hey guys, brand new here...
i might be buyin a 2000 F4 from a guy here at my university. it has 17,000 miles on it, and hes letting it go for $4k to me. is that a good deal? im not sure if its been laid down a few times or not, im going to be talkin to him on thursday. But what kind of stuff should i look for while checking it out? also, how bout any preventative maintence stuff? im a real honda enthusiast, so i know i shouldnt have any major problems with it.

BTW: im a complete novice, which prolly really really stupid to get a 600cc, but all my friends are doin it, and they are fine (they are beginners too)

 

first off... welcome to the forum

that's about average price for a 2000 F4 around this area. give the bike a thorough look-over: fairings, tires, frame, etc. also, make sure it's not salvage/rebuilt bike.

 

Welcome to the forum!

I would definately make sure the title is clean. Ask what repairs have been done, sometimes by 17000 miles the Cam Chain Tensioner (CCT) will go out and need to be replaced. There is an oil window to check the oil level down by the right footpeg (opposite side of the kickstand) look there and see if you see the oil, if not chances are the oil changes have not been current and could be a concern with that many miles. Check for other cosmetic damage. Other than that, go with your gut instinct. My F4 was my first bike and after a week I was totally comfortable on it. I would offer him $3500 and go from there. Good Luck.

 

Cant get much better of an answer than that.

Mines a 99 and been down twice (once on each side), but the damage isnt too bad. You cant hear the CCT like I could on my F1 so I think thats ok (lower mileage however), mine had regular oil changes done (with reciepts), had new tires with less than 1K miles when I bought it, 75% brakes, and the chain needed to be tightened (however the indicator was still on the "new" line, so it probably hadnt been tightened since the initial install). I picked it up for $3000, so I think offering $3500 is a good idea as well.

~T.J.

 

cool cool...thanks for all you guys' help. This guy mentioned he is firm on $4k (i talked him down from $4500 already). Should i just be a dick and show up with a cashiers check for $3500, lol. Yea, im really excited to get this, especially as my first bike.

Some guy at a dealer i was talking to mentoined that 17k miles is really high, and that it'd need like a $250 tune up or something, idk, i know how those dealer guys are (he really wanted me to buy a bike from him), and i am very mechanically inclined, so i think i can tackle most tasks with a good tool set and an instruction manual.

 

It all depends on your location, as well, as to how much the bike should be worth....so where are you located at??

Give the bike a good thorough walk around/inspection, and definitely find out what's been done (maintenance wise--oil changes, etc.) and what could need to be done in the near future (like tires/brakes).
You can definitely tell, if you look close, if a bike has been down before. Chances are they didn't replace EVERY thing on the bike that would've touched the ground....so you would see some ground down plastic/metal somewhere.

And if it has some extras on the bike (mods/accessories) or new things on it, if any....factor those into the price a little as well. They're not gonna make the bike worth a lot more, but it'll save you from spending that money in the future and something to consider.

If he wants $4,000 and you offer $3,500.....that's a $500 difference and you're probably not gonna get away with it. On a car that'd be easy (since they're more money), but on a bike it's different.
You could probably try and offer $3,800-3,900 and get away with it though if he's firm on $4,000. Be like...I got $3,800 CASH (money talks)....take it or leave it??

that's my 2 cents

 

When looking, check the sides of the mirrors, the forks, check the where the swingarm bolts into the rear wheel and also check levers and bar ends. Those are the main places where scratches occur in an event of a spill and most people won't replace. Lots of people don't even know that there are scratches there... who would want to replace the forks? Too much money for just a bunch of nicks. Most of the time the brake lever will bend in as it was on mine when I bought it. Might have been replaced but like most of these guys have said, ask what has been replaced and why. Tires and fluids good idea as well. I'd also check how much pad is left on those brakes because they aren't exactly cheap. Check the rotors as well for warps or cracks. Maybe the guy did good maintanence but to look at everything critically will determine whether or not you get screwed or end up with a really nice ride. I picked my 00 F4 up about a year ago for 4k.. so definitely a good price if it's been well kept.

-Kathryn