Alright so I've been riding cruisers for a few years now and I'm thinking about switching to a sportbike soon and the cbr looks like the best one for me. I've heard that they are one of the best bikes around but every motorcycle has its weak points, is there anything in particular that I should look out for when buying a cbr? I found a '99 f4 that looks pretty clean and fits my budget but the ad says that the bike only has about 2000 miles on it so I'm thinking that either someone put a new speedometer with miles on it or the the bike has spent a good amount of its life sitting in someone's garage not being used, any opinions on this? I'll post a link to the ad so you can take a look at it and let me know if you think it would be worth buying. Thanks in advance!

99 Honda CBR 600F4

 

A couple of things right off the bat. This bike has had paint work done or had the fairings replaced which should make you wonder why have they been replaced. It might have been dropped or in an accident. They didn't take to the time to (or just didn't want to) put the black wings and honda logos back on. If these fairings are not original, there is the possibility that they could be aftermarket which greatly devalues the bike. Also, this bike could be a 10 footer. By that, I mean that it may look good from 10ft away but when you actually get up close to it, you will see all of the imperfections.

I would ask if it has ever been dropped, knocked over, or in an accident and also ask if the fairings are original and why they don't have the original paint scheme.

 

Welcome to the forum.

2000 mi on the odo is indeed curious but not unheard of. However, I would've expected the bike to look more new-ish than more used. A thorough inspection should tell the tale. Also, an inspection of the title will reveal how many mi the bike had on it when the current owner bought it.

Regarding the fairings... They do appear to be OEM. However, it looks like the side fairings & tank have had their decals removed. IF this is the case, the bike could easily be put back to stock by purchasing & replacing the decals w/ new ones from a company like Replicals. As the tank decal is under clearcoat tho, I'm curious as to its removal method.

Trying to relay all the areas to inspect on a used bike is certainly difficult via interwebs. However, we'll try to help you as much as we can w/ your questions. Google "used motorcycle buyer's guide" & similar...you'll get lots of info on more specific things to be aware of.

A few good things to look at during inspection are;
*Cometics - All appear in good clean shape or is there a lot of wear/cracks/broken? Additionally, you should always inspect the bike w/ the side fairings removed... They can hide a multitude of sins. I can't stress this enough. Look for leaks & for any other damage.
*Forks - Do the tubes look clean or are the seals leaking?
*Frame/subframe - Should not have any damage whatsoever.
*Chain & Sprockets - Should be in good condition...especially w/ only 2k mi.
*Tires - IF they only have 2k on them, then they should be orig oem tires. IF you buy, you'll need to replace them.
*Electrical - Has it been tampered with?...i.e. have aftermarket signals/lic plate lights/etc been installed? Does everything work?
*Engine Operation - When you go to look at the bike, have the seller have it cold & only start the engine when you get there. The F4 utilizes a manual choke & you should see if all works properly w/ the starting procedure. Then, the bike should run at 1300-1500 RPM idle. It doesn't have to be perfectly steady at a rock-solid RPM but it should be close.

These things should get you started. However, if you don't feel comfortable w/ doing the inspection by yourself, you could always ask the seller to meet you at the local Honda dealership to have a 'Pre-Purchase Inspection' done. You'll pay for it, about $85, but you'll know exactly what the bike needs & doesn't need. It benefits you as well as the seller.

Good luck.