Buying a motorbike second hand is one of the cheapest ways to start your riding career. As you’ve probably seen from the classifieds, second hand motorbikes can be picked up for as little as £500 but what should you be looking for? First of all, if it looks ‘too’ clean, then you should be wary. By polishing the frame, waxing the tank and cleaning the tyres, it can look great but that doesn’t mean it will work.
Always look at a bike from a non-personal perspective. It might be a rare Ducati that you’re poring over but if it is going to have catastrophic engine failure when you ride off, you need to keep a cool head. Take a friend or knowledgeable mechanic with you so you can have someone to bounce ideas off and make sure your decision is the right one. In other words, don’t be short-sighted when buying a used motorbike.
Make a list of the bikes that you’re interested in and pick a good number of them from the classifieds, eBay, Bike Trader and anywhere else that sells bikes. Don’t buy the first one you go to see. Shop around and make sure the one you choose is right in every way for you. If it’s not, then either use that to haggle the price down or walk away. Remember, it’s only a machine and there are many more like it. If you’re shopping at second hand bike dealerships then you should have an idea of the cost that it would cost privately. If the price is way too high and the warranty is short, then walk away and work out a better way to buy your bike.
Make sure you can have a test ride. It might mean that the owner has to call their motorcycle insurance company to organise a short term policy or you might have to set up your own insurance if you’re sure you’re going to buy the bike. Make sure that you check everything on the bike, from wheel bearings, tyres, colour of the oil, the engine and the electrics. For an older bike you might want to check the carburettor for icing, which would make it difficult to start cold and will run badly. Ask the seller not to start the bike until you get there, so you can see if there is any piston ring wear which would be shown from a puff of bluff smoke when starting from cold.
Make sure all of the paperwork matches up, such as the VIN number, the V5 and the MOTs are up to date. Also, make sure you meet the seller at their home or business. There are many motorbikes that are stolen, have the paperwork forged and then sold on. You don’t want this to happen to you as you will be left out of pocket and with no bike when the police catch up with you.
Whatever bike you buy, have a level head when checking it over, if it looks strange then walk away.