Looking at a bike today, advice on checklist.

OddlyOrdinary · October 11th, 2011, 06:46 AM

I can't find any examples of what a clean title looks like. What warning signs on the title should I be looking for? From what I've gathered, check the bikes VIN against the title and make sure the person selling it is the name on the title.

The owner says it's never been downed, has about 2k miles. I've read to look for signs of racing like the drilled bolts or rubber under the tail. Do the full system check of lights, horn, brake lights, etc.

One thing I'm curious on is checking the engines condition, I've so little experience through the MSF that I doubt I could tell if it was running lean/rich or had an usual rattle with it. Any majors signs/give aways I should look for?

Honko · October 11th, 2011, 07:44 AM

Strictly referring to how to tell if a title is clean, once you've verified that the name and vin number match those of the person selling it and the bike they're selling, the title should also say "No lien" somewhere on the title. If the title has a lien on it and they have actually paid it off then they should have gotten a note and a piece of paper from the loan provider that looks like a title, but has a red border saying that the lien has been released.

OddlyOrdinary · October 11th, 2011, 09:27 AM

The current owner says it's clean but if a lien is listed is that an automatic dismissal of the bike?

Alex · October 11th, 2011, 10:00 AM

There's a sticky at the top of the marketplace section:

Buying a used motorcycle - What should I check?

For the title, the state DMV can often confirm status if you're not sure the paperwork you are looking at is legit. If the bike has a lien, it's not necessarily an automatic fail, but it can become more trouble to deal with.

alex.s · October 11th, 2011, 10:02 AM

check the frame and swingarm for any nicks bumps dents broken welds cracks, anything that doesn't look like new. if it has body work it will be harder to view the entire frame so bring a flashlight and be patient. you don't want a bent frame so look at it down the top lengthwise... does the entire bike look bent or crooked? look at the top triple tree vs the bottom triple tree? are they in alignment? are the forks twisted? look at the pegs... are they scraped up? even the rear pegs? what about the handle bars? these are all indicators that it may have been down if the bike generally looks like a bike and isn't missing major pieces then start checking the engine

first make sure it has oil... check out the oil sights on the side of the engine. is it black and nasty? might need an oil change. have the owner turn on the engine in neutral. did it start right up? was choke used to start it? how hard was it to get started? did you hear any awkward grinding when it started? did it sound like it was struggling to get the first turn over? have the owner put it in gear. if the choke is off and the idle is at the normal 1500ish you should hear nothing but a slight click. do you hear clunks when he puts it in gear? might have a mistreated transmission. now warm it up (maybe have the owner take it for a short 2 minute ride around the block) not a bad idea to listen to the shifts during this time. once he brings it back put it in neutral and blip the throttle... if there's any hesitation or the throttle doesn't quickly drop back to idle you could have jetting issues. listen to the engine. do you hear any high pitched whines or moans? how about a low pitched hum? what about when revved higher? if so there might be bearings that need to be replaced. when you rev it do you hear really bad clicking? a little clicking on the right side is typical for kawis and certain other bikes but does it sound like someone's taking a spoon to a washboard? what does the rubber on the engine look like? feel it... is it leaking oil? is it very slightly damp with oil? if so the engine probably was overheated and needs new rubber, maybe more. how about the radiator? any leaks? now that it's warmed up you should feel on one side (the intake) it's much hotter than on the other side (outlet) if not it could mean the cooling pump isn't working... let it sit there for a bit longer... does the fan kick on? if not let it sit on a little longer... does the overflow tank start bubbling? if it does turn it off. the bike either has cooling issues, or something is not well in the engine (problems could range from bad bearings to improperly adjusted valves to old antifreeze or crap in the coolant).

if the engine's fine... what about shocks? get on the bike and hold the front brake firmly while you push forward and down on the bars to compress them. do you hear scraping? was it easy to bottom out? look at the stanchions (the chrome part of the forks) are they perfectly straight? are they rusted? what about the seals between the stanchions and the fork outers? do they look old? are they weeping oil? if so it needs new fork seals. when you push the forks down, quickly let them up (stay on the brakes) when they come up do they bounce back down at all? could need new fork oil. have the owner balance the bike while holding the rear brake (if they can't the front brake is probably good enough), now push the rear seat down and compress the rear shock. grinding? weeping? bouncing? rust? same issues for the rear shock so check them.

