Wednesday How to Tip - Buying a used bike 
by Mike Fraser
26 May 2004

With the first official day of summer only a few weeks and the end of school approaching, more people will be out looking for a used dirt bike or atv. Let's look at what to look for and how buy a used bike.

When buying a bike you have one of two choices:

1. You can buy a new bike.
2. You can buy a used bike.

First let's look at buying a NEW bike. There is nothing like it. You walk into the local dealer and there it is... the bike you have been dreaming about for months. Nice new shiney frame, un-chipped paint, jet black tires with huge knobbies, and clean enough to eat off of. The bike is absolutely MINT. It almost looks to good to even take it out for a ride. You talk to the dealer and he cuts you a break. You negotiate hard and you get a couple hundred bucks off the retail sticker price. The deal is coming to a close and you can feel the anticipation of being the owner of this pimpin new machine. You close the deal, load the bike up, take it home, unload it and stand there and stare in admiration of your new purchase. The feeling of purchasing a brand new machine, there is nothing like it. You are going to be the first to start it, ride it, and probably crash it.

With your new bike you go out and buy a few new dirt bike magazines. You are flipping through the pages and see all the advertisements for after market parts. Man, do they make a bike look cool. Then you turn the page and there it is, YOUR BIKE!...with an FMF pipe, FACTORY CONNECTION suspension, TAG handle bars, EXCEL (gold, black, blue, red, or chrome) rims, a gold D.I.D o-ring chain, ACERBIS hand guards, MSR two tone gel grips, new ONE INDUSTRIES complete graphics and trim kit, WORKS CONNECTION clutch perch, engine covers, brake resevoir covers, and a hole shot device protruding from the front right fork guard. Your jaw drops and a little bit of drool drips from the edge of your mouth. You think, "Man, I want my bike to look like that!!"

So far you have spent about $7000 on your new bike. Now the fun begins. The aftermarket look you want is going to cost you about $2000 - $3000. Your NEW bike has to be better than new. After all, if you want to ride faster you have to have a bike that is as close to a factory race bike as possible...right? So now you're into your new bike for $10,000. When it is all done you look at it in admiration and are pleased with what you have done to your machine. It is now THE BOMB.

I know how this feels, I did all this last year. hahaha Unfortunately, the one factor that many new riders don't take into consideration when buying a new bike is their biggest expense.... depreciation. That $10,000 bike in a year is worth about $5500 - $6000 and within 2 years it worth about $4500 - $5000. That's a big chunk of change. It might not be so bad if you plan on keeping the bike for several years. But one way or another there is a big price for buying new and treating yourself to the experience of a brand new bike. But like I said before, NOTHING FEELS BETTER than buying new.

What do you do if you don't want to lose 50% of the purchase price of your bike/atv? The answer is simple...BUY A USED BIKE. One that has already depreciated in price. A used bike may come with all the goodies already on it and if you find the right one, you can probably resell it for close to what you got it for. The trick is finding the right one and knowing what to look for.....

HOW TO BUY A USED BIKE

The biggest rule is this:

DON'T BE AFRAID TO WALK AWAY FROM THE DEAL. You can't let emotion and excitement cloud your judgement.

First you must decide on a price you are willing to spend on a new bike. This is part of budgeting. Do not deviate from this price buy more than a few hundred dollars if you can. It is easy to fall for the first bike you see, even though it is $800 more than the $3000 you have budgeted. If you are patient and keep looking you will find what you are looking for in your price range.

Second step is to shop around. Check out the classified here on AtlanticMX.com, check the bargain hunter every week, check your local bike shop for used bikes. In a very short period of time you'll get an idea of how much a bike is worth.

Next you find a bike, it has lots of after market parts, it's 3 or 4 years old and the guy wants to sell it because he is moving, or has to buy a car, or his wife won't let him ride anymore(time to sell the wife off hahaha). You make arrangements and go take a look at it. This is where the fun begins.

You want to get the bike for the best price possible, but more than that, you want to make sure that the bike is in good working order. Don't be afraid to rip around on the bike and practically tear it apart, looking for defects. Its all a game of negotiation.

You must know what to look for. When purchasing a used bike you have to be able to investigate the bike for clues as to how it was treated and understand the condition it is in.

The following checklist will show you how a person treated their bike and how well it was maintained.

Here are some things to remember:
1) Ask for maintenance records.
2) Never buy a bike without a title of ownership in hand that matches the VIN number on the frame.
3) A bike that has been raced is usually a better buy than one that has not been raced. Most racers take pride in keeping their ride in top condition and usually follow a set maintenance schedule.

Tires, Brakes, Chain, Sprockets
These items wear out the quickest. If you need to replace them as soon as you get the bike home, this comes out of your pocket.
Tires - Front $100 Rear $130
Sprockets - Front $20 Rear $60 - $100
Chain - $40 - $120

Air Filter
The air filter on a bike should be cleaned nearly every time the bike is ridden. Take the time to pull off the seat and check it out. If the filter is crusted up with dirt and debris, just imagine how much of that got through to the carb and the engine. This is a BIG tell tale sign of the condition of the engine.

Fork Seals
Check to see if the fork seals are leaking. Grab the front brake and bounce the front end a couple times, or go for a ride. If there is any oil on the fork tubes, that means the seals are leaking and possibly damaged and need replacing. This will add about another $100 to YOUR cost of the bike.

