Total Motorcycle Community Forums

car guy, bike newbie here
used to drive a manual IS300. great car btw

so im in the market for a used bike but im really scared that i'll buy a lemon! i have a few questions.

1. is it possible to turn the odometer? i know it must be impossible for the digital ones but how about the analog ones?

2. how do i tell if theres something wrong with the engine??

3. what kind of mileage is considered to be alot and little? im assuming these bikes will have different life spans compared to cars?

4. do you recommend any bikes for me? im looking for a quick, nice sounding bike either race or cruiser style

thanks

If you're buying used I'd tend to stay away from Repli-Racers. Some of these may have been taken care of, others may have been thrashed. It's not a risk I would take. A standard or cruiser (or BMW) would probably be less worn out. Slower speeds and lower redline usually equal a less stressed, longer lasting engine.

1 Anything is possible, i've heard of guys changing out the whole tach
2. you can get your local dealership or bike mech too inspect it
3. milage depends on the type of bike, in my opion which isn't alway right , but for example in a sportbike 30k-40k is about 200k in a car. now thats not a stat or nothing thats just the way i look at it.
4. i wouldn't be too picky with a bike look for a beginer bike and learn on it then when your ready get your dream bike.

1) Yes, and the digital ones can be altered also.

2) Have a trusted mechanic check it over.

3) This is a tough one as I've seen 75K mile bikes that were taken care of and have no problems and I've seen 5K bikes that have been trashed.

4) Bike newbie heh, Get a Ninja 250 or 500 or something like that.

thanks for the replies guys!

most of you guys tell me to have a mech. check it but
can you guys give me advice on the taletell signs of a bad engine?

austinaltezza wrote:thanks for the replies guys!

most of you guys tell me to have a mech. check it but
can you guys give me advice on the taletell signs of a bad engine?

one that doesnt try to start or one that has a hard time starting. If it dont start on the first or second push of the starter button there is probably some issues somewhere. Though that depends on the bike and how cold it is as well. I know Ducati's wont start very well in cold weather but my Honda Shadow will start at 14F out (I know cause so far thats the coldest ive riden in) and it starts with the first push of the starter button.

there are more things to look for but others will explain those .

This is a pretty good guide. Some of the tips are a bit excessive but you get the point. http://www.clarity.net/~adam/buying-bike.html

As far as shopping for a bike, see what kind of vibe you get from the owner. Does he know the maintenance history? Does he seem mature or is he some boy-racer type? etc, etc.

+1 on the trusted mechanic.

I'd look for any kind of evidence of a crash. little rash on the frame, those types of things. I don't trust bikes that have been wrecked. it's just too hard if not impossible to spot a bent frame.

check the chain+sprockets if its got em. Brand new would worry me (getting it looking good to sell) a well lubed clean well used final is another story.

Look at the brake resivoir, does it have what appears to be liquified horse crap in it?

does it start? does it start easily? smoke? backfires? can you hear the valves? is is spewing fire from under the tank?

Find the maintenance history

etc etc...

guage the seller like you would with anything else. if he says he took it off any sweet jumps.... well just kill him then and there.

Pretty much any street bike is quick and they can be made to sound better with a range of aftermarket exhausts. However a first bike should be easy to learn on. If you are looking for something that outruns all other bikes on the road then you'll have alot of trouble learning on it.

That said. Look for an sv-650 s or gs500f for an entry level sport bike look. Faster than most beginning bikes but still user friendly.

For a cruiser, limit yourself to 800cc. Vstar 650, vulcan 500, the s/c/m50 an intruder, volousa or marauder. Those are all fast enough but still decent bikes to learn on.

Hey, also get up and look under the saddlebags and such if it's a cruiser... Guy that owned my bike before me didn't put on saddlebag supports and rubbed a LOT of paint and plastic off with the saddlebags... Also, to his knowledge it hadn't been dropped, but make sure to look on the underside of the bars and pipes, I found evidence where it had been dropped, if only very lightly...
Wrider