What to look for when buying a bike?

[BennyC]

I the near future I will be needing to purchase my first bike. Knowing very little about bikes this is a bit of a grey area for me.

It'll be a sports bike and other than cosmetics and basic mechanics and a visual inspection I'm not really sure what I should be looking for that would either tell me 'This is a tidy bike' or 'Run for the hills this is a death trap'.

A few things to check that I can think of:

A chain that isn't slack, is well oiled & cared for. Likewise with the sprockets.
Discs that aren't badly or unevenly worn. Likewise with the pads (if these can be seen).
Shocks that aren't cracked, leaking, have seen better days or don't feel particularly healthy (whatever this feels like).
A cold start, checking for blue smoke, white is acceptable if it's a cold day so I've read.
A warm start.
A good idle, not coughing and spluttering.
Clutch, all gears can engage and that it's not throwing itself out of gear or refusing to select.
Tyres for good tread depth, cracks, bulges.
Exhaust for blows/poor condition.
Color & condition of oil and that it's not dry and been neglected.

These are a few things I can think of. I'm sure there is more including bike specific and common problems. The bike is question is a ZX6R, before anybody goes first bike ZX6R etc etc I am aware that the bike in question is very powerful and that bikes are unforgiving and as such demand respect. Until I've got some miles under my belt & experience with it I probably won't see the wrong side of the speed limit for a while until I'm familiar with it.

I can drive my 182 like an OAP so feel I have the self restraint required not to land myself in hospital. Of course a defensive riding style will help.

I plan to visit a couple in a dealer to get a feel for them. So back to my original question what would you be going over with a fine tooth comb when buying a bike?

Thanks

BennyC

 

[BennyC]

Ta, I'll remember to do those too

 

[BennyC]

Got my eye on one particular ad.

09 plate, 08 model. P8F
Black,
Just over 8000 miles
FSH & stamped book.
Warranty just run out.
Last major service 1500 miles ago, oil, filters & plugs changed.
Datatagged.
All keys including master key.

Extra's:
Scorpion Exhaust Rear Section
Goodridge Brake Lines
Dunlop GP Qualifier Tyres
Tail Tidyer
One Off Custom Grab Rail
Plumbed in maintenance charger.

Standard parts included in sale too.

Rear puncture has been plugged and is fine.

May be paddock stands also included in sale and bike could be delivered for a cost TBC. Not sure when it's taxed till or when it's MOT is due.

On for £4500. It seems reasonably priced considering other adverts, perhaps a little high in preparation for a knock down, has been well cared for, kept in the garage on stands, with heaters. All the extra's would have to come off until my second year of riding.

If I could knock a couple of hundred off, towards £4100/4200 and have it delivered it seems like a good deal. Providing the tyres aren't bald, discs trashed and pads down to their backing plates

 

[BennyC]

http://pistonheads.co.uk/sales/2823995.htm

We've sent a few e-mails back and forth as I wanted to touch base as I wasn't planning on purchasing until after getting my license however he's said he can deliver on his bike trailer or on a van. £60 if he got full asking or 50p per mile which would be around £125 as I'm about 250 miles away.

I'm waiting for him to get back to me with more details including when the MOT is due and when it's taxed till. I asked if any parts had been replaced during it's life and to his knowledge nothing has been replaced due to wear and tear yet. I'm awaiting a few more detailed bits from the service history.

I asked about squaring on the tyres to which he said there was some very slight squaring though I will need to see photo's of this. These are probably best replaced unless I can even it out on some bends.

In comparison to what else is available and the milage on other examples this does seem a tad on the high side though it's including a fair few extra's.

I haven't made an offer yet but I have a rough idea of offering nearer to the £4k mark providing everything seems to be in order from the photographs I see and after having given it an inspection when delivered, should the sale process get that far.

Thoughts on the example linked welcome

 

[BennyC]

Strangely enough I was actually looking at that bike myself. Sounds like a decent one and I can empathise with his reasons for selling.

I think I'll stick with my SV650 for now though, get some more miles under my belt before I move up the BHP rank.

Yeah, adverts where the seller has taken time to write it properly and that show it's been well cared for are the ones that usually get my interest.

Just awaiting some more details. I can chain it up with a cover over it until I pass.

 

[BennyC]

Plus, while we all worry about binning it, even if only for fear of injury, id feel much better pushing my limits on a cheaper bike than one that cost 5k.

No doubt about that, though I don't plan to jump straight on and try to find the bikes limits. I'll probably never even get particularly close to the bikes limit and am not buying the bike to rev the **** off it and tempt fate.

Its maybe the reason why 'power rangers' live on straight roads and tootle around corners, they've never wanted to push it too far??

Most likely, you never know if there are fuel/oil spills on the road or nasty bumps/potholes that you can't avoid when you;ve got your knee down

I would say don't be put off a 600 as a first bike (the throttle goes both ways, so long as you have a healthy respect for the bike's capabilities you'll be OK).

It's a respect I definitely have, I know when my speed is too great for the road, or two fast for a courner or just down right dangerous. Having had a few very near misses in my first year of driving I calmed down loads, I appreciate that driving a bike is very different to a car with less room for error. However there is a time and a place to drive/ride like a tool and that is on a track.

