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I saw one of those Carfax commercials that shows what happens when someone doesn't do proper research when buying a car. What about sport bikes? Is there a way make sure I buy the right one?

2007-02-06 09:22:34 · 3 answers · asked by Star-Scream 2 in Cars & Transportation Motorcycles

3 answers

Mileage is a very important indicator, but a well maintained bike with high mileage is better than a low mileage one that's been driven like a rental. The most obvious thing to look for is any visible damage, or repairs. Especially if the damage to the body work has long scratches in it, indicating high speed wipe outs. I'm not really convinced you can check engine compression as easily as putt your hand over the exhaust, if all the cylinders are in as bad shape you won't notice a difference. But, if you smell any oil burning, don't buy it. Or if it's leaking oil, just walk away. Also check the oil level in the engine, if it's low, it could mean either of these problems are present. If you can't test drive it, at least fire it up and put it into first gear and back to neutral a couple of times, it should shift quickly, and fairly easily. If the bike has low mileage, check the tires, especially the back. If the back tire is very worn, especially if it looks melted in spots, the owner probably drove it hard. Then you should look over everything carefully. As suggested, talking to the driver and seeing how he/she likes to drive is a good idea.

Good luck with your purchase.

2007-02-06 10:12:48 · answer #1 · answered by rohak1212 7 · 0 0

Unfortunately, there is no CARFAX when it comes to buying a bike. It goes by instinct and trail and error. Buying at a dealership will most likely find you a better product, but selction is limited and it will cost you more. There are used bike dealers, but their markup is usually high too. I bought my R6 on the street to find out that the gas tank was full of rust, the clutch would slip above 10,000 rpm and one of the bumpstops on the triple tree had broken off in a wreck. Needless to say, I didnt research it before I bought and paid the price. Best advice: find someone you trust who knows bikes and bring them along. You should be able to find a CBR thats 2 or 3 years old for 5 or 6 grand and have a dead-reliable bike.

2007-02-06 09:39:30 · answer #2 · answered by Mike H 2 · 0 0

i dont think car fax does stuff for bikes but here are some pointers when picking out a bike
mileage - probably the most important - the lower the better
the past owner - if you are buying from a private seller try and get a feeling about how he used to drive it - if hes always talking about wheelies and how it tops out at 160, you probably dont want to buy it
make sure its got good compression - hold your hand over the exhaust and it should have good pressure at idle
look at the fairings- you can typically pick out a repainted or repaired fairing cause they are hard to fix without showing it
look at the frame - look for scratches or dents or worse - weld marks
if its been "customized" its probably mean its been wrecked before and if it hasnt the customizer probably didnt know what he was doing.
just you your common sense and make sure you test drive

2007-02-06 09:39:23 · answer #3 · answered by noah 3 · 0 0

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