When buying my used bike, the owner came out and said everything that was wrong with it and held on to the cash till weeks after I bought it. They wanted to make sure I liked the bike and had no reservations about it. They were good people.
When I see an a posted ad of a vehicle in good shape but the seller has gone out of their way to show every bit of minor cosmetic damage I think it's a very positive thing. That way you the buyer aren't surprised by anything and it helps the seller because you can't use hidden damage as a bargaining chip.
@@Roddy556 I bought a dirtbike second hand a while back and the guy not only mentioned what was faulty, he actually mentioned everything he had replaced too.
@@shoruda while this is true, he did only sell it for $1,500, I assume it was more of a "yeah, these are things you won't have to worry about for a while under normal uses"
That is exactly the story with me trying to buy a bike on a budget. Every video shows how to buy a good bike, I just want to know what bike is not a total piece of shot
I got lucky some years ago buying a bike from my neighbor, who was a regional manager at Yamaha. He sold it to me for $900, and I went on to put another 40k miles on it with just basic maintenance. I sure miss it.
This is so true i was very tight with money and i bought 20 yr old 180cc 2 stroke Gilera runner for 700€ and 250kms later its dead... and i knew everything but i still bought it .... i dont know why
In 2006 I drove a few hundred miles to look at an exotic (to me) Buell Ulysses. The guy had given me directions, and over a slight rise and then down hill on a gravel road I saw his house. The yard was immaculate; the grass lush and green and cut as level as a pool table. All of the plants edged so precisely, I swear he must have used a protractor to define the edges. He opened door to the operating room, uh, garage, and all of his tools were on a hanging board behind the work table, each tool outlined, not one missing or in the wrong spot. He cranked up the Buell, it fired on the first hit. “The best place to take it for a test ride” he started to tell me, but I held up my hand to stop him. “I’m good” I said, “let’s just load her in the back of my truck.” I rode that Uly for 11 glorious years. A great bike and a great buying experience.
I am from India and I've been looking for a second hand bike for a while now I've come across a lot of people but none of them know shit about mentaining their motorcycles I can't tell you how much it hurts to see a poorly mentained bike begging for service. You were lucky you found an owner who kept his bike in prestige condition Yesterday I met a guy he had a fuel injected bike and he kept his fuel gauge at the least possible reading When I said that I want to take it for a spin ,he puts 0.5 litres of petrol in there
Before when I was searching 2nd hand, there were the stereotypical careless, low income idiots that drove these types of bikes I wanted to buy In the end I bought my bike brand new
"needs nothing, ready to ride across country, fresh service, will not find better, perfect, museum ready, been sitting awhile, don't ride much, price firm, a few scratches, needs a few things, selling for father, etc" = walk away. 90% of vehicles not properly maintained which gets worse with age. If you are willing to educate, negotiate, fix major "hidden" problems or have more money than brains go ahead. Most people sell when the repair costs are greater than the enjoyment. Very few unicorns.
I once looked at a used bike that had a dent in the gas tank. The owner was a farmer and I asked him how the dent got there. He said: "My pig knocked it over." I bought the bike on the spot because I figured nobody would make up a crazy story like that and he must be telling the truth. The bike turned out to be a cream puff and I've still got it many years later.
As a mechanic, I want to point out that this is all good for buying cars, too. If you go through the entire process, being friendly and polite while trying to nail down answers to questions the seller's avoiding, you can usually get 20-40% of the price knocked off before you even reach the price negotiation stage. I'll also add: be careful about who you take with you when you're looking at a used vehicle. My wife, for example, tries to be nice to the seller, and in the process she'll invalidate points that I make that should be driving the price down. It's good that she's trying to avoid offending the seller, but it's bad that she's undermining the process. Likewise, I've had other people go with me that would try to negotiate the price down on my behalf based on what I was finding, but they were too aggressive. That led to the seller holding firm at a higher price, in response to the aggressiveness. I could have gotten the price lower, and more fair, had my friend(s) stayed out of the negotiation. You also need to know the value of the vehicle. If you're buying a bike from a weekend rider that you intend to use as a daily driver, there's a value disparity. I always love it when a customer tells me that they're not going to replace a particular part because the cost of the repair is more than the blue book value of the vehicle. Well, if it's your daily driver, then the value of the vehicle is your salary. You also need to really understand the value to the seller. I'm currently trying to sell a scooter, and honestly, with some of the offers I've gotten, I have to answer with "It's worth more to me to keep owning it than it is to sell it at that price". I recently bought a scooter from a guy having serious health issues that he may not survive. The only price negotiation I engaged in was based on what I could put together, because honestly, it would have been disrespectful to do anything else. The bike had no value for him, so he was only going after some money to use for any bucket list items or what-have-you. Value isn't limited to the blue book, or even what you can get putting it on craigslist. You need to be clear what you need the vehicle for, and why the seller is getting rid of it. The best vehicle purchases happen when there's a parity in value between the buyer and seller, and everyone walks away happy.
