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Used Bike Guide – Introduction

Used Bike Guide – Introduction

Resist the temptation to buy the first bike you see. Look at a few of them to get a better idea of the used bike market/options before you buy one.

Used Bike Guide – Exhaust

Look for holes (from a crash or from advanced rust.) Sometimes you can hear exhaust leaks, usually as a sort of staccato “chuffing. sound. Rust on the exhaust is usually on the surface only, and thus merely cosmetic, but advanced rust (older bikes?) may have caused holes in the exhaust pipes.

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Did the seller warm up the bike before you got there? (See if the engine cases are warm, but they might be hot, so be careful and don’t get burnt.

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Grab the chain at the rearmost point on the rear sprocket (warning: greasy!) and pull backwards.

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Used Bike Guide – Wheels & Suspension

Suspension Ask the owner how long it’s been since the fork seals have been changed (miles and/or years.) They should probably be changed every 15-20k miles. Replacing them is not necessarily a complicated fix, but it is if you don’t have the right tools, and most people don’t. (Approximately £100 of parts — fork bushings […]

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Check to make sure the headlights (high/low) work. (On some bikes, the headlight won’t come on until the engine does)

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Used Bike Guide – Seat & Tyres

Look for: tears in the vinyl cover. New upholstery will cost around £100-150 from an auto/marine reupholstery place. (Check the yellow pages.) Seats with cracks and tears retain water and get your butt wet many days after the last rain. Highly annoying.

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Put the bike in neutral. Roll the bike forward, gently apply the front brakes.

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Look for: deep parallel scratches on engine cases and on plastic.

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•Look for cracks and dents on the frame, near the engine mounts. These can get cracked on bikes that have experienced a lot of hard landings.

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