Hi all, I passed my exams last friday, and I can pick up my license on Tuesday. Now all that’s left is buying a bike. What’s your best advise for buying on the second hand market? I have no idea how to judge if a bike is worth its pricetag. Wat are things to look for? Your expertise would be greatly appreciated!
You can generally get an idea of a normal price range by looking at what’s for sale, just search outside your area as well if there’s not very many local listings.
As far as the condition of a bike, if the owner lists detailed specifics on service and upgrades that’s always a plus. Otherwise look at the pictures, is the chain rusty looking? Are the plastics/paint faded from sun? Does the engine area, fork seals, shock, etc… look like they’ve been leaking oil and picking up dirt?
Some wear and grime is expected, like where the riders boots rub on the engine cases, where knees touch the tank/seat area, and oil/lube around the sprockets if it has a chain (ideally the chain is somewhat clean though, and not caked in months of dirt).
Thank you, good advice. How do I know which damages are just looks, and which are actual dangers?
Basically cosmetic wear/damage, vs mechanical damage.
So for example if a wheel feels loose if you pull/push on it, that’s probably wheel bearings and is unsafe. Or if there’s a crack running through a frame tube, loose/broken spokes, missing sprocket teeth, stuff that’s obviously bent out of place, and so on…
I’m not quite a motorcycle expert, though I do have some experience working on them and do know how to drive…
Anyways, it’s not much different than any other considerations on used vehicles. What condition is it in? How many miles does it have on it? Do the tires have good tread and no dryrot cracks? Do the tires have and hold proper air pressure? Are the brakes in good shape or worn out? Are the chain and sprockets in good shape?
Any used vehicle is gonna have some sort of issues, so the biggest questions of all are gonna be between your personal preference, overall condition, and price. Price factor not just the price of the bike but also the price of the consumable components such as tires and brakes and stuff as I mentioned…
Oh, one other serious suggestion that came from my late father and other biker friends of his…
You need to make sure that the motorcycle isn’t too heavy that you can’t lift it back upright by yourself if it somehow falls over or you get in an accident…
Make sure to test that you can lift it upright, before some unexpected scenario causes you to have to find out the hard way…
Hey, thanks, that’s a good one. I dropped my school’s bike once (the day of the parking lot exam actually) and my instructor made me figure out how to get it up myself. Much heavier than I expected actually.
Traditional good advice says buy a used bike that won’t make you cry if you drop it and then pay half that for proper high quality gear.
I did the opposite because I don’t trust how other people treat their bikes so I bought brand new for peace of mind.
What style of bike are you leaning towards?
Yes, I’ve set my budget so that I won’t have to cry if it explodes on the first day (well, from an economic standpoint anyway).
Thinking of a sport/tour, although I also like how adv bikes look. I’m thinking I might be better off buying a 2nd hand from a dealer… they’re a bit more expensive, but they come with a full service round and warranty. Whith me having no idea what to technically look for and all.
Ya a proper dealership will have the bike looked at by a mechanic so you don’t have laymen repairs/maintenance which is good for peace of mind. Sport touring is dope! I like the idea of adventure bikes but they’re all very tall and I’m very short </3
All good advice here. I’ll add that if you’re buying it from an individual MAKE SURE THEY HAVE THE TITLE. There are a ton of bikes out there where the owner lost the title or the bike is stolen and there’s no title. So no real chain of ownership.
Also, personal advice rather than second hand buying advice, taking the course qualifies you to drive in a parking lot (it’s a good course, no hate from me). Don’t go big for your first bike. Get a smaller one and toodle around until you’re comfortable.
What kinda bike are you thinking of? what price range? are you commuting, track days or touring? different bikes need different things to look out for.
I’m currently looking at sport/tour bikes, and occasionally peeking at some adventure bikes, because i like the looks.
Pricerange would be around €4-5k give or take.
I’m planning on just riding it on the weekends for fun, after I get aquainted with it, a few 1-2 day trips woth a few friends. I’ll probably use it to commute if my SO needs to use the car. But those plans might drastically change once I actually have it…
In the future I want to try out some trails, but for now I’m happy with a road bike, as there aren’t that many places to legally go offroad around here.
Sounds pefectly resonable, big touring/adv bikes are probably the most pampered type out there. Budget sounds reasonable too, post pics when you find it!
Will do! I called the local dealer today, they’re willing to let me testdrive a few different types of bike, to figure out what I like most. And I do like the idea of having their warranty even if they’re a little bit more expensive than the non-comercial second hand market…