The second paragraph applies to a LOT of things (maybe even ALL things related to buying and selling). So, for me, who don't own any sort of vehicle or money to buy nor sell, is very useful. Thanks for spending the time to write it down.
@@mpi1191 According to Wikipedia: A blue book or bluebook is an almanac, buyer's guide or other compilation of statistics and information. The term dates back to the 15th century, when large blue velvet-covered books were used for record-keeping by the Parliament of England. The Oxford English Dictionary first records such a usage in 1633.
As much as I like buying bikes, I absolutely hate selling them! The amount of prospective buyers I've had that lowball me, don't show up, or have done zero research on the bike they are dealing on makes me want to just leave them in the corner of the garage and not even bother selling them. Lol, I once sold a Wing to a guy that gave me kind of a low offer, but also a good story about being a divorced dad and wanting to take his daughter out on bike trips for affordable holidays for them both. He seemed genuine and a nice enough guy so I took the offer, 4 hours later it was up on Kijiji for 2.5 times what he paid for it! Lol, lesson learned.
This happened to a me that I just sold, I had it listed for 2100 (200cc bike) guy said he would give me 2000, I was okay with that. He put it up later that night for 2500. I had that on the market for two months and had a few people ask but didn’t want it lower than 1800. Don’t know if he ever sold it. Will find out when July gets here and I have to pay taxes on it.
Snaps. Sounds like the Northern Ontario mentality towards anything "used" in a nutshell. "I'll offer you $200 and a used Band-Aid for your $5000 bike!"
I recently bought a bike at a decent price from a guy.His other bike and man cave garage was utterly spotless.....We even had the bike loaded in the van and were still chatting,and then I said 'I better pay you for this bike now'....Its been as good as gold🤫There are some decent people out there!
@@pianomail "No I threw away those perfectly good fairings worth a few hundred bucks" A faired bike without the original fairings (with original paint and decals) is a huge red flag.
My dad had a 74 Z9 for years. I got pulled over on it and it turns out it was a stolen motor in a stolen frame. Motor was stolen in 78 and mated with a frame stolen in 80. My dad pulled it out of a barn in 86.
@@sambridhathapa4313 I wish, that bike was parted out by two different insurance companies about a month after I was pulled over. The motor was returned to the original owner, she still owned the bike, the frame was sent to auction, and dad sold the left overs. Was a sad end. That bike had become part of our family in the 25 years dad had it.
From all the Bikes I have bought so far I can say that usually the decision depends to 90% on the seller and only to 10% on the Bike. The condition of the bike will be compared to its price, thats for sure, but the decision if I buy it or not depends almost exclusively on me eyeballing the seller. And that is said by me, beeing a mechanic and an Engineer...
No he’s just saying that, you can tell a lot about the bike just by speaking about the owner. I was a lot more confident about the bike I just bought recently because I could see how in the owners eyes how much he cared about the bike
Being an old retired guy I can be picky ...I only buy and sell with people that I like...I went to look at an immaculate Royal Enfield...The guy was in my opinion a jerk and I wouldn't even take it for a ride...I found another one on the base from a kid shipping out and paid his asking price...I sold all of my bikes to buyers that I liked and I sold the last one in two days!..
