While a low-speed fall over is not the end of the world, a more serious accident could have done unseen damage. Items like turn signals, hand levers, foot pegs, mismatched painted parts, fresh paint or touch-ups, especially on one side of the motorcycle could indicate a recent crash. 6.0 New Parts & Old PartsĪ bunch of new parts, or obviously different parts (from another bike) can indicate a recent accident and subsequent repair.
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Be suspicious if they can’t tell you, or just blurt out the incorrect spec.
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Ask the seller what brand and viscosity they used. Can they show you regular oil changes were done? Otherwise is this hiding the fact that they didn’t change it on schedule so decided to do it at the last minute? Look the seller square in the eyes when you ask why they changed it, any sign of concern coming through may indicate there is more to the story than just clean oil.īe one step ahead – know what viscosity and type of oil is a need for the bike. While this could just be a contentious owner changing the oil and getting everything ready for selling the bike, I would be a little skeptical. Did the owner warm it up to mask hard starting or noises that go away once it’s warmed up? When you arrange to see the bike, specifically ask for them not to start it until you get there. These sounds will typically increase as you get closer to the suspected problem area.Ī failing valve or bearing will sound very different than its neighboring parts. Some practice is required, but you can definitely identify sounds that don’t belong. For example, a deep clunk, or odd pitched sound that doesn’t fit in with the overall mechanical “orchestra” could be a problem. On an unhealthy engine, you may hear out-of-harmony and random sounds. You will hear a lot of different sounds from rotating and moving mechanical parts. The range of sounds that you hear are is amazing.Ī healthy engine has a lot going on inside. Just don’t use anything metal to avoid scratching surface. Try it out first on any motorized equipment nearby. You can use a hammer, outing the metal head to your ear – you just need to be able to capture the sound and transmit it to the inner ear. A section of a hard plastic rod can be used (not hollow tube). You can actually buy a mechanic’s stethoscope, that is basically a stick with two earpieces.Ī nice piece of wood, like a section of a broom handle, works well. This is an old school trick the stick is used as a stethoscope to hear the sounds coming from deep inside the engine. If the person is selling for an older family member or as an estate sale, there could be a good deal available. Selling bike to “buy a truck”, or whatever makes sense. Alright, I can believe it – ask a bit about the new motorcycle. “Upgrading to a newer bike”, already bought a newer model. Some just don’t add up, like “moving out of the country”, but oddly they are only selling this one motorcycle. There is no right or wrong answer – some can be a little suspicious. If everything is a mess then it would be a small miracle that they would only care for the motorbike differently.Įvaluate the reasons the seller provide for selling their motorcycle. All point to the type of person who may or may not attend to regular service on the motorcycle you are looking at. Take mental notes of how the seller takes care of their other possessions. “ran perfectly before…but now won’t start” 2.0 Seller Evaluation.Other phrases that make me a little cautious I have seen some really silly ones like “Bike for Sale”, period – no brand, size or model – what is going on in this seller’s mind? I don’t think I really want to find out. There will be additional costs involved.Ĭontent – does it deliver the facts and what a buyer wants to know? The ad content doesn’t have to be perfect, but at least should reflect some pride of ownership. A machine improperly stored for a long time, or just parked and left unridden will need extra care to get it back in shape.
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Unless properly stored the process of oxidation attacks surfaces, fuel & fluids, gaskets, and rubber parts.
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Does the ad indicate it is currently being or recently been ridden, or has it been in storage? Bearing and bushings can develop flat spots if the bike sits too long in one position, especially if on the kickstand. Photos – did the seller bother to clean up the motorcycle, and take a decent set of photos? Is there junk and garbage all around, did the bike just get hauled out from under a pile of debris for its photo-op? Does it look like it stored outside? A negative overall.