How to Evaluating a Bike’s Condition when a Used Motorcycle
How to Evaluating a Bike’s Condition when a Used Motorcycle.
Note the number of miles on the odometer. There are no definitively “good” or “bad” readings in terms of mileage, as different bikes are built with different specs for different purposes. What’s more important is to compare the bike’s outward appearance to its recorded mileage. If they don’t seem to line up, you may be better off exploring other options.
Try not to overanalyze. If it comes down to a toss-up between two bikes of the exact same model and one has $15,000-20,000 fewer miles on it, it’s clearly the better deal.
Unless it’s obviously in bad shape, don’t be put off by a motorcycle with 30,000-50,000 miles on the engine. When properly cared for, many bikes have maximum mileages as high as some cars, so there’s a good chance that it still has plenty of road time left in it.
Take stock of the bike’s general appearance. Look the bike over top to bottom and front to back, paying particular attention to the main components like the frame, headstock, fenders, side covers, and windshield. A little bit of wear and tear isn’t uncommon on older bikes, but for the most part, all of the chrome and paint should be clean, shiny, and free of rust, and there should be no dents, dings, scratches, or other visible signs of damage.
Bring a flashlight along with you in case you’re forced to perform your inspection in low light. A multimeter can also come in handy for testing the voltage output of older bikes with batteries that haven’t been changed in a while.
Be wary of bikes that look like they haven’t been washed in a while. A little dust and dirt may not seem like a big deal, but it could point to neglect elsewhere.
Climb on the motorcycle to try out the suspension. Straddle the seat and bounce up and down gently. The forks, or the pronged pieces connecting the front wheel to the frame, should absorb the motion and return to their original position quickly and quietly. By contrast, the rear shocks should hold firm, preventing the back of the bike from dipping too much.
Grinding, squeaking, and poor impact absorption, along with obvious visible damage like scrapes, cracks, dings, and rust, are all evidence of a suspension system that’s taken a lot of abuse.
Keep your eyes peeled for oil coming from the shocks or struts—it might be coming from a broken seal.
Examine the tires for excessive or uneven wear. It’s totally normal for the center third of each tire to be a little smoother than the surrounding areas. Flat spots or significant off-center wear, however, could be due to bad riding habits, such as hard braking or skidding. Damage like this not only weakens the tire but places unnecessary strain on other parts of the bike that are not as cheap or easy to replace.
Similarly, blunt or diagonal scuffs could indicate alignment issues.
Inspect the seats and other hard-wearing areas to look for deterioration. Materials like leather and rubber can deteriorate fairly quickly, especially if the previous owner did a lot of riding. A torn seat or loose footpeg doesn’t necessarily mean that the bike is a junker. However, if all of the main points of contact are beat up and there’s also noticeable wear or damage to the frame and surrounding areas, it means that it’s likely seen better days.
If the bike you’re appraising has saddlebags, be sure to look through them inside and out. Hard bags should be completely free of cracks or holes, while both the fabric and stitching of soft bags should be intact, with no rips, thin spots, or abrasions.
Don’t let some worn-out upholstery stop you from going ahead with a purchase if you’re satisfied with the motorcycle’s overall condition. These parts are relatively inexpensive and easy to replace.
Check the fuel and oil tanks for rust or sediment. Unscrew the fuel cap on the body of the bike and use your flashlight to take a peek inside. There should be nothing floating in the fuel itself and no rust or corrosion on the walls of the tank. Next, note the color of the oil, which is usually visible through a sight glass on one side of the engine. If it’s clean and syrupy, you’re good. If it’s dark, it may have been some time since it was last changed.
If you can see shiny metallic flakes suspended in the oil, the bike is a dud. This means that the spent oil has been left to sit for so long that it’s eating away at the oil chamber from within.
Don’t be tempted to skip this part of the inspection thinking that you’ll just change out the oil and fuel later. These fluids are the lifeblood of a motorcycle, and play a major role in the machine’s overall performance and condition.
Remove the seat to confirm that the internal wiring is in good shape. You don’t have to be an experienced technician to be able to tell if something is amiss in the electrical compartment. Just take a quick peek to see whether everything looks like it’s securely connected and in its proper place. Ideally, each of the wires should still have their original factory connectors, or a suitable aftermarket replacement, if they’ve been worked on at some point.
There’s a lot more to a motorcycle’s electrical system than just the battery. It also includes the alternator, rectifier/regulator headlight, fog lights, and any additional modules you may have hooked up, such as a built-in GPS unit or garage door opener.
Test the voltage of the battery and look for a reading between 10.5 and 12. While you’ve got the seat off, hook up your multimeter to the battery’s positive and negative terminals to see how much juice it has. It should put out around 12 volts while the bike is off, and no less than 10.5 while it’s running. If you get anything lower for either phase of the test, consider it a red flag.
If you don’t have a multimeter, kickstart the bike (or ask the owner to start it) and listen to the way the engine cranks. If it’s slow to turn over, or if the headlight dims momentarily, it means that the battery isn’t providing enough power to feed the starter or alternator.
A dead battery is also a dead giveaway that a motorcycle hasn’t been ridden in a while, and might also hint that it’s got other problems related to disuse.
Take the bike out for a test ride. First, start the engine and listen for any unusual noises, such as creaking, rattling, or grinding. If there are no apparent problems, ease your way onto a well-maintained stretch of road that offers safe conditions. Pay close attention to the way the bike handles acceleration, turns, braking, and shifting. Everything should feel smooth, stable, and responsive.
If the seller is reluctant to let you test the bike on your own, see if they’d be willing to let you hop on as a passenger, or at least watch and listen from a close distance to get a sense of how it rides.
Don’t forget to bring your driver’s license and insurance card along with you on your test ride. It’s also a good idea to come prepared with a helmet and other safety gear in case your seller doesn’t have these things available.
Tip. Once you get back, inspect the bike thoroughly once again, this time looking for leaks or drips. If something’s cracked, you might not find out about it until you’ve been out for a spin.
Talk to a local dealership about scheduling a detailed inspection. Even if you decide to buy your bike from a private party, it’s wise to have it looked over by a third party before you make any kind of agreements. Most dealerships and small cycle shops are happy to serve as a middleman in private sales for a small service fee. Spending a few extra dollars now could save you a considerable amount of time, money, and labor in the future.[19]
If the owner seems hesitant to get another party involved, it could be because the bike has issues that they don’t want you to see.
Requesting an independent inspection is especially important if you’re buying online and aren’t able to examine the bike in person.