You'd be amazed how many sellers tell me no to a test ride, even if I offer to leave cash in hand. Most of that group also tend to throw a whiny fit when I refuse to buy their bike, regardless of how well the visual went. I don't know who's out there buying bikes without a test ride to make these folks think that'll fly, but it's a good way to get ripped off
I just sold my bike for 98% of asking price and the topic of "test ride" never came up. If it did I would've asked him to schedule a mechanical inspection at a mutually agreed upon shop.
Yep I had that, bike of the lady from the couple. She wouldn't let me ride it. I said come on otherwise I just walk away. I tried it and guess what. Front brake disks crooked and timing chain fucked.. well no thank you.
Of course the douche that feels the need to specify, "I sold my bike for 98% of asking price", would insist on involving a shop if they didn't just take your word. At whose expense? Yours? Cause I doubt anybody that isn't a good friend is just gonna do that for free. And even so, fuck you I'll go find a seller that isn't a dick, and find out for myself. 98%, really. You got asking price, Jesus. What kinda buyer even bothers haggling over 2%, without a test. And then you do the math, to come up with that percentage. Dumbasses. Unless you're selling some pos for a grand, and somehow it ends at 980, and still, why bother. With no test, you're risking WAY more than 2%, so who cares? Since neither are likely qualified to judge, or they'd be apt to have more sense than this whole absurd affair to begin with. No test, no sale. You can NOT judge any machinery accurately, without seeing it in action. So, unless you get a damn steal and will still be fine if you have to completely rebuild it, or just have to have it... In which case, WHY BOTHER WITH 2%?!?!?!
@@jlnkln7027 I brought my last bike without a test ride. And 2nd-last. And my first 2. But I buy cheap non-runners and restore them. Been doing that since early teens. My current main bike was brought for parts and not running, but turned out the fault was simple to fix and 2 years/80,000K later I'm still loving it..
I think sometimes in the interests of amusing our fans we forget the job. I would look for: - signs of damage like scratches, dents, mis-coloured parts especially of metal (they've been painted over but the rust festers underneath). - signs of weather damage: has the machine been parked in the sun and rain? Faded paint on the sun side, pits and abrasions on metal parts. They look ugly but can cave in at the slightest pressure. - starting. First kick? Tenth? Or with self start, any granular noises? - idle. Even or staccato? You can tell most of an engine's condition from how she idles. Carburetted engines: might need slight throttle until they warm up, but if after 5 minutes of very gentle encouragement she fails to idle, walk away (Mind you, I live in the tropics, in South India. In colder climes this will vary). Injected engines take a few seconds longer. Stand your ground for 5 minutes. Talk about the seller's beautiful neighbourhood, house, car, the weather in Papua New Guinea (in India, NEVER mention any female member of the family or neighbourhood) but LET THAT MACHINE ARRIVE AT EQUILIBRIUM. Let it idle. - test ride: take a friend along. Let them test ride. If you still need confirmation, test ride. But If your friend is unhappy, walk away. If the owner declines a test ride, walk away. However, in the case of premium motorcycles like Harley-Davidson, get the owner to agree to a service center inspection and vehicle condition report. If the owner declines this (he should have had this done already), walk away. - electricals: don't worry too much about dead indicator bulbs. You can replace them with pocket change unless you are buying a premium motorcycle. But check for Scotch tape; it covers a lot of faults. - sabotage. Look for signs of deliberate damage from jealous neighbours. I speak from personal tragic experience. - the condition of the petrol tank on a traditional motorcycle. That is the focal centre of any motorcycle, so judge how well the owner has respected it. All my recommendations have been given for riders in the tropics and especially in India. 70-odd percent of road users in India ride motorcycles or scooters. But, to misquote, sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander.
That's the response to all of his videos. He made a recent one about the best used motorcycles. You have to see it. It's literally a masterpiece of film making. I still watch it every few weeks. These FortNine videos have the best scripts, best voice over work, best footage, and the best music. The music is like the final icing on the cake, they have the most amazing vintage music on their soundtracks. Thank you FortNine team!
After you take your last breath are you going to heaven or hell? Please ask yourself that question. Jesus can save your soul from hell. He will forgive your sins. He said whoever calls upon his name shall be saved. Call upon Jesus today. Repent and believe the gospel.
Remember that an old bike with low miles means a lot of maintenance before you ride. Currently replacing all the seals, lines and rubber components on a 87 Yamaha with 600 miles on it.
