ALT-4 Buying used Motorcycles
You realize you have the bug. You have made up your mind to purchase a motorcycle and find out what thousands and thousands of people already know. Motorcycling is fun. You head down to your local dealership to look at bikes. Holy! When did they get so expensive? Don't fret, there are plenty of used bikes in the paper to look at.
You have your price range figured out, and have a idea what style of bike you want. When you get there to see the bike, there are a few things to look at and a few questions that need asking as well. Things to look for are......Check the tires. What you are looking for here is the condition of the tread surface and the sidewalls. A old tire will have cracking(sometimes called weather checking) on the side wall and even in the grooves of the tread. Also look for an uneven surface on the face of the tire(this is called cupping). Any of these signs mean you should be looking to replace the tire(s) right away.Check the brakes. Look at the thickness of the pads(new ones are usually 7mm thick). In the case of drum brakes, most bikes have a wear indicator on the brake panel. Check the rotor(s). Look for signs of roughness or grooving. Finally, check the brake fluid. Clear or amber colored is good. Black is bad.Check the chain and sprockets. When checking the chain, there are three things to look for. Appearance; Does it look dry and rusty, or well oiled? Adjustment; Are the adjusters all the way back in the swing arm? Check for tight spots. This is checking the slack in the chain.
Place your finger under the bottom section of chain and push it up as far as you can, next pull it down as far as it will go. The distance between the two positions is the slack. Normal slack is between an inch to two inches depending on the bike. Roll the bike forward a couple of feet and check it again. The measurement should be the same. Repeat again. Lastly, the third check is wear. Go to the rear sprocket and grab the chain at the back.
If you were to continue the swing arm back through the sprocket, where it crosses the chain is the spot. Now pull the chain away from the sprocket, a worn chain will pull away exposing a small amount of the teeth. A good chain will not.Check the sprockets. You are just looking for uniform wear on both sides of the teeth. A worn chain will start to pull the teeth over like a saw blade.These are the quick things to look at. I call them the nickle and dime stuff, but anybody who owns a bike will know that it way more than nickles and dimes.Ask why they are selling it. Might help you find out if there are any underlying problems. Ask if they had been getting regular maintenance and where if possible. Ask if the bike has been in any accidents. A quick visual of the mirrors, levers, foot pegs, and signal lights will help with that question too.If you are still unsure at this point, ask if they will allow you to take the bike to a shop and let a mechanic have a look. Most dealerships have a flat fee for inspecting the bike and even a check list to let you know what it may need or what it should get right away. If the seller says yes, then you want to continue dealing. If they say no, thank them for their time and move on to the next one on your list.
And don't worry if the first one isn't the right one for you. When you find the right one, you will know. Happy hunting!Keep your right hand cranked, and your feet on the pegs.
