Couple of questions - going to see a man about a bike..

[ttr]

Hi there



Tomorrow afternoon I'm off to go see a second hand Suzuki GS125 - 1998, 11k on the clock.


I'm a complete n00b to bikes - did my CBT (passed ), but that's literally it.


Unfortunately, I have no one to go with me to check the bike over, so I'm gonna have to blag it myself...

And, I'm only 16, but, gonna be 17 in a few months - hence going straight to 125, however, I can't testride it myself, obviously.


So, my question/s pretty much relate to what to check on the bike - ie - What do I check? How do I check it? What am I looking for on the documentation (seller has V5, MOT, previous MOTs etc..)? What do I ask the seller?


And yeah, anything else I've missed!

Any bartering tips?

Stuff like that!



I also have one other question, relating to boots.

I have, and pretty religiously wear, a pair of german surplus combat boots, will they be acceptable for riding in?

They're quite thick leather, few inches (4?) above my ankle..






Anyway, cheers in advance!

[truslack]

Your combat boots should be ok to ride in, where in the world are you? You will probably find that someone on here is willing to help look over the bike (for a beer )
____________________
Current: Suzuki RG 125 Gamma, Honda H100, Triumph Tiger 800XC, Suzuki SV650 (minitwin)

[ttr]

Okay, cheers.


Winchester area - the bike's in Southampton.


Problem is it's pretty short notice.


The bike's on evilBay, and finishes tomorrow evening.


I was thinking going to see it pretty late would give me the upper hand in the bargaining, but I suppose it presents a problem in terms of finding anyone to come with! Whoops!

[stinkwheel]

Your boots should be fine. The german ones aren't as waterproof as the British ones but they'll be more than adequate.

Just if he mentions having 'tuned' or 'derestricted' it, walk away. In my experience, most 17 year olds have little or no mechanical sympathy with this sort of thing (I've owned enough 'learner bikes' to have seen some serious bodgery going on).

There is a guide to buying second hand bikes stickied near the top of (I think) the workshop section. Just don't get shiny bike syndrome, if it looks like a dog, walk away, there are plenty more out there. Only buy a bike that needs work doing if you can look at it, see what needs doing and know exactly what this will involve in terms of time, effort and money.
____________________
“Rule one: Always stick around for one more drink. That's when things happen. That's when you find out everything you want to know.”
I did the 2010 Round Britain Rally on my 350 Bullet. 89 landmarks, 3 months, 9,500 miles.

[Nicky-Jano]

I suppose the most important stuff is checking the brakes, you don't really need to ride the bike fore that I think.
Just move it backwards and forwards and tap the brakes seeing how they feel or even ask the guy to ride in front of you?
Check the wheels for movement and make sure nothing is stopping them from turning freely.
Check chain, lights, sprocket wear if possible.
Listen to how the engine sounds and look at oil level.
Those are the things I'd look at when getting a bike, would have done this when I bought the CG but like you I knew nothing at the time and just trusted in the seller .
Luckily he was a tidy guy and the bike wasn't that much of a death trap .
There's probably a few more things to check but I can't think of them right now, been at the jack and coke you see .
I was going to get a GS replica when I was on the lookout for a 125, quite nice looking bikes .
good luck by the way .
Oh just remembered about MOT see when it was done obviously and the taxation.
Hopefully you'll have a while before the next MOT, that's the way it usually is from what I've seen.
I had about 4 months on my bike before I have to have the MOT done, next month it's due =/.

[faddius]

On your way there, grab a copy of biketrader, all sorts of great tips in there

Make sure you look under the seat at the wiring etc. if its a mess, the guy has probably had a go at it himself and may of cocked up somewhere along the lines.

Sit on the bike, check the bars are straight and the whole thing is straight if it isnt, walk away, very quickly.

Tyres are a good bargaining point, if theyre quite worn point this out and offer less for the bike.

Check for obvious dinks, cracks, especially on the forks and rear suspension, wheels and swinging arm. Here, cracks and dinks can become serious, very quickly

If theres scratches on the engine casing, mirrors or bar ends its likely been dropped, its your choice from there.

Wheels should spin freely, wheel it round a bit and check it doesnt bump up and down or tries steering itself.

Everything else is covered in biketrader, for £2.20 it could save your life.

Dont be pressured by him into buying it, theres alot of other bikes out there and if you get a copy of bike trader itll give you a head start on finding another.

Lastly, if its ebay, most people dont take kindly to people haggling the price, the bid system is there for a reason unless hes had no bids what so ever

[ttr]

I'm thinking the bike ought to be relatively sound, it was MOT'd sometime this month, and he says it passed through with flying colours. But certainly will check for advisory notes

Thanks for the advice guys, I'll let you all know how it goes I guess!

Pretty psyched, I must say.




Edit:


Oh, and I have a couple of Biketraders about, I'll take one with me.


So far he has no bids, gonna get a friend to text me and let me know whether there are any bids when I get down there!

[ttr]

Double post, but an update;

Should have said "Going to see a woman about a bike", as it turns out.


The owner was understanding re: my n00bness, and I checked it over, using about 30 pages of literature printed off from the links on this site as guidance.

Only issues I found were cosmetic, and that the brake fluid reservoir was opaque.


Bought the bike, £600.

Very happy with that - seemed very tidy!


Thanks for the advice everyone!


Anyone know how much a new brake fluid reservoir for a GS125 will set me back? It was the only advisory note on the most recent MOT!

[truslack]

This what you are looking for?

https://cgi.ebay.co.uk/SUZUKI-GS125-GS-125-FRONT-BRAKE-MASTER-CYLINDER_W0QQitemZ130133879539QQihZ003QQcategoryZ10534QQrdZ1QQssPageNameZWD1VQQcmdZViewItem

I don't know much about bikes myself, so that is probably the wrong thing altogether

£20 seems a bit expensive though
____________________
Current: Suzuki RG 125 Gamma, Honda H100, Triumph Tiger 800XC, Suzuki SV650 (minitwin)

[ttr]

D'oh, good find.


That's the one, but yeah, £23 delivered..

Ah well, not too urgent.

[truslack]

I'm sure you could find them cheaper at a local breakers or scrap yard
____________________
Current: Suzuki RG 125 Gamma, Honda H100, Triumph Tiger 800XC, Suzuki SV650 (minitwin)

[Dazbo666]