Tips for non mechanical minded buyers

[Doomsnite]

Having read the stickies and some other threads theres good info on checking paperwork, haggling and what not but what are the key things to check mechanically to ensure theres no problems further down the line?

Being a newbie to bikes i dont know much about them apart from lookon smart, no rust, starting up ok and driving alrite. Any tips?
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Triumph Street Triple-R
Sold: Honda Hornet CB600F-Y / Yamaha YBR125

[doggone]

[Doomsnite]

Cool thanks

Also found the below link after i posted this... Thats a lot to remember! Might have to take a clipboard!

https://www.begin-motorcycling.co.uk/used.htm
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Triumph Street Triple-R
Sold: Honda Hornet CB600F-Y / Yamaha YBR125

[Wafer_Thin_Ham]

Check the wheels are round and tyres have some air in them. That's about it usually.
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My Flickr

[Clanger]

[Doomsnite]

I dont have any friends
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Triumph Street Triple-R
Sold: Honda Hornet CB600F-Y / Yamaha YBR125

[yampug]

[kerr]

[JP7]

I am not mechanically minded, but there are ways you can tell if it's a proper bike, without getting too technical. These are some of the checks I make when I buy a bike. There will be more that others would do, but these are the basics for me.

1) Ideally you will want to see the bike wheeled out and started from cold. If it's been nicely warmed through before you get there, I would be wondering if the seller bump-started it or is trying to hide other rough-running issues. Start it up, let it run for a bit, listen for any issues.

2) Make a thorough visual inspection. Start with the basics, is it clean? A clean and tidy bike is one that's been looked after. Look at the bar ends, engine casings, fairings, pegs and other extremities to see if the bike has been dropped. Look for the chassis number on the bike and compare it to the V5C and a HPI report.

3) Check the fluid levels, such as oil level and brake fluid reservoirs. If the levels are alright, the chances are the bike has been looked after.

4) Test ride. Make sure you go up and down through the gearbox to make sure each gear runs smoothly, and find a test route where you can ride in a variety of gears and speeds. Feel for any judders or feedback through the brakes - this could signify a buckled wheel or worn brakes.

5) Paperwork. HPI it before you go to view it. Make sure there is a V5C in the seller's name and registered at the address at which you're viewing the bike. MOT certificates are useful, you can see any advisories noted by the examiner, and mileages of the previous tests to verify the mileage. Check the service book, and if you want to be really fussy, ring some of the dealers with stamps to make sure they actually serviced the bike.

6) Friend. Don't be afraid to take someone else with you. It's very easy to fall in love with a bike if you want it, and very difficult to be objective when this happens. A mate might point out things you hadn't noticed, or were trying to ignore.

Hope that helps.

[-Matt-]

[J.M.]

[trevor saxe-coburg-gotha]

[Rogerborg]