Buying Used Motorbikes
A motorbike, even a second-hand one, is major purchase and it can involve large amounts of money.
Too many people every year fall into the trap of buying a poorly maintained bike, or one that is poorly suited to their specific needs.
In order to avoid this happening to you, it is important to learn some basic things about buying second-hand motorbikes before committing to a purchase.
Below is a simple guide to the major questions you should be asking when buying a used motorbike.
These are necessarily just brief outlines, so for more detailed information you may need to do further research on your own.
Choosing A Suitable Bike The first step, which is too often ignored, is choosing a suitable bike.
Far too many riders, both experienced and inexperienced, gravitate towards what looks good, rather than what will best suit their particular situation.
Before you get your heart set on one particular style or brand, see if you can test drive a few different motorbikes - even ones you had never considered previously.
By doing this, you may actually find that the bike that best matches your riding style isn't the one that you wanted in the beginning! Service History Just like with cars, it is very important to examine the service history of motorbikes.
While missing a few services on a car isn't the end of the world, be very wary of bikes with patchy maintenance records.
Small engines are much more prone to damage and can require much more time and skill to repair than car engines.
The ideal situation is that the motorbike has been serviced by a licensed service centre- if this isn't the case, tread carefully.
Accident History After service history, finding out about any accidents a bike has been in is crucial.
Bikes geared towards beginners are likely to have been dropped once or twice in their life and the few scrapes this causes are generally superficial.
However, if a motorbike has been in any serious accident, there can be real structural problems in the bikes framework, even if all visible signs of the accident have been removed.
If a seller is vague or non-committal when giving details of any past accidents, you need to reconsider if it is really the bike for you.
Roadworthy Check The last crucial check to perform when buying a motorbike is that it has a roadworthy certificate that is up to date, allowing you to register the vehicle in your name immediately.
Nothing is more disheartening than taking a new motorbike to the motor registry, only to be given a long list of things that need to be fixed before they will let you drive it away.
Use An Authorised Dealer While it is important that you are aware of all these important details to take care of when buying a second hand bike, there is one thing you can do to make your life a whole lot easier.
It is as simple as going to an authorised second hand motorbike dealer! They will have already asked these questions themselves, meaning that you get the added peace of mind that an expert has already done the leg work.
Too many people every year fall into the trap of buying a poorly maintained bike, or one that is poorly suited to their specific needs.
In order to avoid this happening to you, it is important to learn some basic things about buying second-hand motorbikes before committing to a purchase.
Below is a simple guide to the major questions you should be asking when buying a used motorbike.
These are necessarily just brief outlines, so for more detailed information you may need to do further research on your own.
Choosing A Suitable Bike The first step, which is too often ignored, is choosing a suitable bike.
Far too many riders, both experienced and inexperienced, gravitate towards what looks good, rather than what will best suit their particular situation.
Before you get your heart set on one particular style or brand, see if you can test drive a few different motorbikes - even ones you had never considered previously.
By doing this, you may actually find that the bike that best matches your riding style isn't the one that you wanted in the beginning! Service History Just like with cars, it is very important to examine the service history of motorbikes.
While missing a few services on a car isn't the end of the world, be very wary of bikes with patchy maintenance records.
Small engines are much more prone to damage and can require much more time and skill to repair than car engines.
The ideal situation is that the motorbike has been serviced by a licensed service centre- if this isn't the case, tread carefully.
Accident History After service history, finding out about any accidents a bike has been in is crucial.
Bikes geared towards beginners are likely to have been dropped once or twice in their life and the few scrapes this causes are generally superficial.
However, if a motorbike has been in any serious accident, there can be real structural problems in the bikes framework, even if all visible signs of the accident have been removed.
If a seller is vague or non-committal when giving details of any past accidents, you need to reconsider if it is really the bike for you.
Roadworthy Check The last crucial check to perform when buying a motorbike is that it has a roadworthy certificate that is up to date, allowing you to register the vehicle in your name immediately.
Nothing is more disheartening than taking a new motorbike to the motor registry, only to be given a long list of things that need to be fixed before they will let you drive it away.
Use An Authorised Dealer While it is important that you are aware of all these important details to take care of when buying a second hand bike, there is one thing you can do to make your life a whole lot easier.
It is as simple as going to an authorised second hand motorbike dealer! They will have already asked these questions themselves, meaning that you get the added peace of mind that an expert has already done the leg work.
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