I am looking to buy a motorcycle soon and ive heard that a bike being dropped is bad, but that is all i know. I was wondering what could happen if the bike is dropped.
Well, there are drops and there are DROPS. Some riders refer to a crash as a drop, while others refer to a low-speed or stationary tip-over as a drop. First, the easy one--if a bike gets knocked over while stationary, generally most of the damage will be cosmetic--broken fairing pieces, scratches, busted levers, etc. That stuff's easily--though not necessarily cheaply--fixed and has little effect on the bike in the long term. The greater issue is the DROP, an actual smash-up at speed. Motorcycles are complex machines and you can cause damage to a wide array of components, from suspension pieces to brakes, to the frame. Sometimes the engine over-revs during a crash, causing internal engine damage. Generally, the most common issue caused by a crash relates to frame damage. If a bike's frame is damaged, torqued, twisted, or just generally tweaked, it will adversely affect handling . . . quite possibly very signicantly. The bottom line is to have any used bike that you're considering buying inspected by a professional mechanic. A thorough inspection can tell you whether damage has occurred that will affect performance, safety, or resale value down the road.
grab the front brake while the handle bars are turned at slow speed, and u'll instantly drop it. been there, done that. wont cause any damage if u have an engine guard on it, and it helps picking it back up also. anything over 10 mph could do some damage if the bike goes down. depends on if it hit something for 1, and how hard it hit itif u go down at high speed, it's gonna get royally trashed.
It's sometimes hard to tell if a bike has been dropped, especially if the previous owner replaced any broken or scuffed pieces, and made some rudimentary repairs to straighten any minor damage. Once you have a bike, and are used to the way it feels, then it is obvious if you drop it and bend a handlebar or anything, but unless you have ridden something very similar to the bike you are looking at, then it can be hard to tell what it is supposed to feel like, but you can sometimes Obviously look for damage, sometimes minor damage doesn't automatically indicate that the bike was dropped, since you can whack turn signals or mirrors on cars, garage doors, etc., but mainly look at the handlebars, forks, wheels, -- make sure they look straight, and if you take if for a test ride, make sure it doesn't pull to one side or wobble excessively (usually try to take it up to a decent speed to be sure). Sometimes worn tires will give it uneven feel, make sure to check the tire pressure as some bikes sit for extended periods of time during the winter. It's always a crap-shoot buying something used, but if you do a little research, maybe test ride a few similar bikes, you can find what works best for you at the same time as trying to find a good deal.