Happened to me with a 99 Shadow. I also had gas tank rust, but the bike ran for several weeks before it died on me suddenly. As my first bike, I never thought to check the gas tank, but now that's the first thing I'm gonna look at if I ever get another one.
I’m not even looking for a bike to buy....I just watched this because I just enjoy watching Ryan’s clever and well put together vids. You do this very well mate, Merry Christmas and more success to you. Luke from Australia
Adam I find this after buying my last bike. I've watched this probably 25 times in the last couple years I think just because it's funny and it's just good (done well).
buyer: Has the bike ever been dropped? seller: dude, what the fuck? you're calling on a dual sport. It was dropped half a dozen times just this last tuesday. Also, im asking $1200 for an air cooled bike that runs. Do fucking want it or not?
VERY true with dual sport and dirt bikes. You should expect them to be somewhat beat up from drops and minor crashes. Street bikes are a different story.
Most youtubers baffle me with their massive subscribers compared with their poor content, or their low subscribers and their excellent content. Glad to see a channel that earns every subscriber and more. Production expertise, charisma, content experience and knowledge. Well done. Broadcast television is officially dead with channels like this.
That's the first thing that struck me. They didn't have to bother. This could have just been a bunch of still photos or clips from other videos with a voiceover, but they went to the trouble of writing a script and actually filming something. It doesn't have a lengthy intro and it's not padded to 10:01. It's actually depressing that the channel only has 1.64m subscribers. They must have an iron will.
I just remembered this video when Ryan wishes us “happy hunting” as I recently bought a 1995 TDM 850 for dirt cheap just because the owner couldn’t start it after half a year in storage. When all it needed was a new set of correct sparks, fresh gas and a new battery. It fired right up! Now a brake job is coming up, suspension and bearing check, new fluids and hope the winter will be over soon...
@@shawndavis1480 You can just deduce. 6 months storage (without tending the battery) = dead battery + stale gas. Most flammable components of the gas just evaporates and what remains is difficult to ignite. I don't know about the spark plugs, though. Do they go bad in storage? By the way, my TDM was fun to ride but it consumed almost as much oil as gas : ) I needed to add at least two liters of oil every 1000 kilometers or so. Crazy!
one piece of advice I can give to everyone is this, never under any circumstance, fall in love with a bike before you buy it. You always need to have the option to walk away with ease and a clear conscience. When I was looking for my first bike, I found this 1983 Yamaha Maxim, it was old and ratty and definitely needed work. The owner couldn't get it started and told me it didn't run well when it did because it needed a battery and some carb work. I like the bike, actually I loved it, there was nothing special about it but I was just so excited to own this bike and I didn't want anything else. I was with my dad who had a much more level head and much more experience in buying bikes. He told me we should come back another time with a compression tester and if the engine is solid, we'll get it, if not we walk away. I agreed. we came back a week or so later with a tester and checked the cylinders, 2 of them had 70 psi or so, the other 2 had 120 or so. This engine would need serious work. Despite this I still wanted the bike, telling my dad that I could rebuild the engine if we got the bike for cheap enough, I offered the guy 200 and thankfully he didn't take it. I probably would have never finished that engine and probably would have either wound up parting it out or just scrapping it. It would have been a huge waste of my time and energy if it weren't for my dad. He ended up selling it to someone much less fortunate who probably didn't check the compression and is now out 500 bucks plus other expenses like title transfer and parts. A bit after that I found a 1982 honda Magna V45 on facebook market place for 400 bucks, it was in really nice cosmetic condition but it didn't run (like all sub 500 dollar bikes). The owner seemed very honest and straight forward. Me and my dad ran a compression test and all cylinders were pushing 160-180 psi. Did the deal and worked on it for around 5 months and it ran like a beast. spent probably 1000 total on it. Moral of the story, there's always a better deal. Had it not been for my dad's level head I probably would have bought that POS and wasted countless hours and dollars trying to fix it up.
This BMW's having visible oil stain on the seam between engine and transmission means a very expensive fix is coming up. mirror on a stick shows off that kind of problem a lot easier.
Best used one I ever saw was a chopped XS650 (ruined a perfectly good bike) in which the seller had written: Deleted front brakes for clean look, back one is all you need!
