Many motorcyclists will have already made the decision to buy a used bike as their next ride and this guide will help you avoid the pitfalls of ending up with a dud. If you are buying your first bike, we definitely advise you buy used and get a courier ship it to you. It’s the best way to buy a great bike for cheap while you get a feel for riding. However, there is much more to buying used motorcycles than finding one that looks and sounds cool – and if you go in unprepared, you might be walking home from your first joy ride.

Preparation, Preparation, Preparation

When you’re doing your homework -and you really should do your homework-you’ll quickly find that there are a huge variety of bikes available on the used motorbike market. You’ll have to ask yourself: what kind of bike do I want? By narrowing your choices you will dramatically reduce the number of bikes that you have not interest in. Try to narrow it down to one or two bike types. For example cruisers, sportbikes, scooters, touring bikes, dirt bikes, choppers, enduro bikes, etc-based on your personal tastes and needs. Once you have the type of bike locked down you can explore the various makes, models and accessories.

Pick Your Seller: Dealer or Private

So you’ve done the research and finally decided on what you want to buy, now it’s time to figure out from whom do you want to but it: a private party or a dealer! You should always enter a potential transaction safe in the knowledge that you know as much about the bike as possible.

Before you buy your bike have a ceiling in terms of price and work from there. It is ill advised to risk your health and life for a good deal. Safety first, an under budget buy second.

Time to Inspect

You do not want to buy any bike sight unseen. You will want to see the bike in real life but also to inspect it in real life – thoroughly. The first thing you should do is check the frame. The tiniest of cracks or fractures can turn into serious risks to a bikes integrity on the road which can be very dangerous in the future. Frame damage should nearly always be a deciding factor – if does have frame damage do not buy unless its is very cheap and with the intention of repair. Parts that can obscure damage to other parts should be removed if possible.

You should then, check the sprockets and chain for any wear, the battery and battery leads, examine the tread of the tires and of course sit on the bike and test the brakes. It’s also ideal and quite commonplace that you ask to see any maintenance and service records.

Give it a Test Drive

After the used motorcycle passes your inspection it’s time to test-drive it. Naturally we should make it clear that when you ride any motorcycle you should always where the proper safety gear. This of course still applies to test drives. So make sure you come with your own safety equipment.

Often when you buy a brand new motorcycle you will not get the opportunity to test-drive – so make of the use of it. If you are buying the used motorbike from a dealership, you will probably have to sign a lot of insurance and liability forms. Do not worry…this is simply the way it is.

Make sure you feel comfortable on the bike and if you can make the test-drive as long as possible so that you become aware of any quirks and feel how it will handle on long journeys. Before you drive away from the seller you should already have a feel for the bike so that you have a safe ride back home. Get a feel for the pedals, the throttle and handle bars, the mirrors, etc. Once you are ready, take her out!

Variety is the spice of life! Vary the speeds (accelerate then brake and repeat) and vary the road conditions and types of roads (curves, straight-aways, flat ground, hills, and so on). Try to simulate, as best you can, how you will be driving the bike if you were to buy it. But don’t go crazy! It’s not your bike yet.

Let a Pro Take a Look

Finally, after the bike passes your inspection and after you enjoyed the test-drive, ask if you can take the bike to a mechanic for a proper inspection. This will come out of your pocket so make sure you are very interested in the bike at this point. Even though it will cost you, it will you save you money in the long run if the bike has some mechanical problems that a mechanic would have otherwise detected!

Once everything checks out, it’s time to negotiate! Have a concrete price that you are unwilling to go beyond and be ready to leave if the seller cannot meet it. With the power of the “walk out” you might just ride home on a sweet deal.

If the bike is not local to your home address you can organise the motorradtransporte service to bring it home.