^ That's correct. ;-) No, not stupid question... Ask as many questions as you want/need.

 

:PHEW:

So when I do end up checking out any motorcycle in general

1.) Check the battery terminals for corrosion.
2.) Check the chain for the correct slack/wear and the sprocket for wear.
3.) Check tire wear (What should I go by when it comes to street bike tires?)
4.) Have the person take the fairings off to check for frame damage
5.) Check for oil leaks (If a bike has been ridden hard, where do the oil typically seep out from? Or is usually everywhere?)

Once I get the VIN on any bike I'll check to see it's history.

Any other suggestions?

 

Those are all good points. I suggest googling "used motorcycle buyers guide* & similar. You'll get lots of checklists. Be sure to read everything you can find.

If possible, have someone go w/ you to check out the bike(s) who knows what they are looking at. If you don't know anyone like that & are unsure of the bike's condition... Ask the seller to meet you at the local Honda shop for a *pre-purchase inspection*. You'll pay for it (about $100) but it benefits the seller as well... You'll both know what exactly the bike needs or doesn't need. That way, you can make a more informed decision on whether or not you want to purchase the bike.

Some extras:
Check title first... Match title to VIN & engine number.
Check any/all service records.
Check frame for damage.
Check fork seals for leakage.

 

Alright I get to see it on Sunday @ 5pm. I sadly don't have anyone who knows a lot about bikes to go with me . I guess I might as well learn...

The manual was really informative as well.

Now when it comes to cost, how low should I offer? $2,300? After all he wants $2,800 then - $240 (New Rotor) - (If I find anything else wrong with it).

Let me know your thoughts on it.

 

Inspect the front end VERY throughly. It's really hard to bend a rotor.
That (to me) indicates the bike has been in a major crash.

Look for alignment issues (is the front tire straight to the axis of the bike with the
bars square?) Look at the fork tubes (are they straight? No kinks?).
Any sign of scuffs on the calipers? Is the front rim true? No bends or kinks to the
edges of the rim? Are the fairings straight and symetrical to the axis of the bike?

What do the bar-ends look like? Stock turn signals or replacements (possibly
indicating crash replacement). Look at the inside of the fairings for bondo/filler or
fiberglass repair. (Everyone fixes the outsides but often neglect to repair damage on
the insides (other than structeral and/or reienforcement). Are there any after-market
stickers on the bike? (look under these potential 'band-aids', for hidden damage,
as well). Look for any weep around the fork-seals.

Good luck, hope this gives you some ideas, Ern

 

Thank you for all the tips and helpful scenarios.

I'm kind of curious about his use of the words "slightly bent front rotor". He may very well could mean that it is warped. If he doesn't know the terminology... then I may very well question his ability to maintain the motorcycle.

Sadly he wont even be there, his father will be... so my father and I will be doing the inspection of it. If it passes that stage I will get in touch with the owner to get it over to the Honda dealership to have a full inspection. Taking -$100 beats a $2,800 loan any day of the week with the knowledge of investing or not investing into this machine.

Either way we will see. I'll try to get more pictures of it as well.

Thanks again.

 

good luck, remember, all of those things you're checking for are important because they are strong indicators of how the bike has been taken care of.


as far as your rotor questions - they should have a direction indicator on them (you'll see a little arrow, and that should point in the way the wheel rotates forward)



one thing. make sure the bike is COLD when you get there. start it cold, let it warm up - all the way until you hear the fan come on. that's important. if its warm when you get there - i'd be a little weary of that.

 

Well here are some pictures that I took of the areas that are obvious.

#1 - For a "new" chain it hasn't been taken care of...




#2 - The guy definitely downed the bike... I asked him about the blinker and he says he "scraped it taking it off a friends truck". I Dooooooooont think so.... it's definitely not a MAJOR downing of the bike, but it must have been sand.






#3 - Onto the rotor...

Good Side

Bad Side

It's barely noticeable, but the front of this rotor (side closest to the camera) tilts a small bit towards the wheel.

#4 - Well... I know why he has new tires on it! Judging by the rubber being caked onto the rear fender he definitely burned rubber...



and just an image of the radiator.

 

Yeaaaaaaaaaah Ok well I myself would offer 1500 Fairings are cracked chain needs lube so maybe he did not take care of that so new chain and sprockets you know he burned one set of tires off. Rotors are bent not good maybe tweaked the frontend also check the forks well.

 

The rubber caked on there isn't a sign of anything bad. He just had an old tire and wanted to burn that one off.

I'd pass on that bike. Looks kind of sketchy.

Still don't understand why you won't go look at the one in NH though, the price might be a bit steep but it looked really good. Transferring it to Maine is stupid easy. Since NH has no sales tax when you register the bike you pay it for Maine, but you'd have to do that anyways buying used dealer doesn't take care of it). Then just get it set up for Maine, should take a whopping 5 minutes.

Pass on that bike, look at another!