what to check for before buying a used bike

[Viper_05]

hey all.. im new here... (as u can see) and i was wondering since most of you in this section have bikes (sport bikes im assuming) what would be some things to check out on a used sports bike before finally handing over the guy the money ? and i was looking to getting a 1994 KAWASAKI NINJA ZX6E, what would be a good price to pay for it ? its got about 28 thousand km's on it and supposidly just had some stuff dont to it here is what he says in the ad "Looks and runs perfect, just tuned-up, brand new brakes and tires, full Hindle exhaust system, $4,000 obo. Includes cover, helmet and manual."

So whacha think ? im in ontario btw... and what are some good insurance places to use ? this would be my first bike and im 16, thanks all

[bigboom]

couple things i would look at first...check al the fluid reservoirs and make sure they look clean and what not, you can tell how much care has been put into the bike. then check for damage or stickers on the bike that might be hiding damage from a bail or whatever. then take a look at his rotors and feel them with your thumb should be pretty smooth.

another thing to look for is that sprockets and chain. take a look at the chain tensioner and see how much it has been tightened, you may need to replace the chain soon if it was tightened a lot already. with the sprockets take a look at the teeth and make sure they havent been eaten away yet.

also check the throttle free play...

that should get you started...

[Strider]

I posted a pretty good link in another thread asking the same question, but i don't have time to dig it up. I'll post it tonight, unless you want to go search for it.

[bol]

Bring along a friend if you don't know anything about bikes... or get an insepection done. Most shops will only charge $50 and you can probably split the cost with the seller. Better to be safe than sorry.

[Viper_05]

hmm.. is anyone here from ontario... i see that 99.9% of you are from alberta ne way i need some sites if possible if you know any good insurance companies for me to check out in ontario... yes i did some checking and im not wanting to be spoon fed... but damn for this bike i was quoted 10k for 1 year

[Shaolin]

go take it for a ride and go through all the gears too.

[Strider]

As promised, here's a pretty comprehensive link

http://www.clarity.net/~adam/buying-bike.html

[bookem]

I've got a 96 ZX6E myself, it's a pretty reliable bike. I haven't had any problems at all with it. With regards to what bigboom said, there is no chain tensioner on this bike but do check the rear sprocket and chain wear.

I'd say take it for a test ride, but keep in mind that kawasaki's like this one are notorious for having a shitty second gear (it may slip out).

If you're looking for more info int that specific bike, check out http://www.zx6e.com.

[interlude]

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[bikrbabe]

I'd definitely say get it checked out by a mechanic cuz there could be hidden problems (such as bent frames/swingarms) that could cause the bike 2 b a write off. I f the bike was clean, it would be worth about $4000.00 (that's what book value is). With the helmet you might want to get a new one. If it was dropped, it's useless wearing it because a helmet's good for only one crash.