Should you buy a used motorbike - where to look?

Hello my friends. Today we will talk about this important question: should you buy a used motorbike? Or it will be safer to buy new one and to pay more for your safety (and to save your nerves, which is also important))?

Well, let us find out.

1. Use your eyes.

A close inspection of a used motorcycle will help you to determine how much money should be invested in it immediately after purchase, and at the same time to understand whether it is worth buying it at all.

Finding flaws in a motorcycle is much easier than in a car. For most of the bikes almost everything is in sight. Of course the best option is to entrust the evaluation of the motorcycle to a professional mechanic. However, if you carry a specialist for each viewing, you can go bankrupt before buying. But paying attention to a few obvious nuances instead, you can definitely distinguish a motorcycle in a decent condition from scrap metal on wheels.

2. Find the real age

First we try to estimate the real age of the motorcycle.

Find out the design features of the model you like. If it is kept in the manufacturer's line for more than 10 years, at least once a couple of years the restyling was made. Even the company logo in different years can be applied different way. Not to mention the technological improvements: installing other brake calipers or changing the shape of the gas tank. The main thing is to make sure that the model was actually produced in this form in those years.

By the way, you should not be afraid of 10-year-olds bikes. The age of the motorcycle is divided into two. In most European countries, and even in Japan, the season lasts on average six months. "The survivor" is a bike with a 20-year history. However, there may be exceptions. The owner, as they say, "could pray for his bike": he rarely went out, blew off specks of dust. Such variants in an ideal condition - though a great rarity, but still may be there. Although there are few dangers.

After removal from the assembly line, the manufacturer supports the model with spare parts for up to 10 years. And if the deadline is out, find many details and consumables will be problematic.

On the real age of the motorcycle can indicate the state of the seats (cracked imitation leather), and burnt out buttons: for example, the engine shutdown on the right handlebar (its red color fades with time, turning into a pale pink). It does not happen in 5-7 years.

Another important thing - the state of chrome or aluminum parts. They fade and become stained with time, as they do not tolerate an aggressive wet or chemical environment. Chromium may be damaged due to physical impact (ingress of stones or sand).

Finally, the most obvious thing is rust. Even on motorcycles, presented in the salons, you can find rusty chains, brake discs, traverses, etc. All of this - not only visual flaws. They may be followed by replacement of very expensive items that still need to be found.

3. Falls and crashes

Traces of falls are an important factor in the motorbike evaluation when buying. They are indicated by worn out crankcase covers, crushed exhaust pipes, traces on arcs and footboards. Perhaps the bike "lay down" at a low speed, and maybe the blow was even more serious, which could affect the geometry of the frame or lead to the bending of the plug. In any case, the presence of such damage should make the future owner think about it.

Here you can include all kinds of inexplicable tuning. The fork from another model, the headlight of the main light and the front indicators in the absence of similar improvements on the entire motorcycle often say only one thing: after a serious collision, the "muzzle" of the bike, as the saying goes, "gone to the birds." Therefore it had to be replaced. How well? Not every mechanic can determine.

Another visually observable element is the state of the exhaust pipes at the output of the engine. In used motorcycles, they are rarely ideal. However, too dark or even burnt pipes on a relatively young bike can tell you about the character of the previous owner. Probably, he twisted the engine in full, which significantly reduced its resource.

4. Little things? There are no little things!

If the anthers are cracked - they need to be replaced. After all, the task of these parts is to prevent moisture or abrasive from entering the hi-tech sites. For example, to a reducer. If the moment is missed, you may expect a very unpleasant surprise at the showdown.

The condition of the brake discs and pads can also be determined without the help of a professional. Excessive development of both, leads to a replacement. And if the pads is a relatively inexpensive element, with the discs you could get into a expensive problem.

For the tires buyer usually pays attention in the first place. Having made sure that the height of the tread is normal, he is usually calmed down. But he shouldn't!

Pay attention not only to the protector, but also to the release date. Year and week can be found in the rectangle on the side of the tire. Tires of 8-10 years old are far from normal. Moreover for these years, rubber has lost its properties. 

The condition of the shock absorbers is more difficult to check, but at least approximately the front is possible. For this, when the front brake is clamped, it is necessary to load (make "peck") the plug several times. No knocking should be, as should not be on the feathers of the oil film. The serviceability of the rear shock absorber can be estimated only by a professional.

5. The main element

But even all these shortcomings can be relatively easily eliminated. Another thing is the engine. Its serviceability and resource - it's about half (and even more) of the price of the bike. There certainly must be no mistakes. Knocking motor - one of the reasons for selling bikes in the secondary market. Meet these motorcycles in the salons, too, can be, but, as a rule, they are sold by the owners themselves (naturally, silent about this fundamental problem). "He poured oil thicker and sold that garbage!" - such boggal formulations, alas, have to be heard more often now. Moreover, these bikes may be serviced with not always timely (and most importantly - quality) replacement of oil. There is only one way to find out: drive to a proven SRT, let the mechanics to measure compression. Mileage should not be taken into account, because there is long know technology of twisting the readings of the speedometer, including digital one.

But do not be afraid of the values ​​of 40 or 50 thousand km on the speedometer, especially for cruisers or sport tourists. The engine resource of such bikes is quite high. If the motorcycle looks well-groomed and has a service book, it can travel more than one thousand kilometers without capital investment. But the big runs on sportbikes should be alerted.

Finally, it is worth to prepare for the fact that after the purchase you will immediately have to replace all the fluids and filters. How long the bike had them is unknown. The same can apply to the battery. Its service life is several years. And hardly at an age motorcycle it will be in an ideal condition.

All of the foregoing, as a rule, concerns bikes of at least 10 years of age. But if transport is 3-5 years old, most of these problems may not be. Although it should be remembered: the too low price is a signal of hidden faults, which sellers are not obliged to admit.

So to buy or not to buy? It is up to you. Make all the checks described above, use your eyes - and your new used bike will serve you well.

Have doubts? Buy new one, get calm nerves for little higher price.

And if you have decided after all to buy used motorcycle - you may choose it from available range here.