I know a lot about cars and know what to look for when buying one, I can find a good deal. Now Im looking to buy a bike for myself but dont know to much as far as what to look at and what would be a good deal. Does anyone have any info or suggestions?
If this is your first bike, and have never rode much something small and light weight. Probably any 250 would be good. Treat it kinda like a car look at tires and the wear on them also look at them for weather cracking or dry rot. Pull the dip stick is the oil clean or dirty. Does the owner have the maintenance/service history. Check that all lights and signaling devices are functioning. Make sure it runs smoothly best done on a ride so you can check the gears for shifting problems. May want to bring an experienced rider with you as well.
It's very similar to cars in the fact that the over all components are the same. Suspension, engine, drive line, charging system and so forth. It's just that they are done differently. Instead of a driveshaft and a rear end it's a chain and a sprocket. Over all things to look at are just like with a car. Mileage, oil or coolant leaks. Tire wear will show how the bike has been ridden. You'll be able to tell by looking at the tires how far the bike has been leaned over and even how often by how much the sides of the tread of the tires are worn. Clutch feel, sound of the engine. Documentation is a bonus if they've kept records on the bike. Body damage can tell you how the bike has been ridden as well. I personally don't like buying bikes that have been heavily upgraded. A few modifications is one thing, but when they start rattling off a long list of things they've done to the bike it tells me it's probably had a rough life. Otherwise It's really more about how you feel riding the bike. Does it feel comfortable? Will it do what you want to do with it? There's really no 1 bike that can fit every need. I've got 3 bikes and each one has it's purpose. My KLR (street legal dirt bike) is for all weather riding and I pretty much use it for my daily rider. My GSX-R (sport bike) is for when I wanna get all kinds of aggressive, fast and really hit the twisty roads with a vengence. And My '78 GS just hold a special places because it's so old school and in such a great shape. I still need a cruiser for those really long rides, but I'm not in a hurry since I can make do with what I currently have. Hope that helps, I'd be happy to answer any specific questions if you want. I've been buying and selling bikes for 25 years so I've learned all kinds of things to look at and what to expect. Even how to figure out what bike fits a person's needs and desires best :)
pretty much look for the same thing you would on a car. I check the brakes first. Then move all the controls to see if they move smoothly. Then I want to shift thrugh the gears without the engine running. Just by rocking the bike forward and back. Also like a car, anything rubber need a good check. Fuel lines, hydrolic brake lines, tires, hand grips. I check all these things before asking to start the engine. If all this passes then I check the fluids and start the engine. If it is difficult to start I walk away. If it starts well, then I look for smoke in the exaust. If it is a 2 stroke it will smoke anyway because of the oil in the gas. But, if it is a 4 stroke it should not smoke. If the engine starts and runs well then I want to take it for a test ride. Is it compfortable for me. Does it have enough power to meet my needs. Then, If I want to buy the bike I will call my insurance agent. If it is expensive to insure I don't want it. If insurance is ok, then find out what the bike is worth in the blue book.
