CBR400

[Keen]

theres a CBR400 tri-arm for sale at a local bike shop. He wants £1700 and will do a trade-in on my 125, after he's seen it he'll make an offer. Its old though (E reg- 1988 I think?) and has done 33000 miles. Is that too old/ too high milage? also are 400's affordable to run (mpg, tyre life)? does anyone know what I should look for before I buy?

thanks

[TiN]

33k for an '88 is fine, although you have to make sure that's genuine. £1700 sounds a little high, although we'll have to wait and see what he offers you for the Planet. MPG and tyre-life depends on how you ride it (much like any other bike), if you cane it everywhere, and do a lot of m'way riding, then expect a fair few petrol and pit stops. You should be able to get around 50mpg if you ride economically, and about 30mpg if you don't

Look for crash damage, and general scrapes and scratches. If there's a fancy paintjob, ask if they can take the panels off for you to inspect the "inside" of the bike. Check for missing bolts and screws. Ask about warranty.
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TiN
dotgems.net

[G1_]

how much does age of the bike really matter, does on old bike like this mean it will be less reliable?
I guess there is a higher chance that it has been involoved in a crash. Would it be worth while to buy an older bike to save money?

just some questions...

[Keen]

if I can get a warranty then I'll probably get it. I might see if I can get a mechanic to inspect it otherwise.

[TiN]

Well, an old bike means older parts. It means that the chance of some of the parts being corroded and rusted away could be increase. Some bolts may not be removable under conventional methods, and parts of the bike may be gummed up by oil and crap over the years.

In the case of the CBR, the 1988 model means that it is a Tri-Arm, which means that it has been superceded by the post 1989 Gull-Arm model. Changes in model specs often affect the price and desirabilty of a bike..
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TiN
dotgems.net

[minesweeper]

I would keep looking around mate, deals can be had which offer much better value for money, ive just bought an n reg rvf400 fully customised for 2500!

matt

[McJamweasel]

OK, OK you can stop bragging now!!

I dont believe you got it that cheap you bugger!! Youve really dropped on there!
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BCF: Be yourself, just don't be an arse.

[minesweeper]

i was shocked thought the dealer has mislabeled the price it arrives friday and hi res pictures will follow!

matt

[zaknafien]

What he doesnt know is it's been down the road at least 3 times and has been fixed with stolen parts
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02 Firestorm.

[McJamweasel]

Or by zimma with araldite and cable ties
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BCF: Be yourself, just don't be an arse.

[Scooby]

This is a good point, I would check the history, make sure Zim isn't a previous owner
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A big enough hammer fixes anything!

[McJamweasel]

An HPI check is a good idea as well. If its a damage repair then it could of been written off before. As its got a paintjob its more likely. Tell the dealer to get it done for ya.
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BCF: Be yourself, just don't be an arse.

[minesweeper]

Already have mate came up fine, it has been slid on the right hand side all the plastics on hat side have been replaced, the bloke had a list of replaced parts and the receits.

matt

[McJamweasel]

In that case m8y, youve got yourself a real bargain.

In fact, I'd say getting it a grand+ cheap is a ferkin steal!!!!

Remind me to use that dealer when I but my next bike
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BCF: Be yourself, just don't be an arse.

[minesweeper]

The dealer is giant motorcycles and brands hatch race track. They have quite a few more bikes available so check them out guys, fully recommend them!

matt

[Phoenix]

OH GOD NO, GIANT MOTORCYCLES!!!!

LOL sorry I couldnt stop laughing when I read that.

I really hope for your sake that this bike is ok. They do a bike rental service, afaik all their bikes are seriously damaged and deathtraps.

When my sister's FZR600 got rammed by some woman, her insurance company got her a hire bike from Giant for about 4months. She started on a CBR600F....it was parked outside the house and a car reversed into it, broke fairing, slightly twisted the forks and slightly buckled the swingarm...it was up for sale stated as minor scratches on fairing a week later!

Then she got another CBR600F....it had this loud rattle coming from the engine...it then completely died one day got sent back.

She then got a Bandit600...it had a massive fuel leak coming from somewhere at the top of the engine, shot head bearings, square rear tyre and no road tax...got sent back.

Finally she got an XJ600N, it had 60,000miles on the clock, bald tyres and rear wheel bearing on the way out, she kept that because she was just fed up of them.

[minesweeper]

um great im now filled with confidence well ive got a 3 month warrenty and should cover 3k miles in that time so if anythings wrong with it i will find it out soon enough.

matt

[TiN]

Hmm...I hate piss on your bonfire even more (honest ), but warranty comes in all shapes and sizes...a 3-month job is likely to cover the most basic failures (such as engine, gearbox, and clutch), and will only pay up to a certain amount for parts and labour...

Having said that, if they sell you a deathtrap, then you can probably throw your consumer rights at them. Make sure that it comes with a fresh MOT, so that the bike is actually road legal.
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TiN
dotgems.net

[minesweeper]

It has got a frsh mot, now im scared

matt

[Scooby]

Personally I wouldn't touch it, I can't be arsed with all the hassle if something does fuck up with it. Who gives a shit about the MOT it's come with, they probably just wrote out a new one themselves which doesn't say much. Like Tin says, the warranty will have small print and only cover certain things, and they won't roll over and help you out if something goes wrong. Like I say, it may seem like a bargain, but I wouldn't touch it just in case something goes wrong.
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A big enough hammer fixes anything!

[minesweeper]

Well ive already bought it, i will see what its like before every jumps to the assumption im riding a death trap!

i will give her a good going over friday and let everyone know if anything goes wrong.

matt

[Kris]

Might also be an idea to check if it's been raced at all.

Just an
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[TiN]

Yeah, the fact that it's been tricked up (I assume that's what you mean by "customised" ) could either mean that it was just an enthusiastic owner, or one (or more ) that have binned the bike and bought aftermarket stuff...

Don't mean to put you off though
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TiN
dotgems.net

[Ryan]

sounds like u got a bargin there mate, and ur not taking that much of a chance with it being a trade sale, hope u enjoy it and welcome to v4s

p.s. do tell what extra bits it's got, ive so far got: front and rear paddock stands, red double bouble screen, rg crash bungs, red braided hoses, uv lights and the best can u can get on order a blue flame coloured titanium twin port aka the mutts nuts i can't wait for it to come yipee

[Scooby]

Welcome to the V4's??? ...

CBR400 ain't a V4 dude...
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A big enough hammer fixes anything!