Buying a used bike

[Stovepipes]

Assuming all goes well I'll have passed my Mod 2 on Friday and purchase my first motorbike soon after that but nothing scares me more than spending large amounts of money and potentially buying a dud. I'm probably gonna pay by credit card and buy something from a trader but I've seen a few bargain bike from private sellers that look incredibly tempting and far cheaper than the traders bikes, I'm just wondering if there is a way to get the bikes inspected pre-purchase to make sure they're not money pits.

I'd also like any recommendations for good beginner bikes for around £2500-£3000 for commuting into central London.

 

[wazza300]

Bikes tend to last far better than cars,there's not much to go wrong with them,you could take someone with you if you know anyone knowledgeable

Service history is a bonus but I wouldn't be put off by high mileage,just listen for any abnormal knocking or rattling sounds

As for first time bike o think a 600cc is ideal,its up to you though which type of bike,sports bike,touring,adventure style etc

Could look at the popular Honda hornet,Suzuki sv,Kawasaki er6,Yamaha fazer

 

[GothicGhost]

I can't help with advice on buying used bikes I had my father in law help me out, but wanted to say good luck on your test.

Just remember stay calm and everything will go as planned.
I fail my mod 2 first time as my brain was going crazy overload and then I messed up
Second time much calmer and passed.

 

[Stovepipes]

you could take someone with you if you know anyone knowledgeable

Lol everyone always says this but if you had someone surely you'd have thought of asking them

Service history is a bonus but I wouldn't be put off by high mileage,just listen for any abnormal knocking or rattling sounds

Really? high mileage completely puts me off especially with the miles I'm planning on putting on it. With my budget I've specifically been looking at under 10,000 miles, ideally under 5000 and as new as possible.

As for first time bike o think a 600cc is ideal,its up to you though which type of bike,sports bike,touring,adventure style etc

Agreed. I was even looking at 250/300c cause I commute into London but weirdly the insurance quotes were pretty much the same

Could look at the popular Honda hornet,Suzuki sv,Kawasaki er6,Yamaha fazer

Yeah I almost bought an ER6F the other day but thought I'd wait til I actually passed unfortunately it's now been sold
I also had my heart set on a Yamaha MT-03 but then read a review that suggested it doesn't like slow speeds & surges and I really need it to be competent at slow speeds as I require that for filtering in London.

I can't help with advice on buying used bikes I had my father in law help me out, but wanted to say good luck on your test.

Just remember stay calm and everything will go as planned.
I fail my mod 2 first time as my brain was going crazy overload and then I messed up
Second time much calmer and passed.

Thanks, with a bit of luck I won't let my nerves get the best of me like I almost did on the Mod 1, in my mind the Mod 2 is passable where as the Mod 1 seemed almost impossible to me.

 

[gcaster]

I found Mod 1 much worse than mod 2. Mod 2 is just going for a slow ride out, easy.

If you like the MT03 maybe have a look at the MT07.

 

[mcm4mcm]

Yamaha Thundercat

 

[mcm4mcm]

I have been riding since 1993, 500's 900's 100's my favorite is still my 2002 Thundercat, it is a super comfy 600 with loads of torque, if you can find a low mileage late model then you will a happy rider, they have gone up in value since I bought mine for £2000 5 years ago, mine still has just 15k on the clock as my commute is short but fun!

Check out the reviews for the YZF660r Thundercat, they were underated when they were new but those of us in the know love the easy nature and great wind protection they provide, these had the brakes known as R1 brakes b4 the R1. Fast is good, stopping quickly is better.

 

[TripleT]

I fancy a z750 personally for a similar use.

 

[Stovepipes]

I found Mod 1 much worse than mod 2. Mod 2 is just going for a slow ride out, easy.

If you like the MT03 maybe have a look at the MT07.

Yeah from the training I did today Mod 2 seems passable whereas I'm still kinda shocked that I got through the Mod 1.

As for the MT07 I do like it particularly the Moto Cage one but it's way outta my budget.

 

[Stovepipes]

Well I passed and now I need a bike. Annoyingly everything I was looking at 2 days ago has been sold now, they go that quickly eh?

I'm kinda interested in Cat C/D bikes too or should I avoid them.

 

[wazza300]

congrats on passing

not sure about cat c/d some are ok I guess but I think it also affects insurance/higher?

 

[Stovepipes]

Ta very much, I'm stunned I got through it.

I'm having such a hard time finding bikes right now. A week ago there were loads but I guess it got sunny and everything is selling quickly now.

 

[Yaka]

i passed last month, only advice i can give is if you see a bike you are very keen on, be quick as hell.

ive been looking everyday and can only make time to see bikes on sundays, every single one ive ear marked on gumtree, autotrader, ebay etc got sold

ah well at least i can pretend my varadero is a "big bike"

 

[wazza300]

I would take my time in looking,picking,buying the right bike,no need to rush

 

[SPG]

Sometimes its hard to get a ride if buying private.

So give it a good look over when cold, then get him to fire it up and leave it running for a while and check again.

Bounce the bike, check for leaks on the forks seals (£150 at a garage no biggy or £1200 if you try and do it your self and break the garage roof whilst hanging the bike from it grrrrrrrrrrr) Check rear suspension is lively when bouncing, take off the oil cap and look for cleanliness any white deposits then investigate further. Obvious rattles etc (if its a twin it will rattle anyway)

Oh and if its a chopper style, just walk away anyway.

 

[unKle]

To be fair the best time to buy a bike is late autumn. A lot of bikers tend to sell up before winter, had their summer fun and the thought of ££££ sitting in the garage/drive/shed doesn't bode well for some. Lots of bikes flood the market which means better deals to be had.

The best time to sell is now, start of the biking season kicking off, nice dry roads, sun's coming out etc etc.

As most have said, take your time, don't feel disappointed by missing out on a bike, you'll end up with the bike you're supposed to have.


Remember the basics.. Buying from dealers, you pay more, but you have back up, limited warranty/good will etc. Buying privately you save a few quid, but you need to exercise more caution, checking paperwork against chassis/engine numbers, HPI check, no road testing (most of the time) so you have to do more stationary checks yourself.

Just don't rush in, we'll have a wet and windy spell coming up soon and no one will want to buy a bike then

 

[PieEater]

If you narrow down your choice to a few models it would be worth signing up to the relevant forums and asking what to look out for when buying used. Some will have classified ads for the particular model from forum members and these will generally have been properly looked after and have had any worthwhile mods done.

 

[Stovepipes]

Well I got a bit impatient and bought a 2009 Kawasaki ER6F. It's a nice looking modern bike and supposedly the best fit for beginners only things that I don't like about it is that it feels a bit small for me, the aftermarket exhaust is just way too freaking loud, good for filleting in Central London but my neighbors will hate me and it's done more miles than I was hoping for the money. Still at least it was local and I have 3 months warranty.

 

[wazza300]

how many miles?

I like the style of those bikes

 

[ElliorR]

How tall are you? I had an ER6f and at 6'2" I was tall for it but it served me well. As for the exhaust, has it got a baffle in? If not and you don't have one it might be worth contacting the manufacturer and buy one.

Also when I traded it in it have covered well over 50k miles and still going strong.