Hey guys and gals,

Tomorrow I'm going to a dealership to check out what may be my first bike. It's a 2004 cbr 600 f4i that has 29000 miles on it. I'm 19 looking for an inexpensive way to commute, and this is probably the biggest financial decision I've ever had to make. The dealer is asking 3900, even though I can tell from the sliders and aftermarket fairing that it has been laid down before (plus the right turn signal is held onto the bike by wire, it blends and is hard to notice, but still... In perfect condition with 15000 miles, this bike retails for 3400 or 3500 according to kbb; again the dealer is asking 3900. Being a new rider, I have a few questions as I'm a little nervous about buying (especially from a dealer).

1) Is 29k a lot of miles for a bike or this one in particular? I'm not roger racer or anything, but I'd be a liar if I said I wasn't going to hot rod it every once in awhile. Can it handle that?

2) what do you think a good price to haggle for considering it's been laid down + the dealer is asking more than retail value for bike?

3) THIS IS A BIG ONE, I was going to test drive it earlier today before work, but when I started it up and it ran for 2 or 3 minutes and then died. After that a couple seconds after I started it, it would die. I went in and told them, and they said "the plugs are bad because we drive it out of the garage to the front of the building and turn it off everyday. It doesn't get opened up enough to clean it out. He'll change the plugs, there is nothing wrong with the bike". What does that mean? Are they feeding me garbage and there is something actually painted red with a dont-buy-me sticker on it? Also, when I started it up cold, it smelled like gas or oil; can't really remember which one-- Is that normal for it to do? should it go away once it's all warmed up? Also, in neutral with the clutch fully in, it is very smooth; but as soon as I let it out, there is a slight vibration-- is that normal?

4) If after question 3, you think everything is ok, what else should I look out for when buying a used bike? My buddy told me to look at the sprockets and chain, i did, but I also dont know what a bad sprocket and chain looks like. What are some things I need to look out for.

If you guys can answer these questions for me, you would be saving me a lot of trouble. I've been screwed by car dealers before, and I can't afford it right now. If everything on the above list of questions checks out, what do you think I should ask for it. If I asked 2600 would he laugh and punch me in the face?

Anyone who just took the time to read all of that and reply, thank you.
-- Markie "Suave"

 

A salesperson has a manager and the manager has a boss and the boss answers to the bank they work with. Haggling is the norm and considering the current economy, it's most definitely a buyer's market.

1) If the bike was properly maintained, no, that bike should shrug off 29k miles and is basically being broken in (well, not to that extent but you get the idea). You'd be surprised how many Honda bikes are on the road and still running great with well over 100k. Any modernish inline 4 motor is meant to be revved, just remember to ride safe.

2) Good haggling on a motor vehicle doesn't happen in a day. If you are paying in cash, say so, but tell them you're trying to get a good price and explain your reasons (laid down bike, random issues, etc), if you are planning on getting financed, get approval from the bank and work from there. There's a million things that can go wrong with a bike and your description would make it hard for anyone to really give you a 100% sure estimate on a fair price.

3) Bike vibrate whether they are factory fresh or have been around the block. Bad plugs can cause all sorts of problems, call WAY before you go in and make sure they changed the plugs. Get there a few hours later just in case they warmed up the bike for you to go. Do the cold start and see if it's still problems. If you smell oil, I'd say just walk away... although they could have just been sloppy with the oil change and it could be spilled residue burning off of the engine case.

4) Bicycle Inspection
They should have stock sprockets there, ask them if you can look at one to compare. The teeth should be nice n' sharp. The chain you can check by rolling the bike, if it gets caught or there's any loud noises coming from it, it's a bad chain. $100 give or take for a new chain is up to you.

If you're not in a hurry, I'd say take a vid of the bike's start up and running then post it on YouTube. Guaranteed you'll have a hundred haters commenting about little minuscule problems they see.

Also, bring your friend who rides or has a bike or whatever. Not only will he be able to keep you grounded from all your excitement, but he'll spot things you don't see.

 

Good advice here, i would ask for any and all info they have on maintenance that has been performed ( if the bike still has the original fuel pressure regulator its probably bad, hence it dumping fuel and smelling like gas )

A test ride will tell you a LOT about the bike if you have previous experience, if you can get a buddy that rides to give her a test ride.