can't drive on the road without tires (well... maybe you can id onno) so check them. you're going to replace them eventually so it's not as big of a deal but make sure they have tread and aren't cracking on the sidewalls or anywhere. are they stock sizes? what year were they made? old tires lose traction so if they're more than a few years old they probably should be replaced.

how about the chain and sprockets? is it properly tensioned? lubed? rusted? are the sprockets worn? are the teeth straight or bent at the tips?

also check the body work. stickers are often used to cover up imperfections so keep that in mind. if you don't want to take a sticker off check behind it on the other side of the fairing if you can peek inside

edit: holy crap i wrote a novel

OddlyOrdinary · October 11th, 2011, 10:32 AM

Thanks for taking the time to write that all up Alex! And the link Alex. Feel more confident about this already. Come 5 hours I might own my first bike~

WhiteRice · October 11th, 2011, 10:45 AM

Did anyone say bring a friend? Bring a friend. If they're mechanically inclined even better. Even if they're not it's good to have someone level headed who won't be blinded by a shiny motorcycle.

Don't be afraid to walk away.

October 11th, 2011, 06:46 AM	#1
OddlyOrdinary ninjette.org member Name: Asdf Location: A Join Date: Sep 2011 Motorcycle(s): 2009 SE Ninja 250 Posts: 83	Looking at a bike today, advice on checklist. I can't find any examples of what a clean title looks like. What warning signs on the title should I be looking for? From what I've gathered, check the bikes VIN against the title and make sure the person selling it is the name on the title. The owner says it's never been downed, has about 2k miles. I've read to look for signs of racing like the drilled bolts or rubber under the tail. Do the full system check of lights, horn, brake lights, etc. One thing I'm curious on is checking the engines condition, I've so little experience through the MSF that I doubt I could tell if it was running lean/rich or had an usual rattle with it. Any majors signs/give aways I should look for?

October 11th, 2011, 10:00 AM	#4
Alex ninjette.org dude Name: 1 guess :-) Location: SF Bay Area Join Date: Jun 2008 Motorcycle(s): '13 Ninja 300 (white, the fastest color!), '13 R1200RT, '14 CRF250L, '12 TT-R125LE Posts: Too much. Blog Entries: 7	There's a sticky at the top of the marketplace section: Buying a used motorcycle - What should I check? For the title, the state DMV can often confirm status if you're not sure the paperwork you are looking at is legit. If the bike has a lien, it's not necessarily an automatic fail, but it can become more trouble to deal with. __________________________________________________ Montgomery Street Motorcycle Club / cal24.com / crf250l.org / ninjette.org ninjette.org Terms of Service Shopping for motorcycle parts or equipment? Come here first. The friendliest Ninja 250R/300/400 forum on the internet! (especially Unregistered)

