How to know if a motorcycle is in good condition
5 Telltale Signs of a Bad Used Motorcycle
Timecodes:
buying a used bike now here are five
easy signs that it's a piece of
capable motorcycles are owned by capable
people if the ad uses terms like Fat
Tire your next bike and my personal
favorite horsepower there's a good
chance the motorcycle is as defective as
its owner I always perform the same test
of character hmm now there's some bends
and scratches on the pointy bits did you
drop it by a chance no that must've been
the previous owner almost every
motorcycle is dropped by every
motorcyclist ever so if the owner isn't
honest about that they're not gonna be
honest about anything let's try this
again oh cool aftermarket foot pegs
levers and bar ends is there a chance
you've dropped it on the factory ones
yeah you're one clever son of a
when a motorcycle has lived in abused
and depressing life it won't like
getting out of bed in the morning so pay
close attention to the start I always
ask that a bike be left perfectly cold
that lets me play my favorite joke out
just kidding
thanks for leaving it gold now turn the
key and watch the warning lights
now most motorcycles these are gonna
illuminate with the ignition if they
don't a devious seller amount of snipped
wire to make sure they stay off after
that kick the tires and light the fires
Big Daddy okay quick crank easy start a
bad motorcycle will make bad sounds
it warms up so keep listening as the
engine runs usually I wait for the
radiator fan to come on that way I know
the bike so knows how warm it is and
that the fan works of course the weight
can be long as hit bad motorcycles are
badly maintained so are waiting for the
radiator fan let's Sherlock the out
of these tires
[Music]
aha mismatched brands or mismatched
sizes this could be good or bad
depending on the interrogation why oh I
don't know
it came like that well the D 606 front
is notorious for wandering so I pair it
with an empty 21 okay I went up a couple
Mills on the aspect ratio just cuz there
aren't too many options in the stock
size nice tires are the foremost
maintenance item perhaps alongside a
lubed and well tensioned chain if the
simple stuff is off-kilter you can
probably assume that the more
complicated things are also out of whack
maintenance is the most lethal of our
telltale warning signs give it a good
minute of your scrutiny oh as you're
about to entrust your life to a
dangerous piece of any half-wit
with the toys-r-us toolkit in a
subscription to custom magazine can
destroy a motorcycles handling so you
need to ride it cash in hand they should
say yes
[Music]
break check before you pass 20
kilometers an hour pulsing and biting
means there's a warp and your disks or
pads slipping means the ride is over the
key to a good test is not looking at the
bike save the visual inspection for the
driveway you've never ridden this
deathtrap before so you better damn well
keep your eyes on the road assess with
other senses notice how I brought some
glasses so I can keep my shield open to
smell for burning to listen for clanking
if the exhaust is so loud that it can't
hear anything else should be suspicious
I get paid to tell how good a motorcycle
handles and I'm still kind of rubbish at
it but anyone can tell when a bike
handles badly it just feels wrong and
that's our fourth telltale sign of a bad
used bike when it handles like a crazy
bit
the show is my final test a pantomime of
sorts and it involves props
maybe I'm checking for drips now that
the fluids are hot maybe I'm looking for
rust and hard to see places maybe I'm
seeing if the VIN has been recent or
maybe the pen light just makes me look
smart a recently charged battery might
start a bike but a faulty alternator
will have it dropping below voltage by
now a multimeter might look fancy but
unexpected battery wires revealed just
as many demons test strips diagnose all
kinds of antifreeze problems but a dip
strip is the easiest way to spot muggy
oil in the coolant a sure sign of
internal engine damage the show doesn't
reveal anything in particular but you'd
be surprised how many owners will
confess something while you're doing it
and if nothing else bringing tools and
knowing how to use them earns respect in
all likelihood these tests have never
been done for the bike before that puts
you in the position of authority to make
judgments to name a price negotiating
season is upon us with the snow coming
everything on motorcycle dealers is
nothing more than a useless piece of
metal that takes up garage space
or better yet cost the owner their
Christmas budget to store the balls in
your court good hunting
