buying a used bike?

[wristjob]

following on from the guy who's had his pants down on a rough bike.

rather than just taking the piss out of the poor guy we could offer some helpful tips.

things ive learned sometimes getting bent over and laughed at.

1;expect to look at lots of bikes before you find one worth your money.

2;be prepared to travel some miles and be met with a shitter that isnt anything like the bike advertised

3;if its something you really want you should take a friend with you who thinks that bike is a shit.they will enjoy pointing out every little thing to put you off it.this should at best help you drive the price down and if it really is a crashed er6 ,stop you buying.

4;research everything about that bike(and not just fanboy sites)
know what a mint bike will fetch,and accordingly what price used ,rough,scrap will make.

5;if you look at a bike dont fool yourself about "little jobs" a couple of litte jobs = big job and will drive the price down.
if seller says its only £x to fix,tell em to fix it then we can talk.

6;dont be afraid to walk away

floor is open for other handy buyer tips from the years of experience of the people who " couldn't afford a bike they'd worry about scratching, lets be honest"(tentativebike... 2017)

[Pete.]

Take someone who knows what they are looking at.
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a.k.a 'Geri'

132.9mph off and walked away. Gear is good, gear is good, gear is very very good

[wristjob]

point 3 was along those lines.
someone who knows their shit and hates what you want.

[Rogerborg]

Make sure said friend actually knows what they're on about though and doesn't talk you out of a decent bike, like some angry mong did with my GPZ500.

On that, if a bike's up for sale for more than 48 hours, it's unlikely to be a steal at its asking price.

If it's up for over a week, it's likely over priced. Most dealer bikes are in this category.

Yes, there are exceptions for niche or under-rated bikes, but as a general rule, if you're not the first to view a "bargain" bike, it's probably not one.
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Biking is 1/20th as dangerous as horse riding.
GONE: HN125-8, LF-250B, GPz 305, GPZ 500S, Burgman 400 // RIDING: F650GS (800 twin), Royal Enfield Bullet Electra 500 AVL, Ninja 250R because racebike

[MarJay]

We did try to help him, a number of times. He kept posting awful bikes like an SV650 without third gear and similar things. We advised him to buy a working decent bike, and eventually he did buy a bike that was at least working but it was cosmetically f*cked and a bit of a dog.

We posted examples of decent bikes so many times. If people won't listen, what can you do?
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British beauty: Triumph Street Triple R; Loony stroker: KR1S; Track fun: GSXR750 L1; Commuter Missile: GSX-S1000F
Remember kids, bikes aren't like lego. You can't easily take a part from one bike and then fit it to another.

[Rob Fzs]

On the otherhand, don't roll up expecting a mint bike for half the money when it's half as good as a mint bike

Mike Brewers haggling technique doesn't work in the real world.

Do your research on the bikes beforehand and you should know what you're looking for, any vehicle has it's own pitfalls that when you only know generic things, wont spot
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'00 Aprilia RS50 > '92 Honda CG > '99 Yamaha Fazer > '91 Yamaha RXS > '79 Suzuki X5 > 01' Honda Cg > 07' Honda Cg > 82' Kawasaki Z200 > suzuki gsxr 400 gk73a > honda vfr 400 NC30> Yamaha RD350 YPVS F2 > Kawasaki ZZR 600 D1 > Yamaha TZR 250 2MA >Suzuki TL1000R > Yamaha TDR250 > Honda 929 blade > Suzuki SV1000 > Honda H100
Mod 2 Passed 09/06/2011

[jjdugen]

If you are looking at an older 'bargain', I always ask for the reg number, check mileage on the dirctgov site for past MOT's. No reg, don't bother.
So many pitfalls on older / cheaper bikes.
Check downpipes for rust, expensive to replace. Look under the seat, generally gives you a good idea of wiring harness condition. Turn the ignition key, if it jams or needs wobbling it is another expensive fail item. Check disks, lipped or worn, expensive replacements. Check all switchgear. Fork seals, of course, fork stanchions for pitting. As has been said, what seems a bargain could wind up very expensive.
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The CBR900RR has been sold. Aprilia Falco worms its way into my heart.
Try Soi 23 on Amazon for a good read.... Self promotion? Moi?

[stevo as b4]

In addition, if you get offered anything with more than one cylinder that says RD or LC on the side, for less than £2k, even if it looks like it's been dragged up from the bottom of the sea, buy it! Its a sure way to watch your cash grow.

[ZX-7R]

Used bike money is crazy these days.By the time you buy one and fix its faults,replace worn out seals,bearings etc.,it ends up being far more than you expected.