October 11th, 2011, 10:02 AM	#5
alex.s wat Name: wat Location: tustin/long beach Join Date: Sep 2009 Motorcycle(s): wat Posts: Too much. Blog Entries: 5 MOTM - Oct '12, Feb '14	check the frame and swingarm for any nicks bumps dents broken welds cracks, anything that doesn't look like new. if it has body work it will be harder to view the entire frame so bring a flashlight and be patient. you don't want a bent frame so look at it down the top lengthwise... does the entire bike look bent or crooked? look at the top triple tree vs the bottom triple tree? are they in alignment? are the forks twisted? look at the pegs... are they scraped up? even the rear pegs? what about the handle bars? these are all indicators that it may have been down if the bike generally looks like a bike and isn't missing major pieces then start checking the engine first make sure it has oil... check out the oil sights on the side of the engine. is it black and nasty? might need an oil change. have the owner turn on the engine in neutral. did it start right up? was choke used to start it? how hard was it to get started? did you hear any awkward grinding when it started? did it sound like it was struggling to get the first turn over? have the owner put it in gear. if the choke is off and the idle is at the normal 1500ish you should hear nothing but a slight click. do you hear clunks when he puts it in gear? might have a mistreated transmission. now warm it up (maybe have the owner take it for a short 2 minute ride around the block) not a bad idea to listen to the shifts during this time. once he brings it back put it in neutral and blip the throttle... if there's any hesitation or the throttle doesn't quickly drop back to idle you could have jetting issues. listen to the engine. do you hear any high pitched whines or moans? how about a low pitched hum? what about when revved higher? if so there might be bearings that need to be replaced. when you rev it do you hear really bad clicking? a little clicking on the right side is typical for kawis and certain other bikes but does it sound like someone's taking a spoon to a washboard? what does the rubber on the engine look like? feel it... is it leaking oil? is it very slightly damp with oil? if so the engine probably was overheated and needs new rubber, maybe more. how about the radiator? any leaks? now that it's warmed up you should feel on one side (the intake) it's much hotter than on the other side (outlet) if not it could mean the cooling pump isn't working... let it sit there for a bit longer... does the fan kick on? if not let it sit on a little longer... does the overflow tank start bubbling? if it does turn it off. the bike either has cooling issues, or something is not well in the engine (problems could range from bad bearings to improperly adjusted valves to old antifreeze or crap in the coolant). if the engine's fine... what about shocks? get on the bike and hold the front brake firmly while you push forward and down on the bars to compress them. do you hear scraping? was it easy to bottom out? look at the stanchions (the chrome part of the forks) are they perfectly straight? are they rusted? what about the seals between the stanchions and the fork outers? do they look old? are they weeping oil? if so it needs new fork seals. when you push the forks down, quickly let them up (stay on the brakes) when they come up do they bounce back down at all? could need new fork oil. have the owner balance the bike while holding the rear brake (if they can't the front brake is probably good enough), now push the rear seat down and compress the rear shock. grinding? weeping? bouncing? rust? same issues for the rear shock so check them. can't drive on the road without tires (well... maybe you can id onno) so check them. you're going to replace them eventually so it's not as big of a deal but make sure they have tread and aren't cracking on the sidewalls or anywhere. are they stock sizes? what year were they made? old tires lose traction so if they're more than a few years old they probably should be replaced. how about the chain and sprockets? is it properly tensioned? lubed? rusted? are the sprockets worn? are the teeth straight or bent at the tips? also check the body work. stickers are often used to cover up imperfections so keep that in mind. if you don't want to take a sticker off check behind it on the other side of the fairing if you can peek inside edit: holy crap i wrote a novel __________________________________________________

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October 11th, 2011, 07:44 AM	#2
Honko ninjette.org sage Name: Hyon Location: Northern Virginia Join Date: Jun 2011 Motorcycle(s): 2010 Green SE Posts: 574	Strictly referring to how to tell if a title is clean, once you've verified that the name and vin number match those of the person selling it and the bike they're selling, the title should also say "No lien" somewhere on the title. If the title has a lien on it and they have actually paid it off then they should have gotten a note and a piece of paper from the loan provider that looks like a title, but has a red border saying that the lien has been released.

October 11th, 2011, 09:27 AM	#3
OddlyOrdinary ninjette.org member Name: Asdf Location: A Join Date: Sep 2011 Motorcycle(s): 2009 SE Ninja 250 Posts: 83	The current owner says it's clean but if a lien is listed is that an automatic dismissal of the bike?

October 11th, 2011, 10:32 AM	#6
OddlyOrdinary ninjette.org member Name: Asdf Location: A Join Date: Sep 2011 Motorcycle(s): 2009 SE Ninja 250 Posts: 83	Thanks for taking the time to write that all up Alex! And the link Alex. Feel more confident about this already. Come 5 hours I might own my first bike~

October 11th, 2011, 10:45 AM	#7
WhiteRice Kamikaze Squirrel Name: Zach Location: NJ Join Date: Sep 2011 Motorcycle(s): 2010 250r Posts: 300	Did anyone say bring a friend? Bring a friend. If they're mechanically inclined even better. Even if they're not it's good to have someone level headed who won't be blinded by a shiny motorcycle. Don't be afraid to walk away.