Age Of Bike...& Tips For Buying 2Nd Hand?

Specifics of each manufacturer of trial bike differs so my best reccomendation is to take a friend along, or a club member, one who knows the type of bike you are looking to purchase.
Also, if you see a bike that you are interested in ask here on TC if there is anything specific for that model to look out for that may cost money later on. People here are great and always willing to help out.

2nd hand bikes over 3 years old are what they are, they are not new and parts on them will be worn out - yet working - or perhaps they may be about to catastrophicly fail and cost you a small fortune!

There are certain generic checks that cover most bikes, all you need is a little bit of mechanical knowleadge to carry out and assess a 2nd hand bike sensibly.

First thing is how does it look in general? Does it look tidy? Does it look like its been looked after? Can you see bits hanging off? Is there any obvious crash damage that hasnt been fixed that really should have been?

Now lets get practical...

Check it over from cold; water levels, oil levels, how clean is the oil? If its been looked after the oil should be fairly clean, not murky / milky and bitty. The cooling system should be full and again this should be fairly clean and ideally with some colour to it beit red, green or blue etc from a good antifreeze. Suspect cooling systems that are just water only - it may be loosing coolant and the owner has to keep topping it up (and they may have just topped it up prior to your inspection!).

The freind you bought along who knows this particular model of bike should take it for a ride. Most sellers wont mind it being test ridden - unless they have something to hide.
Ask your mate - Does it ride like it should? Does the clutch slip? Do the brakes work? Does it start easy weather its cold or hot? How does the engine sound? How well does the engine run? How punchy is the engine? Do the front / rear shocks feel ok? Does it feel tight and smooth or does it feel loose and rattlely? Did the fan come on? Is it smoking more then it should? DOES IT FEEL CORRECT?

Now check the water / oil quantities and quality again. It should look the same as before. The oil should still be clean and the water should still be in the cooling system. If the oil has gone milky and the seller cant give you a reasonable explanation or remedy then best you stay away as alarm bells are ringing with this old hack!

If all is good during the the pre and post test ride and it works like a trial bike should you can now check it in a bit more detail.

Ask the seller what money they have spent on new parts recently, for instance if it's been serviced it may of had a new air filter, wheel bearings, chain etc. Ask if they have receipts for any new parts, don't worry if they havnt got every piece of paper for every new part they have purchased as not everyone keeps them (I do) it just means you need to check up on the sellers claims. Some new items you cant visually inspect, but the ones that you can check are worth having a look at - you don't know the seller so don't take their word for it.

Engine:
Check for any kind of bad running I.E. Hard starting, over heating, clunky gears, smoking, knocking at low to mid rpm, smooth transition between low - mid - and full throttle. Has the foam on the air filter disintegrated? If so then when was it last serviced?? If the owner lets you carry out a compression test then do so and compare readings to spec. If they don't let you do a compression test then either they don't really want to sell you their bike or they have something to hide! It's wise to do a compression test but if you havnt got a compression tester it's still nice to hear from the seller that they would not be concerned about one being carried out.
Check exhaust for rattles, broken mounts. The exhaust brackets can break in a crash and sometimes require welding, give it a good wiggle it should be fairly solid.

Electrics:
Check general condition and that they are tidy. Are there any 'additions' to the wiring like terminals that have been crimped on by somebody in the past - if so why is this? Suspect untidy wiring or additional terminals as something that may have been 'hacked about with' and could possibly have underlying electrical issues if there is no reasonable explanation. Check the lights work (if it has them). Check plug lead and cap condition.

Clutch and drive train:
Check for correct operation. The clutch should be smooth, not clonky and certainly not noisy. It should not slip. Use as a bargaining tool if it does slip. It might save you £50-60.
Check the chain and sprockets are in good condition (look for crash damage) and that the chain is tensioned correctly. Don't expect to get the bike any cheaper because of a worn sprocket or chain but if the chain is miles too loose it obviously dosent get serviced very often!

Brakes:
Check for correct operation, check they are not seized, check for leaks, squashed / kinked brake lines, bent or snapped brake levers, buckled or chipped brake disks. Do the brake pads have plenty of pad material or are they nearly gone? (Below 1.5mm approx).
Unless calipers are completely wasted (seized beyond all recognition or have snapped bleed nipples) anything wrong here can be a fixed and used as a bargaining tool. If the bike has been looked after they will work. Maybe not 100 % efficiently as seals do wear out but they will still work. Any bike with brakes that don't work without a reasonable explanation probably reflects the condition of the rest of the bike!

Chassis / body work
Check frame and body work for damage. Frames are normally ok unless seriously dented from a crash or corroded / cracked mountings or cracked welds but again this is rare. Give that front or rear mudgaurd a wiggle and see if it falls off its mounts.. If a part of bodywork is broken / cracked use it as bargaining power!
Check the head stock bearing, by jiggling the handle bars forwards and backwards. If you find any play beyond acceptable levels it's worn.
Check the handle bar mounts - these can crack and snap easily on some bikes, if you find a broken one add it to the expenses sheet or get it deducted from the sellers price.

Forks / dampers:
Check for correct operation. Check fork seals for leaks. Is it spongy? It might be if oil in the forks has leaked out already, they might not have any oil in them at all. Check fork tubes are not scratched. Deep scratches can wreck fork seals. Fork tubes that are scratched can be fixed if they are only light scratches. Deeper scratches (up to 0.5mm) can be fixed - but it can be a pain to get right and let's face it you don't want the hassel. Check adjusters on dampers turn freely. Check condition and operation of rear damper if it's spongy it may require a rebuild.

Wheels / tires:
Not much here you can check with a tire on but at least check it's overall condition. Spokes do rust and wheels get scratched but that's trial bikes for you. Check the tire blocks for wear. Allthough something to consider when buying a bike don't expect to get any money knocked off if its completely worn - tires have short lives but they do cost around £70 so it's a bonus if you find one with useable tire tread! If only one side of the tire is worn you can spin it around and salvage some grip.
Check wheel bearings by jiggling wheels sideways (movement at rear could also be a worn swing arm bearing) - again a bargaining tool, especially if movement is found at the rear.

Like I said though if you are unsure then have a friend, mechanic or a club member check it out for you. When you find something you might be interested in check here to find out if there are any specific 'need to know' checks you can carry out for that particular model of bike as they all have their weak spots and costs may vary!!

Hope this helps.

Edited by tankygsy, 26 January 2012 - 12:26 AM.

Age Of Bike...& Tips For Buying 2Nd Hand?

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