by Budianto Dermawan Ng

Created on: April 17, 2008

These are tips before buying a used bike.

First, you will need to know you buy that from whom.
Is it from showroom, broker, or direct user. This will provide a better scope of how the condition of the bike. It's preferable if you can find the bike from direct user. Even though there is a chance you got an expert direct user, but it's small percentage on all. It's better if you know or familiar to the user of the bike.

Second, is the bike's performance.
Of course you are not buying a snail for your daily transportation. Check for the noise around the machine, check the RPM condition by your feeling. This is very important to know if the machine condition is still in industry standard condition, or ever overhauled before. Check the panels condition while you test drive it. Check the spooring of the chassis roughly from front and back of the bike. At last, check the paint of surface, a re-brush has a different result with the original brush from industry.

Third, is the non-machine part originality.
Look from outer appearance, check if overall is still installed with genuine part or not, if there is one or two parts like tires or disc brakes that would no major problem. You can change it later.

Forth, is machine part originality.
The best way is to check the bolt, the bolts that had been touched with tools will be flawed a bit, or some industry sealed it with specific paint's dot on one of the bolts.

Then check the carburetor, this one is vital to machine combustion, make sure it's an original one. Due to it's easier to change this part.

Of course, if you want check further for the inner part, there is an ethics for this. You must really had an intention on this unit. Because opening a crankcase or sort of is usually charged with fees. But because you want to buy it, they will free of charge, but you really need the intention. If not, then next time, don't expect the same service of sales when you come back to that shop again, or the person won't sell you the unit anymore.

Be ethics one, you are not buying a huge diamond.

Fifth, is the price.
You had do cross check with the bike, and it's no problem to you. What you need to know, is the service after sales. Usually a lower price will have no insurance of this, but maybe it will be different if you bought from a showroom or dealer. Broker and direct user may provide for this, but in a level of price where it can't be bargained anymore.

Last one, is the bike's paper.
You don't want to end up in court or authorities, because of buying a illegal spec down bike with different number with the battered number in the machine and chassis, do you? Check the number and the year is match with the bike's condition.

After you agree with the price and agreement, pay them, get the papers, if they deal to change some parts that didn't suit you, then sit and wait in the speed shop. After that, enjoy your new baby.

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