However, I would definitely echo Danm's comments about the price of it. I spent my first three years on a TZR125, which didn't cost me a huge amount but I was still gutted the three times I dropped/crashed it. I would say accept that you will at least drop the bike a few times in your first year or two, hopefully just at stand still. With that in mind, get a cheapier grand bike, put the rest into a savings account. Learn to ride, learn how to do basic maintenance, and enjoy your bike without spending every minute worrying about "breaking" it. Once you've really got a handle on the whole thing, then get yourself your dream bike.

I appreciate the advice and know it's inevitable that there will be a few drops when caught off guard. However once I have my heart set on something...you know the rest.

I did look at cheaper bikes but the difference in insurance cost was minimal which didn't offer much incentive, even on a 250 it was barely a few hundred cheaper. If I'm being bent over for insurance I'd like it to be a bike that I want even if I'm not capable of using it's full potential.

I plan to do some advanced training, most likely the IAM shortly after passing my test as I found my Pass Plus for my car very helpful.

Oh, and remember to post up pictures of whatever you decide to do. We all love a drool!

Will do

 

[BennyC]

Dont worry about your first bike being a zx6r.. I did this

Youll not get bored in a rush. Sounds like youve got your list sorted on what to check and with that age/mileage the only defects should be fairly obvious (if any!)

Happy hunting and riding

Thanks,

Can I ask which year ZX6R you have?
Did you have much riding experience before gaining your license?

I'm curious as what to expect. Obviously it'll go like the clappers with a twist of the wrist. Other than a difference in weight, riding position and handling as long as it's driven with some self restraint I can't see it being too much more difficult to drive or more dangerous than any other bike? What are your thoughts? and what were your initial findings/reactions?

 

[BennyC]

Thanks for the reply.

I'm undecided as to whether to save a little and go for the 636 or pick up an P8F. I think once I've passed if I can find a dealer willing to let me test either it would help. A 2005/2006 is about £3-400 cheaper to insure and doesn't suffer from the mid range issues the 07/08 does, doesn't seem to be too many examples knocking about though.

Your bike looks very tidy, nice and clean just how it should be!

How much did it cost to have the wheels powder coated if you don't mind me asking?

 

[BennyC]

http://www.motorcyclesupermarket.com/used-motorcycles/2003-Kawasaki-ZX6R-NINJA-in-Ruislip-5239040

Thoughts on this example?

Other than finding a rather negative review of the service supplied by the dealer it seems to be a reputable dealer having been established 40 years.

The price seems in line with others for sale, in fact cheaper than other private sales which raises an eyebrow. It's quite close to me so I might pop down and give it a look over if it's still available.

A concern is that it might have not been run in properly and slammed around a track or have had some damage repaired.

It looks quite tidy and the 5th photo might show a few light marks on the tank.

 

[BennyC]

Well I popped along this afternoon and gave the bike a look over. I popped on to their website which showed the mileage as 21500 quite a difference to the 3495 shown in the advert, which then occurred to me some plank has put the price as the mileage. Anyway...

The tax is due to run out at the end of July, with an MOT due then too/beginning of August. There was a scratch on the screen about an inch long but nothing too major. There was a couple of marks on the left side of the swing arm which looked like chipped paint but again nothing too major. The shocks seems to be in very good condition, no leaks, no crack or leaks on the rear shock/spring either. The wheels and fairing were in good condition no noticeable defects, the wheels could do with a respray which I plan on doing anyway. Rear sprockets and chain seemed okay, a fair bit of play though it is due a service which will be done. The exhaust/manifold whilst not in perfect condition, to be expected for a 5 year old bike, didn't have any blows that I could hear and whilst tinged an orangey(sp) red/brown it was not flaking.

It started up nicely and idled well. With the same about of play either way on the bars in that the bar ends were almost touching the tank. I couldn't feel any niggles or clicks or bumps in the header bearing though I will get the front end off the ground soon to check this properly.

The rear brake disc looked almost new and the front looked worn with some grooving and the pad had about 3/4mm left, I asked about this and he said when they service it if they have less than 4k miles in them they will change them but that they looked fine to him.

Tyres had plenty of tread on them, no squaring and gripped well on the test passenger ride.

Master key & spare, full service history from the garage it was purchased from which is actually one I visited a few weeks back and is very local to me. Service at 500 miles, and then a couple of thousand later and then every 5/6k after that.

Riding pillion was interesting, kept head butting the chap taking me out as the strap is useless so I had my hands on the tank pretty much most of the time. He said he wasn't really putting it in to corners very hard as I was quite stiff and apparently trying to keep the bike upright but it was fast enough for me. He took it up to 'a rather fast speed' in a matter of seconds on a nice straight country road which put a smile on my face. Goes like the clappers which is to be expected.

I explained that the book price for a tidy example is £3200 which after checking his book admitted isn't far off. I explained the points above at which point he asked what I was looking for. I said as close to £3000 as possible which he said he couldn't do and offered £3300. I then said that it's tax & mot were due and we went for another look around where I pointed everything out.

We settled on £3200 which includes a service & MOT, 3 month warranty, valet and storing the bike for me until I pass in the next couple of weeks. £100 deposit paid and 2 photo's taken to follow shortly

I'm sure most will be shaking their heads. I know that I don't have 1/10th of the confidence to ride how he was which was not dangerous at all, apart from the one occasion where he opened it up, so I won't be trying to ride like that any time soon.