Frame Check
Inspect the frame for cracks and wear. If the frame is cracked or bent, turn around and walk away. (Unless you think a cracked frame will add just the right amount of flex to the frame). If all of the paint is gone off the frame, its a good guess that the bike has been ridden pretty hard.

Plastics
Plastics are the first thing to get beaten on a dirt bike. It is not a big deal, but the condition of the plastics on the bike can indicate how the bike was treated. If the plastic is all mangled, scratched and cracked, it is possible the bike didn't get maintained as well as it should have. Depending on the bike you are choosing a new set of plastics will be:
Front Fender - $40
Rear Fender - $50
Side Panels - $60
Radiator Shrouds (the plastic that attaches to the tank) - $50
Number Plate - $25

Top End
Ask when the last time the top end was changed. On average, the top end should be changed every 5 races or every 10 - 12 hours of riding to keep it running fresh. A simple way to check the compression on a bike is to grap the kick starter with your hand and see if you can kick it over. If the kick start moves with ease by using your hand the compression is probably pretty low. You should have enough back pressure that kicking a bike with your hand is next to impossible (unless it is a little 50cc bike or something). If it needs a top end add about another $100 - $200 to YOUR cost. Remember it might need a piston not just a set of rings. This all adds up.

Bearings
The bearings will really tell you how well the bike was maintained. Check the front and rear wheels for side to side movement. When grabbing a wheel there should be no side to side movement, and the front should not move forward and backwards when off the ground. That is a sign of a bad steering column. To check the linkage bearings, lift the rear wheel when the bike is on the stand. Check all other bearings such as the steering stem and swingarm pivot. If the bearings are bad that is about another $100 or more to get them replaced.

Clutch Check
Check for ease of clutch pull. Listen as you pull and check visually to see if the cable is frayed anywhere. If the clutch is out of adjustment and it creeps when in gear, you will need to replace the clutch plates. This will add about another $200 to YOUR cost.

Transmission/Gears
Make sure the bike shifts smoothly and goes into gear from a standstill without making any clunking noises. When taking the bike out for a ride shift through ALL the gears.

Miscellaneous
Here are some other areas to check:

Hoses (radiator and fuel hoses). Check for cracks, wear, or leaks
Bars - Make sure they are not bent. A replacement set will cost you about $130
Check for missing bolts in the seat, exhaust clamps, triple clamps, engine guards, and anywhere plastic attaches to the bike.
Exhaust - Check for dents, holes, and cracks in around the weld seams. These will all rob power from your bike and a new exhaust can run you several hundred dollars.
Check the tail of the exhuast. Stick your finger in it. If it is oily it is running rich and there could be alot of carbon build up in the engine.
Sparkplug - Take it out and have a look at it. If it is nice and tan GREAT. If it is black it is running to rich, if it is white too lean and there could be burnt out parts on the bike.

Just look over the bike with a fine tooth comb. Most important of all, don't be afraid to ask questions about the condition and history of the bike.

"How often do you clean your air filter?" If the answer is, "After every one or two rides," it's a good assumption the owner understands that proper air filter maintenance is important. If the answer goes something like, "air filter?, uh... yea! All the time", go away.

"How often do you change the oil?" If the answer is "Once every 2 to 4 rides," it's a good sign the owner believes in maintenance and the transmission/clutch internals are probably okay. If the bike is a 4-stroke, and the owner isn't changing the engine oil once every 10 - 15 hours or riding or every 300 - 400 kilometes, stay away from the bike. The oil in 4-strokes not only lubricate the engine, but the transmission too. It must be changed regularly or engine and transmission life are shortened considerably.

"How often did you ride the bike? and What type of riding do you do?" This question can provide some clues as to how the bike has been treated. If the bike has been ridden several times a week then raced on the weekends, you can bet the machine is worn and the machine's remaining lifespan may be short. If the bike was trail ridden on every other weekend, it may be safe to believe the bike is capable of many more miles.

"Where do you store your dirt bike?" If the answer is anything other than inside a building or shed, forget buying it. Bikes stored outside are usually NEVER taken care of.


"Did you purchase this bike new, or did you buy it used?" If the owner doesn't know who used to own the bike, or how many owners that bike has been through, it's a sure thing that the maintenance history will be a mystery. You'll be gambling on the machines reliability if you purchase it.
If you're talking to the original owner, the only thing you'll have to worry about is how much the owner may stretch the truth or "forget to mention" a few things.

"Has the bike been modified at all?" Ask what modifications were performed and WHY they were made. Do NOT buy a motorcycle that has been modified heavily! Especially if the owner talks of the porting work or other such high performance mods. Most modifications done to an engine will shorten the life of the engine. Plus when people get into modifying their bikes a lot they usually ride them pretty hard.
While discussing modifications, ask the owner what ratio and brand of oil was used for engine, and transmission lubrication. Ask the brand and type of oil filter used. Question the fork oil useage and settings. The reason for these questions is to understand the depth of the owners knowledge of dirt bike care. You should find out what they know. It is a quick way to determine how much truth stretching the owner is indulging in.

Buying a bike is an exciting purchase. Do it wrong and it will be a summer of mechanical nightmares and frustration. Do it right and you'll have a summer of more fun than you can imagine.


Good luck!

Mike Fraser