Noob with questions on a 01 f4i possible purchase...
 

Went to a local dealer yesterday and found a red 01 cbr 600 f4i with 16k miles, never been laid down, frame sliders and a aftermarket pipe (I forget the brand), only thing I could find wrong was a blown out headlight bulb. They are asking 3800 but said they are flexible with that.

Is that a good price?

What should I be looking for when buying these bikes (crap that will bite me in the a$$ later)?

Is 16k miles too high on these?

I am very mechanically inclined so are these easy to work on?

Thanks!!!!

Welcome to cbrf. These bikes are tanks and will run forever. Thats not a bad price either. Shoot them an offer 5 or 6 hundred less than they're asking and you're doin pretty good. The thing that comes to mind with a 16000 mile bike is the cam chain tensioner and there is all sorts of info on those here.

Is that something I could change pretty easily myself?

if you're at all mechanically inclined it shouldn't be too hard. It was cake on my F2 but I have yet to own an f4i. Might want to hold for someone elses input in this area

That's really good mileage for an 01- I bought my 02 with 30k. Thing to remember is, don't let them tell you it's worth more because of mods- it's not. Mods are not worth anything to anybody but the person who put them on (when it comes to blue book value). I'm not saying they're not good mods, mind you- but don't let them give you a song and dance about how they put 5k in mods and blah blah blah. Doesn't matter.

I'd probably offer 3200 on that bike.

So far with me 02 I've changed oil, tires, levers and I'm replacing the chain/sprockets. I know it had plugs and wires redone at some point, probably at the 16k.

And now plastics...:P sorry hun. couldnt resist. hows the healin?

Yea I think I am just going to go back on tuesday and have $3200 cash and lay it on the table, if they want another $100 I will do it but anymore than that im out.

$3200 is a good offer on that bike. I would suggest you log onto e-bay and have a look at what's for sale there now and at completed listings. This will validate--or not--your personal value of what the machine is worth.

Buying from a dealer will net a little higher price, obviously. This may be worth it, since even though you don't get a warranty, you have some recourse if there are problems.

You'll find the F4i easy and fun to maintain. It's a Honda, so it doesn't need much. Routine maintenance is easy. At 16K, in addition to the CCTL, you may also want to inspect the drive chain for possible replacement.

Also, brakes and tires? Where are they in the replacement cycle?

--Paul

Pretty good price, at least it would be around here. If it's negotiable then you'll definitely get a decent deal.

Any obvious things like cracks in the frame, terrible tire condition, etc. Make sure all the controls work, take it for a test drive to make sure all gears act accordingly, blah blah.

Not at ALL. That bike is quite young.

Okay, I'm not trying to be a dick or anything personal, but this statement bugs me. If you're good with mechanics, shouldn't it be fairly easy to tell if a bike is easy to work on? I'd suspect that any decent mechanic would know to look for repair manuals, and do enough research or hands-on fun to figure that out for themselves. Again, no attacking, just doesn't make sense to me.

Also in response to some previous posts, I'd slap down $3,000 first. Better to start low. Worst they can do is be highly insulted by your offer and refuse to sell it to you, but I don't think that happens too often, lol.

$3800 is already a fairly decent asking price, especially from a dealer. The bad thing is that since its at a dealership then there isn't much chance of getting a test ride. If it's a reputable dealership they wouldn't have taken the bike in a trade if it was trashed... Check the sprockets and make sure they have a nice little "plateau." Check the brake fluids for a beerish tint. Ask them if they serviced it. Check all the switches and make sure everything is in working order. Have them put a new bulb in. If they dont... walk. They get that stuff for cheap and if they aren't willing to replace a bulb to make a sale then they aren't a shop worth buying from. Start her up and rev it slowly to atleast 7k and see if you ever hear a rattle (bum cct). Have them replace it, if it is, and if they don't take your money and walk out the door. Check the brakes. Check the frame/forks. Check the tires. Thats pretty much all the visuals you can go over. The rest you will find out down the road. But... If all looks good don't hesitate to go to atleast $3500. $3200 is a nice starting offer but, frankly, its a low ball offer.