Used Motorcycle Buying Guide

Buying a used motorcycle is a great way to enjoy owning a bike at a substantial discount.  There are lots of low mileage used motorcycles for sale and with a little knowledge you can protect yourself from being stuck with a junker.  Remember one of the biggest differences between buying from a private party versus a dealer is that with a dealer you have a guarantee.  Dealers have an incentive to keep you happy, where a private sale comes with nothing once you ride away.

In general, the newer the motorcycle the better.  While you can find deals on low mileage older bikes, unless you are confident mechanically, you will tend to have less hassles with a newer bike.  If you are financing a bike it is important to understand it will be easier and cheaper to get a motorcycle loan on a newer bike.   If you are going to finance your bike make sure you understand the options so that you can have a realistic idea of how much motorcycle you can afford.

When you show up to check out the bike that is for sale, there are some basic things you look for:
 
  1. Is there any crash damage?  Do you see scuffs, dents, scratches or anything else that suggests the bike was laid down.  Just because a bike has some damage doesn’t mean it’s a deal-killer, but the price you are paying should reflect the loss in value.
  2. Does the bike look like it was maintained?  If the owner cared about his used motorcycle he will have bothered to take the time and spend the money to take care of maintenance basics.  You will have less headaches down the road.
  3. Examine the bike closely looking for any leaking fluids.  Look at the hose connections, the motorcycle engine case and the lower part of the bike to see if there is any oil or other stains.
The points that we outline above are just a quick checklist of the basics.  Now we want to take a look at a few other items in more detail that are important to think about when buying a used motorcycle.

VIN Number
Make sure you check the VIN number on the motorcycle and that it matches the VIN number that was in the ad.  Much like cars, there are VIN numbers on every motorcycle.  You can use that VIN number to do a background check to make sure the vehicle was not stolen or involved in a major accident.  And if you buy a motorcycle, make certain the VIN number on the bike matches the title.

Look At It Cold
It is our belief at iMotorsports that one of the most important parts of buying a used motorcycle is examining the bike cold.  Always tell the seller to leave the bike cold before you get there, and when you show up feel the heads and exhaust to make sure the bike is cold.  It is very easy to hide starting or running problems with a warmed up motorcycle.  With a cold motorcycle, if the owner has a hard time starting the bike, or it sounds like gravel in a washing machine for the first 30 seconds, you know what you can expect after you take it home.

Check The Tires
The tires can give you some idea as to how the motorcycle was ridden and lets you factor in the cost of replacing them if necessary.  If the rear tire is worn flat with long grooves you can bet there were some burnouts done on this machine.  There are tire wear patterns that look like fish fillets, irregular wear, peeling feathers and tiny balls.  All of which indicate the bike is not setup properly, or the rider spent some hours pushing that tire to the limit.

Another thing to check is the “hero blobs” on the foot pegs.  These are designed to grind first in a steep cornering situation, giving the rider some feedback before they start grinding off other, more delicate parts.

Examine the Motorcycle Levers & Bar Ends
This is probably the easiest way to see if the bike was laid down at some point.  Levers tend to curl on impact, and even if the owner buffs out the rash the curl will remain.  Any scarring on the bar ends or levers is a warning sign.  Same goes for “shorty” levers that the owner has ground off or re-shaped.  This is a strong indicator the bike was dropped. 

The same goes for foot pegs.  Look for rash or any bending.  Motorcycle levers and foot pegs are some of the first points of impact and as such are great indicators of any previous accident.

Look Under the Seat
Taking off the seat shows you the used motorcycle battery area and the wiring.  It’s a great place to look and see if any aftermarket electrical work has been done.  If you see splices, vampire connectors, dead end leads etc then you should be careful.  Electrical problems can be difficult to fix and that means expensive to repair.

Look At the Overall Condition
The odometer reading is less important than the overall condition of the motorcycle.  You can buy a higher mileage bike that has been lovingly taken care of, or sometimes you might find a low mileage motorcycle that has been abused and neglected.  One of those is a much better investment.  A bike that looks good, has been kept clean, has great paint and the chrome is in good condition is a motorcycle that has been kept in good repair.  It is rare for a motorcycle owner to fastidiously take care of one part of the bike and neglect another.

Buying From a Motorcycle Dealer vs Private Seller
Because we literally buy thousands of used motorcycles we have a lot of experience in understanding a good deal.  We know what to look for, and more importantly we have an entire service department of certified techs that can understand any problem and repair it.

Our bikes go through an inspection process when they very first arrive, similar to what we outlined here but with more detail.  Each bike moves through our process of detailing, inspection, photography and finally its placed in the showroom.  Each time the bike is moved we start it, and our staff looks over the motorcycle.  We make sure the motorcycle is in good condition because we have to guarantee the sale.  All our used motorcycles come with a 24 hour money back guarantee and a 30 day warranty on the engine and transmission.  In addition, you can purchase extended warranties that are good anywhere in the US.

Because we sell so many bikes out of state, we have perfected our quality control to prevent any problems.  The last thing we want is a bike a thousand miles away that we have to return.  All of this means that if you purchase your used motorcycle from us, you have a much better chance of getting a good quality motorcycle that will give you a lot of great rides.