Hi everyone.

At the tender age of 47 i have decided to give this trails riding a go. just for fun to keep my lad company when he is riding. I dont have the budget for a new bike and have being eying bikes around the £1000 mark. obviously due to the nature of the sport a trials bike can lead a hard life, so what checks should i make when viewing a potential purcase? I havent riden a two stroke bike for many years what checks can i make engine wise?

Thanks for any advise you an give. Gary.

Hi Gary,

I would start with the engine and listen for noises that could mean trouble like bearings whirring and knocking , Then clutch operation check smoothness and operation then move onto the frame parts like swing arm bearings,with the bike lifted see how much up and down play in the rear wheel ,there should be none.

wobble front and rear wheels for wheel bearing play although this is a cheap fix about 1.50 each bearing to buy.

Check the oil sight glass for condition of oil and water contamination ,if its cloudy could need a repair kit . all items like brake pads and tyres are obvious and can be considered wear items which you can use to haggle a good price which suits you. if not walk away there are many others around.

Stay safe

any piston slap?

any clutch drag?plus preasures on front and back brake,if feel spongy they may be leaky.

suspension?is the damping working correctly,ie rebounding slowly,if not and retracting fast the cousion inside cud be shot.

the rest genral wear and tear,in my opion betas are prob better qualty,but all depends on how much use and how well maintaind.

I look for what has been mentioned above but also at the general tidiness of the bike, as a guide to the owners care for maintenance and upkeep. If I see levers bent into "S" bends, foot pegs smashed to half their width and angled back or down, leaking forks or hooked teeth sprockets, I get worried about the things I can't see.

I bought my last bike from a photo from a guy 2500km away so was worried and haggled a good price. When I uncrated it I saw a leaking fork seal and flat tyre, this rang alarm bells, so I went through the bike with a major service, I'm glad I did. the money I haggled off the price brought the bike up to spec and has run great for 2 years.

Cheers Taff

First and MOST important thing,

Is the seller the owner and willing to let you see a photo ID with an address on it. If not walk away!

Always get the bike warm enough to check that the fan comes on. Which means the thermostat and other components are working. And on the subject of questionable deals. It`s far better to buy from a known trials rider than a rider that has just been out abusing a trials bike.