Hey,

I have rode a few F4i's. I love them! Im looking at one in a few days. It is an 06, with 3500 miles!! Only thing, It was dropped doing about 20 mph on a residential street. Only visible damage is some scratches on the plastic. I am still very convinced this is a great deal.

My only question is, Should I be worried about anything internally wrong with the bike from the fall. I know F4i's are basically bullet proof....This one runs fine and starts right up. as I said, just the scratches on the plastic pieces....

Cant find any with that low of miles these days!

Let me know, I need some feedback to confirm or control by urge to spend money! lol

 

The best you can, check the frame to make sure there are no bends.
Stand from the front and stand from the back, look to make sure everything is straight.

Turn the bars all the way left, and then all the way right. Make sure the furthest point the bars turn is the same on both sides.

 

^ Good info from zhu.

Also, remove the side fairings on both sides to see what's under them. Fairings can hide a multitude of sins.

I was looking for another track bike (an RC51) that looked great on the outside. Reluctantly, I was given permission to remove the side fairings for inspection. I quickly discovered that there was only 1 engine bolt holding in the engine! :O Comparing the engine number to the title revealed it wasn't even the engine that came in it. So...the moral of the story is - you gotta do your homework & give bikes thorough inspections.

Good luck w/ everything. Hope it works out.

 

Thanks guys. Sounds like good things to check out. Definately want to make sure the frame is perfect. I mean is there usually frame damage associated with lighter falls like in this case?

 

Not typically. However, you never know. That's why you've got to check. I've seen some pretty horrible looking crashes that left the frame alone. Then, I've seen what I would consider minor crashes that tweaked the frame. So again, you never know.

More often, you see the subframes being bent. The subframe is tubing which can bend easily. Subframes can be easily replaced tho...main frames can't. ;-)

 

Thanks for the help! Appreciate it!

 

How much are you paying for this once low sided bike?

 

Always check! Your safetly is definitely worth as second look.

 

Lots of mechanics around here will inspect a bike for minimal or no cost if you're buying. Ask the seller to ride it to the mechanics, you pay for the inspection, and then you'll know better than trying to eyeball it.

Everything is probably fine, but it's better to know than not. Plus, if anything else is wrong, you can negotiate down the price based on an experts say-so.

 

Personally, I went against my instincts and bought a dropped/very low-speed lowsided f4i. The R/H front brake rotor was bent, those things aren't cheap- even used ($300 new). Plus the pads was totally gone, even though the other side ones still had plenty of meat, you kinda have to replace them both.

The rear brake lever was also bent, feeler was gone, ect... I don't think I would buy a crashed bike again, even a small crash. There's plenty of nice ones for good prices. After you totally fix a wrecked bike it usually cost more than if you just spent a little extra and got something nicer to begin with. Less headaches too...