Help buying USED bikes

[all4glh]

So i'm thinking of buying a used bike. I found a 2004 Yamaha R6 on ebay http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...0348747&rd=1,1, but it's local to my parents. Obviously i'm not home to go and look at it, nor am i going to pretend that i know much about on-road sport bikes. Now they do know about motorcycles but mainly Harley's. What should i have them look out for in a sport bike, pay extra special attention to, etc. Any info is appreciated, sorry if i posted in the wrong area.

[Tibbett]

Tell them to check the front fork seals, check clutch engagement, listen for any odd noises (I can't remember in the valves in the '04 are titanium or not..they'll make a slight click if they are..my '07 does it), if possible ride it and cycle through EACH gear giving it WOT to see if any gears slip (note..this is crazy to do on open roads with cops ), check for tire wear and see if it's uneven or not..obviously visually check the frame..also check for any odd play in the steering..turn it side to side and make sure it's smooth, but doesn't just 'fall' to one side or the other (indication the bearing is damaged or too loose) or that it doesn't stick or catch in certain spots (same indications, but might be too tight), and don't forget to check for service records..

There are a few other things that I'd do before buying a used bike, but that's a good base start.

[all4glh]

Originally Posted by Tibbett

Tell them to check the front fork seals, check clutch engagement, listen for any odd noises (I can't remember in the valves in the '04 are titanium or not..they'll make a slight click if they are..my '07 does it), if possible ride it and cycle through EACH gear giving it WOT to see if any gears slip (note..this is crazy to do on open roads with cops ), check for tire wear and see if it's uneven or not..obviously visually check the frame..also check for any odd play in the steering..turn it side to side and make sure it's smooth, but doesn't just 'fall' to one side or the other (indication the bearing is damaged or too loose) or that it doesn't stick or catch in certain spots (same indications, but might be too tight), and don't forget to check for service records..

There are a few other things that I'd do before buying a used bike, but that's a good base start.

Damn, maybe i should look at buying one near where you live. You might be the crazy kind of person i need to ride it down a public road WOT to check for slipping.

[Tibbett]

Damn straight I'll take one down the road WOT if I'm looking at buying it..Mostly the gears to worry about are 1st, 2nd, and 3rd..4th and up -normally- do not get as much abuse unless the bike has obviously been used for stunting (which it doesn't look like this one has), and then it's still mostly the lower gears on a 600CC bike.. Granted the tranny isn't what I'd be worried about on a stuntbike..

A good pull through 1st, 2nd, and 3rd, then cruising in the other gears -should- be enough to let you know if there's a problem. Granted 3rd gear on most modern sportbikes you're WELL above 100 at that point..

[all4glh]

So i checked out the blue book value of this particular bike. According to the NADA guide it books out to $5700. I e-mailed the guy and the title is still with the bank. I'm going to see if he'll tell me how much he owes the bank. Otherwise i'm just going to start my offer with $1500 less then what he is asking for the buy it now price. I'm sure if he owes $4500 and i offer $5000 cash he'll bite, especially if he needs to get out of debt like he says he does.

[BLOWN ION]

I'll sell you my old Haro..

[all4glh]

Originally Posted by BLOWN ION

I'll sell you my old Haro..

LOL, I still have the mongoose that i used to BMX with. Ahh good times building a ramp next to a tree with 55gal drums then seeing who can get the highest/farthest without hitting it midair.

[BLOWN ION]

bmxing was a lot of fun back in the day. Some of my friends still go out, i just don't have much time/energy for that anymore. Maybe taking too many ball crushing blows has something to do with it too.

[all4glh]

Originally Posted by BLOWN ION

bmxing was a lot of fun back in the day. Some of my friends still go out, i just don't have much time/energy for that anymore. Maybe taking too many ball crushing blows has something to do with it too.

HAHAHA!!!! Blunt testicular trauma SUCKS!!!!!!

Hey TIBB. If the only thing wrong with this bike is what he has listed (scuff on slider, tip of footpeg broken), and everything else is good to go how much do you think it's worth?

[Tibbett]

Slider is no big deal..footpeg isn't a big deal either. I didn't glance and see how many miles are on it, but more than likely I wouldn't pay anything over $5500 for it..Is it the feeler on the peg that's broke or the peg itself? I normally grind my feelers off so I don't start scraping hard bits on the ground.