Thursday 27 February 2014

How to Buy a Second-Hand Motorcycle

Buying a second-hand motorcycle is not an easy task, as a buyer has to do lot of checks before getting engaged into negotiation with seller. In case, buyer misses something while checking a second-hand motorcycle then, there is a high probability that he or she may end up buying a wrong bike. Therefore, one must make sure that they should carefully examine a bike before buying it. However, not everyone knows what checks they should make before buying a second-hand bike. To assist such people below we have listed few tips that will help them find a motorcycle that will suit them best. 

Before one should start searching a second-hand motorcycle he or she must consider what type of bike they really need. For the reason that if they are planning to buy a motorcycle to cover 100-mile distance on daily basis then, a sports bike is not the one what they should be looking for. Therefore, do some online research and go through different models. Also do not forget to check various forums in order to gain some useful tips regarding the common faults in second-hand motorcycles. It is also important that a buyer must always look a bike during daylight, as it is not possible for him or her to find faults, scratches and other crucial points in the dark.

It is also necessary that once a person has decided to buy a bike, he or she should not forget to buy motorcycle gears from JS Accessories online store. Coming back to the topic, to make sure that the second-hand motorcycle that you are looking to buy genuinely belongs to the seller, match the engine and frame numbers with its original logbook. In case, there is some doubt it is better to walk away rather than sticking with the same bike. However, if you are buying a bike privately then, it’s good to make an HPI check, as it will reveal whether the motorcycle is stolen or not and has bad debt or has finance. You can get all this information after paying a cost of £30 roughly.

The buyer should also look for bar ends and crash bobbins on a second-hand bike because if the motorcycle had been crashed then, they will be marked. Aside from this, buyers must also look for the marks under the fairing along with the swing arm and fork bottoms of the bike. Don’t forget to check the frame covers because these provide a good cover to number of sins, including after-market paint.


Some sellers temper the original mileage of their bikes in order to show that their motorcycles have done low mileage. Nevertheless, such sellers can be easily nailed as the poor condition of a bike will tell you the whole truth, so take a close look at the motorcycle while making checks. After making all the necessary checks, if the bike looks good to you then, it’s time to hear the sound of the engine by starting the motorcycle. However, before starting the bike touch its exhaust to know whether it’s hot or cold, as shrewd sellers warm up their motorcycles beforehand if they are poor starters.

After inspecting the exhaust start the bike to hear the engine in order to find nasty sounds or sign of bad smoke. Give throttle to the bike couple of times to be sure that the engine sounds smooth. Then, start the engine once again to see how it starts after getting hot. If the bike clears this test then, take the motorcycle for a spin to see how smoothly it cruises on the road and whether all gears work well. If you are pleased with the performance of the motorcycle then, start negotiations with the seller.

Start low and look to gain some discount by highlighting facts that motorcycle have scratches, needs service, tire wear or anything else. If the seller does not agree then, it’s not bad to raise your bid by few quid. Hopefully you will be able to crack a deal after which finish the paper work, give the cash to seller and cruise on your new motorcycle.

No comments:

Post a Comment