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Spring is coming, which for some means a feverish search for a new machine.

Are you getting ready to buy a used motorcycle? Then save the link to this article and use the knowledge.

Let’s fly, to start with the basics:

1. It does not matter whether you buy a motorcycle for 3000 or 80000 zloty, always check it properly. A trifle here, a triviality there, and suddenly it becomes a sizable sum to pack in. Do not underestimate the technical shortcomings, your safety and the safety of other traffic participants around you depends on them.
2. Take with you a friend who has some idea about motorcycles, and preferably an experienced driver. However, do not rely fully on his opinions, have your wits about you!
3. DON’T get burned out on a particular piece. It’s not those days anymore that you take what’s there or you’ll have nothing. Machines for sale are plentiful. If there is not much choice now, wait, be patient.
4. Don’t look for a motorcycle too far away. 100-150 km is still acceptable, in case of a mishap you won’t lose too much time and money. However, if you decide to go farther, prepare a ‘contingency plan’, i.e. a few more machines to look at along the way.

Have you already chosen a model? Make an appointment with the seller. During the phone call, ask if he will allow a minimal dismantling of the motorcycle, since you will be coming with a mechanic. If he has something serious to hide, he’ll refuse or reschedule the visit. You already know to keep looking.

Prepare yourself substantively, search the Internet, find the weakest points of a particular motorcycle so you know what to pay special attention to.

If you’ve decided to buy one, you should already have a basic tool kit. Don’t have one? Stock up at the nearest metal one and buy: a set of allen wrenches (sizes 3-12mm), a set of wrenches or, better yet, flat-end wrenches (8-21mm), a flat and Phillips screwdriver of good quality. This will be enough to dismantle most Japanese motorcycles. For this, get a universal electric meter (it can be the cheapest, as long as it works). The culmination of the toolkit will be a jack under the swingarm/blade, even a basic one available on the Internet for 80-100zł. Spare the 250 PLN for the whole thing, it will also come in handy at home.

You have arrived, ask the seller/owner for a short story about the motorcycle. Listen carefully, because after your inspection his story may take on color. You, meanwhile, begin your work. (All the preview photos are either in the text or in the gallery at the bottom, and before you set out to get your dream motorcycle, I recommend printing out this guide for yourself).

We start with the suspension and frame

1. The most important and basic thing, visual inspection of the frame. Pay attention to the headstock. If the paint comes off right at the welds – the frame got shot. If it is aluminum and you can see microcracks on it, the aluminum is kind of whiter just before the headstock – the frame was straightened. One or the other does not necessarily disqualify the moto, but be careful. Staying with the headstock, check the numbers. Not just whether they match the documents, but whether they are consistent. All letters should be equal and stamped in the same font. Check the fairing/lamp bracket mounts at the headstock, whether they are factory welded on or perhaps already patched and painted. Go lower and look at the steering wheel torsion stops. There are pieces on the lower rack and head tube that prevent over-turning and, for example, crushing the driver’s fingers against the tank in a fall. If they are broken/strongly dented – you know what happened.
2. Front suspension: sit on the motorcycle, preferably on the center leg/lift under the swingarm. Put the handlebars in the ‘straight ahead’ position, pay special attention that it is the top shelf and not the handlebars that are at 90 degrees to the axis of the motorcycle. Now stand on the footpegs and lean forward. Look at the front tire, whether it is aligned along the motorcycle or whether it is escaping to either side. If it escapes – either someone put the front end together wrong, or something is crooked. It could be the bottom bracket, the lag, the axle or a little bit of everything. Don’t let yourself think that the fender is crooked, look at the tire. It’s doable, but the cost could be up to 400-500zl for straightening or 2-3 times that for replacement (based on used, of course). Press the front brake and try to push the front wheel into the ground. The suspension should work with a slight resistance, it should not hit hard at the end, the return to the top should be smooth. If it is soft, punches and bounces like a kangaroo – the oil is to be replaced, in extreme cases along with the springs. Check the surfaces of the support tubes to see if they are dry. If there is oil on them – to replace the sealers. Has it been flying for a while and the whole lagi are in oil? Get ready to replace the brake pads, if they are organic then they have absorbed oil like a sponge. Look for scratches and dents on the working surface of the lags, they too can cause oil leaks. Lean over and look at the lags just below the bottom shelf. If they were straightened right there you will see it, look for cracks in the chrome coating, bulges and kinks. It’s time to look at the frame head bearings. While rocking like you just did with the front end, listen to see if there is anything knocking between the racks. Then gently turn the steering wheel in both directions, check if in any position the bearings do not lock or jump. Finally, check the lower part of the knuckles and both shelves for scratches, welds and dents (scuff/chip marks).
3. Rear suspension: inspect the rear shock absorber carefully, it should be dry and not rusted. Now check how it works. Grab the rump of the motorcycle and vigorously push it down a few times. Evaluate similarly to the front suspension, there should be no banging, popping or noise. Check the control arm for dents, scratches and welds.
4. If your motorcycle has a steering damper, check it to see if the adjustment works. As you tighten the bolt, the right/left steering action should become heavier. If the shock has play before it starts to ‘catch’ – it is for reconditioning/replacement.

