Buying a used motorcycle is a lot like buying a used car, and the same rules apply. If you don't want to have little moths and smoke-trails coming out of your wallet as the result of a bad deal, or have your flashy new ride suddenly blow up underneath your crotch in the middle of the freeway, here are a few simple things to remember.
1) Yes, they are out to get you - no matter what the guy selling the bike may say, there's a good reason he or she is disposing of the bike you're buying. Granted, we can assume that there are honest bike owners out there selling their old hogs because they got a newer model, or need the money for something else, or just got tired of the hobby. But for every one honest biker, you can expect ten or more who are getting rid of something that is on the point of breakdown or, even worse, fencing stolen goods. Paranoia is actually a good thing in buying used bikes.
2) LOOK at the bike personally - if you can't personally come over and view the goods before purchase, forget it. If the seller lives too far away from you to do a pre purchase inspection, forget about it. If you don't know anything about motorcycle mechanics and can't bring along a friend who does when you inspect the bike, forget about it. Look at the bike before buying it and make usre that it's in excellent running condition and won't be a lemon that will break down at the most inopportune moment - like when you're doing 80 miles an hour on the freeway...
3) Do your research - if you don't know anything about bikes, go online and check out motorcycle forums as well as the manufacturer's website of the bike you're eyeballing. Make sure that the model you're considering is one known for durability, and also that dealers have a good parts supply handy in case you need to do a little bit of work getting your used bike up to specs.
4) Ask for Help - don't be shy to ask for advice from people who know the biz. Bike forums will sometimes have specialists on the sites who give advice for newbies. If you have any doubts or concerns, air them out before making a purchase and get any points you may be a little shaky on clarified. If you have a buddy who knows more about bikes than you, ask him for help locating a good used bike. Just make sure, of course, that he isn't the type of "buddy" who'll snow you for a percentage...
1) Yes, they are out to get you - no matter what the guy selling the bike may say, there's a good reason he or she is disposing of the bike you're buying. Granted, we can assume that there are honest bike owners out there selling their old hogs because they got a newer model, or need the money for something else, or just got tired of the hobby. But for every one honest biker, you can expect ten or more who are getting rid of something that is on the point of breakdown or, even worse, fencing stolen goods. Paranoia is actually a good thing in buying used bikes.
2) LOOK at the bike personally - if you can't personally come over and view the goods before purchase, forget it. If the seller lives too far away from you to do a pre purchase inspection, forget about it. If you don't know anything about motorcycle mechanics and can't bring along a friend who does when you inspect the bike, forget about it. Look at the bike before buying it and make usre that it's in excellent running condition and won't be a lemon that will break down at the most inopportune moment - like when you're doing 80 miles an hour on the freeway...
3) Do your research - if you don't know anything about bikes, go online and check out motorcycle forums as well as the manufacturer's website of the bike you're eyeballing. Make sure that the model you're considering is one known for durability, and also that dealers have a good parts supply handy in case you need to do a little bit of work getting your used bike up to specs.
4) Ask for Help - don't be shy to ask for advice from people who know the biz. Bike forums will sometimes have specialists on the sites who give advice for newbies. If you have any doubts or concerns, air them out before making a purchase and get any points you may be a little shaky on clarified. If you have a buddy who knows more about bikes than you, ask him for help locating a good used bike. Just make sure, of course, that he isn't the type of "buddy" who'll snow you for a percentage...
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