I think next bike i will buy will be new pre reg/ex demo at discount rather than fix all the problems.Finance/bank loan APR is low these days so worth it if you are looking at long term ownership which i would be.
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Current Bike - 2000 ZX-7R

[biker7]

[ZX-7R]

[qarka]

It seems to be the bikes no-one has heard of that are bargains. On eBay at least. I just got a very shiny ntv650 for £450.... I was the only bidder.
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Previous - Sinnis Apache - Honda Bros 400 - Yamaha SR500 - Honda Transalp - Kawasaki ZX-7R - Honda CB-1 - Honda 929 Fireblade - Honda NTV650 [b]Current[\b] Honda CB500

[Oneear]

[Bonnie Lad]

Why would you care so much that two strangers from the internet choose to buy their bikes differently to you?

[biker7]

Ah yes I must be daft buying new cars, new bikes and new houses. Thing is, I worked hard, put some by and now like to spend a bit in my retirement. I suppose I could buy old stuff and leave my money in the bank and pop off passing the lot to some greedy ungrateful relative! Now that's daft! Good luck to the spanner men - stock up on Swarfega.....I'm off to the dealer to choose my next bike. Might even be 'used' with a peace of mind warranty. One thing's for certain, I won't be servicing it myself - someone's got to keep the mechanics in work! No, usually, the only time I go into my garage is to get the bikes out and ride, ride, ride! Someone's got to buy the new bikes otherwise the second hand ones will eventually dry up.
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Swansea area
Fat Bob (2019)

[Oneear]

Bonnie Lad - I don't particularly care - just that this is a forum, you know, for discussing things.

Biker7 - I don't disagree, if you've got the money, feel free to spend it. But don't dress it up as a financially sound practise compared to buying second hand, when it is not. Also - piece of mind warranty. Hmmmm...

Anyway, as an example. This is top of the list on ebay when searching for one of these.

Triumph T120 Bonneville:

Second hand 850miles 3 months old £8999 https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Triumph-T120-Bonneville/302538330147?hash=item4670b09023:g:CBMAAOSw-09aFHkD


New £10,300 includes 1yr of Triumph Roadside assist
https://www.triumphmotorcycles.co.uk/bikes/configure?GenreId={83C4B7D0-42EE-4A00-B189-180833DD4240}&ModelId={3F8B5605-9663-43BF-B17A-884DD8DCEAD4}

[qarka]

Is everyone forgetting that new bikes are ugly as sin. Never mind the price
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Previous - Sinnis Apache - Honda Bros 400 - Yamaha SR500 - Honda Transalp - Kawasaki ZX-7R - Honda CB-1 - Honda 929 Fireblade - Honda NTV650 [b]Current[\b] Honda CB500

[Bonnie Lad]

[Tdibs]

Christ, 10k for a new bonnie, they making them out of gold now?
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Previous : 09 Vanvan 125| 02' Sv650s || Current: 1999 Xj600n | 1992 DR650 RSE | 2005 Fazer 1000

[Polarbear]

[CaNsA]

[biker7]

Probably you can save money buying used vs new usually buying privately. Those of us who have bought more than one new bike are well aware of the financial situation, yet we were happy to repeat the process. Often the new bike naysayers have never even had one. I wonder how many Premiere League stars or rock legends scour eBay looking for their next Ferrari! When I was a young man, buying new was not an option. For me now, sadly still not a member of the buying elite, having a bit more dosh means I can endulge in one of life's greatest pleasures from time to time - riding away on a new bike. Win the Lottery, buy used.....yeah right!
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Swansea area
Fat Bob (2019)

[chickenstrip]

90% of the bikes I've bought over the years have been 2nd hand from dealers. In the early days, I went to the same dealer for several bikes in a row, and got to know them well. Even ended up working for them later on. Before then, I used to pop in quite regularly just to browse and shoot the breeze over a coffee. so I came to trust them. Later ones have been bought from dealers I didn't know, so I was a little more careful about them.

Each time, I 've pretty much used the checklists given here by CaNsA and wristjob, with the added proviso of researching the particular model I was going to view to find about any known faults or problems that are common.

I guess I've been lucky in that I've never really had major problems occur (is it luck, or just that I checked the bikes over carefully before buying? Bit of both perhaps) and so have never needed to put a dealer 2nd hand warranty to the test.

Probably paid a few quid over the odds in that time (dealer premium), but in each case it was much more convenient for me to do it that way, so that's what the extra paid for.

If I was wealthy, I'd certainly buy new more often than I did, but I try to look for the lowest possible mileage/best condition examples I can, and won't view anything that sounds like it needs work, as I don't do much spannering myself these days. Price and spannering have to be weighed up carefully. If you're good with the tools, can get parts cheaply enough, and have the time for it, even an old dog might be worth the punt, depending on this and that.
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Chickenystripgeezer's Biking Life (Latest update 19/10/18) Belgium, France, Italy, Austria tour 2016 Picos de Europa, Pyrenees and French Alps tour 2017 Scotland Trip 1, now with BONUS FEATURE edit, 5/10/19, on page 2 Scotland Trip 2 Luxembourg, Black Forest, Switzerland, Vosges Trip 2017
THERE'S MILLIONS OF CHICKENSTRIPS OUT THERE!

[Rob Fzs]

[NutsyUk]