[adouglas]

How mechanically inclined are you? Would you know a problem if you saw one? If not, do you know someone who knows their stuff who you can bring with you?

I'm no expert on the pregens, but AFAIK there are no big issues to worry about.

It's possible to fill page after page with how to check out the condition of a bike... everything from spotting an iffy head gasket (oil the color of chocolate milk) to blowby (stick your finger in the exhaust and if it comes out wet with oil, bad... blue smoke, bad) to carburetion issues (stick your finger in the exhaust, sooty = too rich). Do some homework on this stuff.

General advice on vehicle purchase:
- Do not get attached to any one bike. There are LOTS AND LOTS of bikes out there. Don't get all starry-eyed... you might overlook something important.
- Take your time. Look CLOSELY and repeatedly at everything. Everything. Then walk away, come back and do it again. You'll see things the fifth time you look at something that you missed the first four times.
- Ignore any tall tale the owner tells you. People lie.
- If any part of the deal, the bike or the seller seems off, it probably is. Trust your gut and walk.
- Ignore bling and farkles. What matters is what's underneath.
- New levers, new exhaust, new paint, aftermarket turn signals are all signs of a crash.
- Look for scuffs on bar ends, exhaust, pegs.... all signs of a crash.
- A bike that old is almost guaranteed to have been dropped. No biggie... tipovers are part of life. You want to watch out for actual crash damage (longitudinal scratches, bent parts, tweaked forks....)
- Look for signs of neglect (rusty bolts, crappy chain maintenance, old/cracked tires, general rattiness)
- Look at the owner and the environment. A grownup with a clean garage and a nice tool cabinet will take care of his bike. A bum with an overgrown lawn, a moldy old dirtbike in the corner that hasn't run since 1983 and a random collection of rusty wrenches won't. Big bonus points if he's got a well-thumbed factory maintenance manual on the shelf. Big bonus points if you spot a Battery Tender and a bottle of Sta-Bil. Big bonus points if he can talk intelligently about maintenance (e.g. he knows the interval for valve checks, etc.).
- Stand back and see if everything's straight.
- If the bike is running and/or warm when you show up, beware. It might be hard to start and the owner got it running to leave a better impression.
- Don't be scared off by mileage. These engines are quite durable.
- Don't spend your money on mods. Spend your money on good gear. SERIOUSLY. DO THIS. SPEND WHAT IT TAKES. When you've got your delicate hide protected, then go farkle the bike. Get your priorities straight.
- Take the MSF course if you haven't done it already. SERIOUSLY. DO THIS. LEARN THE RIGHT WAY FROM DAY ONE.
- Don't ride like an asshat. We want you to live to be a curmudgeonly old guy like me.