If by now you have not given up on the purchase is already really good. Move on to a visual inspection of the exterior

1. Look carefully at the plastic parts, whether the fairings have been painted, whether there are welds of plastic underneath (pay special attention to the attachment points of the fairings, with steel screws the plastic will break in the first place). Pay attention to the plastic mounts. This is a series of small metal plates, angles on which it is easy to find traces of straightening. Look at the paint not only where you can see. The factory paints the whole parts nicely, the painters usually only what is on top, leaving the so-called lemon underneath.
2. Open the fuel tank.
3. Mirror racks, clock, skull. Look for welds, non-factory paint job, non-original screws. Wiggle the mirrors, check if they hold as they should, do the same with the whole canopy.
4. Mirrors usually have grinding marks, when pushing the moto into the garage everyone has happened to rub against the wall, and there is not much to cling to here. Check, however, whether they have approval. Seemingly a dupe, but in case of an accident and prosecution – a matter of life and death.
5. Lighting. Turn on the lights, check all switches, horn, blinkers, long/short and STOP front and rear. Examine the approval on the shades of all lights.
6. Clocks. All functions and lights should work, as should the backlighting.
7. Look at the steering wheel to see if it is straight, no signs of straightening on the shelf mounts.
8. The electrical switches on the steering wheel should have all the buttons provided. Look for signs of grinding on them, try to turn them on the steering wheel. They must not rotate or move, if they do, someone has tinkered with them unprofessionally.
9. Clutch and brake handles must be straight and complete. Broken balls at the end qualify them for immediate replacement.
10. Driver and passenger footrests. Lift them up, they should fold down without a problem. Look underneath for grinding. The driver/passenger pairs should be identical on both sides. Also check their mounts, or settees.

Time for brakes

1. Check the discs for coarse rutting, impact marks, straightening. For floating discs, check the play on the rivets. Grab the outside of the disc and try to turn the wheel. It’s hard to determine a specific acceptable clearance here, but certainly the disc should not make a baby rattle sound. Now the brake pads. The best way is to remove the caliper (it’s only 2 screws) and look at the pads. They should be evenly rubbed on both sides, if this is not the case – the caliper pistons have seized. When the pad lining is 2 mm thick get ready for replacement. Repeat the procedure at the rear wheel. If the moto has a drum (sic! 21st century!), the only sensible test is to brake on a test ride. Indicators of shoe lining thickness usually have nothing to do with the actual condition.
2. Check the front brake master cylinder. Push the brake handle as far as it will go, it should not be able to be pressed against the steering wheel. If this is the case – the brake to be bled or the pump to be regenerated. Repeat with the rear one.
3. Brake lines. The year of manufacture (DOT) is painted on each hose. Motorcycle manufacturers recommend replacing the hoses every 5 years, in our Polish conditions no one does this. The result is that in summer these components overheat, swell and the brake becomes soft and unpredictable. Look for leaks, jagged pieces or nicks on them. Any damage to this component qualifies them for replacement, think about braided lines right away. They have a lifetime warranty and really do the job.
4. Check the level and color of the brake fluid, it should be clear, possibly yellowish. Brown sludge requires immediate replacement and cleaning of the entire hydraulic system. The same goes for the hydraulic clutch system.

Wheels

1. Check the tires, the depth of their tread (on each tire in the tread you will find marks indicating “if I am flush with the rest of the tire it is time to replace it”). No less important is the vintage, you will find it on the side of the tire just after the letters DOT. The coding of the date of manufacture is as follows: For example, DOT 3407 means the 34th week of 2007. It is obvious that the newer the tire the better, the limiting age for safety is 5-6 years, in the case of chopper balloons a little longer.
2. Lift the motorcycle on a jack and turn the wheel. The rims should have a straight, even edge without any dents or side-to-side beating. By the way, check the brake discs in the same way.

