help, need inspection on unregistered bike

[haunt]

I found an old motorcycle to purchase as my first, and Im very inclined to go for it, but everyone is telling me to get a multi-point inspection done on it first. The problem is, the guy doesnt have the bike registered, so he cant ride it out to have the inspection done. I dont have a truck and neither does he. Im looking to take it down to bowcycle.
Can anyone come up with a solution for this?

[badatusrnames]

Rent a truck, hire someone to transport it, or find a mechanic that will go to you?

[Palmiros]

I don't mean to alarm you, but if this bike is anywhere in the range of $500, and functional, don't bother getting an inspection done for it. Yes, you're taking a risk, but it's not worth paying $100-150 for an inspection on an old bike. As you mentioned above, this being your first bike, chances are you will drop it. Not worth it IMO.

[Go4Long]

:werd: ^^ take someone with you to look at the bike that knows about bikes. Have them check it over for you. someone experienced bikes will be able to do the same thing you're paying bow cycle $100 to do for a beer on your couch. pretty simple really.

[dannie]

If you can get temporary insurance on it, go to the registry and get an Intransit permit. That will allow you to drive it to the mechanic.

[UndrgroundRider]

I'm with everyone else, the inspection is pointless.

Most things you need to look at on a bike are self explanatory. Anyone who has been riding a few years will be able to quickly give the bike a visual inspection.

Tires are the big thing. Everyone who buys a used bike as their first overlooks this. Getting new tires mounted, balanced and put on the bike is a costly ordeal. Most places are booking many months in advance to do that kind of work too! If both tires are in bad shape getting new ones will likely cost more than the bike.

Next I'd look over the frame for any cracks. I'd look at all the welds and joints near the suspension.

You might want to look at the chain. Take the chain half way between the front and rear sprockets, make sure there's enough play to move it 1" up and 1" down (1" is a general rule of thumb, your bike may be different). Even if the chain is too tight or too loose, you won't have to replace it, just readjust it.

You'll also want to check for anything that looks damaged on the chain (binding links, seized links, bent links, etc).

Last, enjoy riding! Everything else will either warn you before it fails or it won't kill you when it does fail. So don't worry about it too much.