Always haggle for the price OTD or out the door, 3000 out the door will mean that they basically "eat" all their bull**** fees and you will literally pay 3k out the door.

Try to act like you have been around the block before and / or bring someone that has, much harder to screw someone over when they get called out.

( this is just my opinion, i have never bought a bike from a dealership but the above is what i will do when i go to finance something newer )

 

For that many miles... it kind of sounds expensive. I bought my 02 with 20,xxx miles for 2900 and the only thing wrong with it was the battery and that was 60 bucks to replace. I would suggest trying to find a bike from something other than a dealer. Craigslist or cycle trader.com??

Hope that helps a little

 

ok, so I went to see it again, and it died again.. this time bc it was out of gas It seemed to run great, the vibration is gone since they replaced the plugs. The only thing is, they said that the gas had set in the tank and it was "old gas". The woman said that was the reason it smelled bad. (does that check out with you more experienced riders? I didn't smell it anymore after it warmed up and they filled it up with fresh tank of gas, but I wasn't exactly stopped too long to smell for it either.) Also, before it ran out of the "bad gas" I revved it up to around 10k and i saw white smoke come out of the exhaust. once again, after they filled the tank with new gas and it warmed up, i didn't notice the problem anymore. I'm going back tuesday when they open to see if it will start up easy and no white smoke or gassy smell; if not then I'm gonna make an offer.

Correction from last post: it is a 2005. retails 3900 for perfect condition with 17k miles. This bike is 29k and has been laid down before. Do you think I can get out the door for 3200; or could i go lower? (Only if everything above checks out.)

**btw first time out on the road on a motorcycle... Fun FUN FUN!!!

 

My advice would be to ditch the dealer idea. Find a friend (or pay someone) to go alonmg with you to look at private sale bikes. Craigslist is an excellent place to find good deals. I picked up an '02 F4i for $1900 a few weeks back and honestly had I not been a bleeding heart to the kids story about college being expensive and him needing the money, I probably could have gotten it for less. It needed maybe $200-250 worth of work to be stock mint. The bike has 11,000 original miles on it and runs and drives amazingly well for a 9 year old bike! Anyway, my point is, you are paying way too much money for a bike which you already know to have been wrecked and sitting for a long period of time. I know you are probably really excited about getting a bike, but if you can wait it out, you should be able to find a better deal!

Also, the gas thing sounds like bull**** to me, white smoke is usually condensation or coolant. Either way it is not a good sign!

 

Damnit you honest people! The dealers lie so good and easy : ) i suppose i'll try to find something on craigslist, but there are no f4is around here for sale and when there are they want worse deals than the dealer. it is really frustrating

 

You sure did pick a bad time of the year to be buying a bike. However that doesn't mean you can't still find reasonable people. I think you'll find that a lot of dreamers list their bikes on CL. They think they have a $4000 bike, you just have to make them see that it is really not worth what they want for it.

Like I said, you will most likely have to look at several bikes, and walk away from several deals before you find the right fit. I would suggest you broaden your search, unless there is some reason you MUST have an F4i, there are plenty of good bikes out there, and one of them may be more to your liking, or suit your height/weight better, or have the low end power you want, etc.

 

do you have any friends they know things about bikes? or know a mechanic that works on bikes? if so take one and get them to back it, then the store has no bull **** reason to deny anything they are saying. If you dont know one, be friend one and ask them to go with you for 40 bucks or so. the bike cutting off is a bull excuse, a bike that is ridden every day to move in and out should run fine. If they take that little care of things like new gas and plugs, i wouldnt trust them. They dont seem to care about the bike, only selling it. The price for tires, chain sprockets and the fact it has been laid over is closer to 3K maybe 3200

 

As been listed above, craigslist is a good way to find a bike, it's where I found mine. The guy wanted 4500 for an 06 with 8k miles, i took 4k in cash, after I had a friend of mine ride it I offered him 3800 and took it home the same day. Looking around is the best option. Remember that just because you looked at a bike and rode it doesn't mean you're obligated to buy it. It's your money and you'll have to live with your choice, so be as picky as you can afford to be. I've worked as a dealership tech on cars for years, and the cars that just get shifted around the lot without being driven will run rough until you get the plugs clean.