Bike buying points
- Thread starter Alba
- Start date
There's some good info at http://www.autotrader.co.uk/EDITORIAL/B ... cycle.html
nigelphoto
New Member
Alba said:
IMHO the most important thing in your search is to start by writing down what you require from a bike (i.e. 'head' not 'heart') then you can start looking at two or three specific makes, model and perhaps even year which meet those criteria. What I mean is if you really need a nice trailie to use mostly on tarmac for touring or commuting but also have some fun off road, but you see an R6 for very little money which you really, really want - well, it might look fantastic on the driveway and impress the neighbours but in 3 months time it'll be back on ebay and you'll have lost a packet. Search all the usual sites such as MCN, Biketrader, ebay, carandclassic and go and look at what local dealers might have in stock so you can see examples of the type of bike in which you're interested. When you've fixed on a particular bike, get an HPIcheck at https://www.hpicheck.com This will cost you £19.99 but it could save you ££££'s later on if you try to tax it and find the Bizzies round at your place because its been stolen! Don't pay £2.99 for a text check unless you spell your name S-u-c-k-e-r as they don't actually check anything. Unless you are a reasonably competent mechanic then try to take a more knowledgeable friend along with you and the two of you can together assess general condition such as signs for having been dropped and whether the mileage on the clock stacks up (e.g. worn footrest rubbers are a sure sign of high mileage). Look at the obvious things which wear and cost to replace such as chain and sprockets, tyres, brake discs and pads, fluid levels and with the bike on the centre stand feel for swing arm, headstock and wheel bearing movement. Operate the controls and check throttle and clutch adjustment and then start it, let it get nice and warm, listen for rattles and look for any signs of blue smoke when the throttle is 'blipped', if its water-cooled wait for 10 minutes with it ticking over to see if the fan comes on. Listen to the owner if its a private sale and you will soon be able to tell if he/she's serving you up a dish of porky pies - and beware it is a very emotive thing to buy a bike so try to stay focussed and like I said at the beginning, make sure its the 'head' and not the 'heart' that is in control when you shake the dude's hand and part with your hard-earned. Oh, and good luck!