok. Brake pads are usually not that expensive. Fork seals - Look at the front forks (the two tubes that go from the handle bars to the front axle). Is there any oil or dirt on them? If there is, you're probably talking about getting new fork seals; they're not that expensive, but it's kind of a pain to take the tubes off the bike (or more expensive to bring it "in"). Wipe off the fork tubes and push the front end of the bike up and down a couple of times and listen for any funky noises and recheck for oil leaking; you should hear a nice, smooth whooshing sound when you compress them and the tubes should be very clean. How does the thing look? - This is gonna be your baby - don't say, "Well I guess I'll deal with the dent." If the thing is just real dirty and a bit rusty, you can take care of that, but if it's real dinged up - don't buy it. I assure you, there are VERY GOOD DEALS TO BE HAD OUT THERE, you just have got to wait for them. |
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