I thought I would put up this thread...
When you buy a new bike do you ride it or pull it down and see what the previous owners have neglected.
My personal choice, get it in your shed/garage/man shed and pull it apart.
I have owned my bike for three weeks, I paid not a lot for a 93 model.
The trip home was hair raising, as the front tyre was shot and the steering was very dodgy.
So far the bike has been stripped back to the bare frame, the engine is still in...but everything else removed.
The shopping list so far :-
New front tyre
Headstock bearings shot
All wheel bearings shot
Leaking fork seals
Oil leak from sprocket seal
Hole in exhaust headers
Cracked screen
Leaking front master cylinder
Water pump leaking
All hoses need replacing
Air filter fitted back to front and all squashed up.
Not so much of a bargain now
20 years of neglect....now for the rebuild

 

image-10.jpg Photo by pommie2 | Photobucket

 

Yep pul it a part. When I purchased my low Km's 1988 CBR750 (has the RC27 gear driven cam motor), it was in really good nick. However I still stripped it on getting it home, took a week to do.

Even though the bike had a full service history and was 'mint' to look at I found many issues.
-Ceased needle bearings in rear suspension,
-Worn wiring loom in places from rubbing.
-Perished rubbers on carb vac ports.
-perished water jacket o-rings.
-bad connections on starter solenoid
-loose nuts and bolts.
-buggered grease and mess.
-fairing mount issues.
-crack in exhaust.
-jammed brake caliper pot.
-and lots of build up from years of use.
Once sorted and reassembled, i hit the starter and never looked back. My first ride was 1100Km's of mid winter riding, not one glitch encountered.
Had I not done this, I would have no doubt the bike would have been problematic at best with one problem after another popping up.

Bottom line, an old bike is an old bike. Not doing a complete once over is simply a recipe for prolonged headaches.

You hit the nail on the head stripping it warhorse.

 

I took mine apart. Fairing off and cleaned it thoroughly. That way you can see if there is any leaks or damage. I always clean mine up and repaint and or fix items that need it. I am very picky. lol

 

just looked at the title and thought sprock was getting a bath

 

Very funny for a norn Irish eejut.

I tend to pull all fairings off drain the fuel bowls into a glass jar
and inspect before firing it up - then go from there.

But then all the Hurricanes I have had been sitting for years
when I got 'em

But you did ride yours home.

 

i usually at least take the fairings off and have a good clean a mooch about

 

The 1994 I bought was ridden by the previous owner only a few hundred miles a year, with kids and no time for the bike he put it up for sale.

With that said or the story I got, I did what would amount to annual on an air plane by pulling the faring off to check all vitals like frame cracks to be safe. Buyer beware is the best advice since rounding a curve only to find your wheel passing you, is not a good thing.....