Drive kit

1. chain with sprockets represents quite a serious expense, so check it carefully. First, the rear sprocket. The teeth should have round peaks, if they are sharp – the end of the drive is near. Where the chain adheres to the sprocket try to pull it off. If you manage to lift it 0.5 cm – it is for replacement. There are rubber O-rings in the chain links, check that they are in place. A neglected chain will get rid of them very quickly. The chain play under the control arm should be 2.5-3cm, pay special attention to this. Spin the rear wheel on the jack, observing whether the chain is evenly tensioned all the time. If once it is loose and once it is tight – it is unevenly pulled and must be replaced immediately. Riding with such a chain is the easiest way to acquire a beautiful scar along the whole back or to break the engine crankcase (when it is broken).
2. in the case of the driveshaft, we are limited to unscrewing the oil filler cap to the diff and checking the color of the oil, possibly filings floating in it.

It’s time for the heart, which is the engine:

1. carefully inspect the engine for leaks (underneath, from the head, between the crankcases). Check the mounts to the frame to see if the ears are cracked. Pay attention to the engine bolts, when the motorcycle is several years old, it is normal that it was pulled from the frame. However, if you look at the motorcycle fresh, and there are traces of tools (removal) on the engine bolts, know that something bad may have happened.
2. Look at all the accessories, starter, alternator. Pay attention to the radiator, whether there are no dents on it, whether it is tight.
3. remove the oil filler cap, smell the inside of the engine. Old oil stinks very characteristically and says a lot about the previous owner. Look at the plug from the inside to see if there is any so-called “butter” on it. If there is a whitish mass, the head gasket may be damaged. You can find a similar deposit on the clutch basket, which is also usually visible through the filler cap.
4. touch up the engine, check if it was not heated before your arrival.
5. start the motorcycle, it should catch quickly and immediately on all cylinders.
6. Check the operation of the suction, warm up the engine gently for 30 sec.
7. Listen carefully to the entire engine on both sides. It should not rattle, knock or squeal.
8. 8.After warming up, add gas to 6000-7000 rpm and let go of the handle. Listen to see if the timing tensioner is failing. The descent to slow rpm should occur quickly and without stalling. If this is not the case – the carburetors need to be adjusted (probably cleaning also).
9. a few times ‘give to the cutoff’, observe during this time the color of exhaust fumes from the exhaust. If it blows thick smoke, the engine will require a deeper pre-cut. The cutoff should occur quickly, without a long investigation or breathlessness along the way (with an underheated engine this is acceptable).
10. wait for the engine to warm up until the radiator fan engages. If the fan will not start at 106 degrees – something is wrong (sensor, fan, lost ground). Turn off the engine and listen to it now. If you hear bubbling, the engine is flooded with water, not fluid, or the system may be aerated.

Exhaust system

1. inspect the manifold, it should not have any dents. If there are, and they are deep, they probably got a shot from the front wheel at the bell. They should not be rusted.
2. Listen to the manifolds while the engine is running to see if they are blowing somewhere along the way between the engine and the muffler.
3. Muffler should suppress, not just look. It is known that we all like the moto to whine, but remember that the registration card is only one and it is sometimes difficult to get it back.

Check the charging voltage. Take off the seat, start the engine and put the ‘fingers’ of the multimeter to the battery. With the lights on, you should read a minimum of 13.5V DC, when cranked up to 5000rpm it can get up to 14.7V. Also add gas more vigorously, if you read higher or lower than the specified values, the charging system is faulty. Don’t let it slip that the regulator is to be replaced. He does not fire for no reason, usually to rewind/replace is the stator (winding) of the alternator.

Finally, check the operation of the steering lock in the ignition, whether all the keys fit and start the moto (quite important when the motorcycle has an immobilizer).

If the seller agrees do a test drive. If you decide to do it, be confident in your skills. If you tear a soil – the moto is already yours. The best option is to go to a motorcycle dynamometer, where you can accurately assess the condition of the drive unit and transmission, but there are not many of these in our country.

While driving, check:

1. does the clutch when you violently unscrew the handlebars do not slip?
2. when letting go of the steering wheel at 40-50km/h, does the motorcycle not pull to the side?
3. if you intensively add gas in 2nd gear, is nothing going to happen until the stretch (the twos fall out overly often, regardless of the type of machinery)?
4. does the engine not jerk the motorcycle excessively when driving calmly?

You’ve returned from your test drive, you already know whether you’re taking it or not. You have a list of objections in hand and a beautiful room for improvement. Show your negotiating skills and bring the price down to a decent level. If the actual condition agreed with that from the ad, and the seller turned out to be an honest and good man, do not hesitate to jump to the car and hand him the previously purchased half.

Happy shopping:)