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…