hey everyone!
i just got my license and am looking at a CBR250RR.
i went to test ride yesterday and on cold start up, it started fine but the exhaust was emitting little puffs of black smoke not too thick but enuf to see, once it was warm there was no smoke, and no spoke while riding.
Also the clutch seemed to slip a little, like after letting the clutch out the bike would take a little bit to pick up speed,like a sudden burst of power.
what do you guys think? i was looking at getting a mechanic to check it out and perhaps get a compression test.
also the ride seemed a bit bumpy so not sure if the fork seals need replacing?

thoughts/opinions much appreciated, thanks

 

If it was bike bike I would diff want that check out.. in my opinion a bike is the same as a car. If your car was blowing black smoke out the tail pipe wouldn't you wanna get that checked out..just my two cents.

 

I brought a buddy along to check out my first bike. There were some slight problems that even he didn't find out.My opinions before buying as a stupid nOOb (and this is assuming you like the bike, can ride it without being sore, etc etc etc ) :1. Have them take the fairings off to look for hidden crap2. Do an electrical test on everything - battery, RR, stator etc etc3. Have a qualified motorcycle tech look at it up and down4. If the seller won't do any of that for you then they don't want to sell it that badly.Now thinking from his side - I'd probably be a lot more compliant to do any/all of that if the guy gave me a deposit -- but to protect you write something up that you can get it back if a major problem was found.

 

alright, thanks guys

 

black smoke would indicate unburned fuel. Could be a sign of needing a new set of plugs, or it could be just the combination of weather conditions and the fact that the choke was on. If it didn't do it once it was warmed up, I personally wouldn't be concerned with it.

As for the clutch. Im not sure. If it were slipping, you would know it. It could be that you are on a 250cc bike, and they really don't have much power down low, they really need the rpms to start moving, since thats where they start to make the power. They have very little torque.

Being bumpy could simply be the road you road on, or just the suspension not set to your weight. if the seals were blown out, you would probably see oil leaking around the seals on the fork tubes. Press down on the forks and see if they rebound fully right away, or if they slowly return. If the slowly return, you may have an issue.

But I think you nailed it in your post. If you don't know what to look for, take the bike to a reputable mechanic and have the bike gone over.

 

As for the bumpiness, did you check the tire pressure before hoppin on?