Viewing the bike

Always visit the seller at their home address. Never arrange to meet them at any other address.

Check the address is the same as the one listed on the V5C document. Check that it's not a forgery by holding it up to the light to see the watermark.

It is a good idea to take the advert for the bike and any notes you made during your phone call with you. This will enable you to check that the details like mileage and MOT are the same as advertised.

Take a torch.

 

 

Checking the bike over

If you're not mechanically minded, take someone who is a friend perhaps who knows what to look for, or even pay to have the bike inspected by an expert, a service provided by motoring organisations (e.g. the AA or RAC). It could save you a lot of money.

Never check a bike after dark or in the rain. It will make it very difficult to spot any defects. Even if the bike is garaged artificial light will not give you a true impression.

First have a look around the bike.

Examine the bodywork of the bike looking for scratches or dents. Check areas like the rear of the tank for scratches from zips. Are there any stickers in unusual places. Could they be covering scratches?

Check for signs that the bike has been dropped (scratched engine cases, foot pegs or exhaust pipes).

Look at the condition of the brake and clutch levers, bar-end weights, straightness of the bars and instrument cluster.

Hold the front brake and bounce the front suspension. It should feel even and firm. Get off the bike and check the fork tubes for signs of rust, pitting and oil.

Run a fingernail across the brake discs feeling for grooving. Look into the brake calipers and see how much of the pads are left. Look for dents or damage to the wheel rim.

If the bike has a centre stand put the bike on it and turn the bars side to side. Feel for any 'notchy-ness' or roughness in the steering head. This is a sign of worn head bearings.

Check the frame. Remove the seat to help with visibility. There should be no dents, kinks, stress marks or visible damage to the frame. Particularly check the welding. Check around the steering head and the engine mounts. If there is, walk away.

Open the fuel tank and check for obvious signs of rust or corrosion using your torch.

Look for holes drilled through the heads of bolts Racers do this so that they can lock wire them in place. Caliper mounting bolts and the sump plug bolt are good ones to check.

Take a look at the tyres. Are they in good condition? The minimum legal tread depth for tyres in the UK is 1mm. Are the edges of the tyres "bobbled"? This is a sign that the bike has been on track.

Check the electrics. Do all the lights work (including high beam and low beam). Remember to check the horn and neutral light.

Always start the bike with a cold engine. This will make it easier to spot starting problems or excessive smoke.

Look around the oil filler cap for a white mayonnaise-like substance. This is an indication of a damaged head gasket which can be very expensive to put right.

Keys: Make sure it fits the petrol cap and the seat lock as well as the ignition. Has the seller got both sets of keys?