Nice video and advise. I've never bought a brand new bike and, when it comes to Hondas, I seem to have a knack for buying little gems. However, every Yamaha, and even that one KTM, I've ever bought has been an absolute lemon and I cannot explain it. My top tip is to look closely at the sprockets, especially the front! Any doofus with a spanner can adjust a chain and throw some grease over it. However, if you get the front sprocket cover off the true maintenance history will be revealed!
I've been rewatching these on my Saturday morning. Excellent set of tips but don't forget your hot start test after the test ride! Make sure it gets to operating temp, come back and kill it. Wait about 30 seconds to a few minutes (simulating filling up gas or something) then start it up. If it doesn't start, walk away. Or push for a significant discount.
@@spoonman73 Had a royal enfield that was a year old and had a some of the electronics replaced under warranty - it just ALWAYS took a half second longer to start than you'd expect. It's just what it did. Felt like it was lagging a bit - ALWAYS started though.
especially a used dirt bike, stay the fuck away. apparently this guys 2020 i just rode with yday is already requiring a full overhaul and its a fucking 2020. i was looknig at 10 year old dirtbikes before, fuuuuuck that.
I recommend new because when it comes to the videos I've seen on youtube you don't know what a used bike has been through. At least with it new YOU make the history
@@sambeezy007 yep. Buddy of mine crashed his fully loaded (with camping gear, etc front and rear bags) gs1200 down a ditch into a rock... Couldn't even tell it was in an accident hours later when we got it out. You never know what they went through.
Channels like these are gosh darn goldmines. I’m just watching this 4 years later and ALL the information is still extremely relevant. Time to binge and plan a budget.
One of the things Joffrey forgot to mention is that bikes of a certain age will have some wear. I had a dude turn up and complain about a stone chip on a fireblade I was selling. It was a 22 year old bike with 25k miles on it... one stone chip.... Although I've never seen whorespower being used here in the UK. I'm going to start using it.
Check the fork seals for leakage, look at the rear sprocket for wear on a chain driven, make sure all lights work properly and make sure vin# on the frame matches vin# on the engine.
Ah yes, these are all valid points which I will definitely keep in mind the next time I buy a bike. 5 min later : *proceeds to buy yet another non-running piece of sh** sight unseen because the ad just popped up on my feed*
Very wise words Ryan. I purchase all of my bikes new and used from a dealer, we have been mates for MANY years and their bikes are brilliant. It seems that UK bikes cover very very few miles but generally get an annual service anyway!
This video saved me this past weekend and I wanted to say thanks! I followed your tips and something didn't add up, and he claimed it had only been dropped once recently hence the scrape on the bar end... but everything else was immaculate and it was an 05 Ninja 250 and he claimed he had crash bars and sliders... I knew for a fact you can't put bars or sliders on a pregen 250 because I looked everywhere and learned the engine is a structural component and sliders would do way more damage. I found out it had been crashed really badly and he replaced all of the plastics with originals and did a few minor fixes but the frame was slightly twisted and there was a really huge hairline crack across the engine case. That thing would've killed me at some point for sure! I'm not very mechanically inclined and if I hadn't seen this video I would've bought it. Thanks for saving my life Ryan. I mean it! You're doing good work, be proud. - Dante Antonio.
0:03 thank you so much, I spit my coffee all over my screen. I like your videos! I'm thinking of buying a motorcycle for work, and your tips are very helpful, thanks
My favorite is the buyer who hasn't even ridden one before, gives you cash in hand, then proceeds to get on the bike and drops it within 5 seconds. SOLD
Wow, you must have missed him literally saying "let's Sherlock the shit out of these tires." You must be a regular fucking Sherlock Holmes. Jesus christ just saying.
Or maybe MotoBoy refered to the bbc's sherlock styled editing and soundtrack, which I'm guessing less people noticed, so let's not be that judgemental please.
50,000 miles and haven't ever dropped a bike except off road... but the previous owner did drop my Ninja lol. I think height has a lot to do with it. If you can barely touch the ground and can't get any real leverage, you're probably going to drop it the first time you mess up in a parking lot. If you're so tall you make a 600 look like a Grom, you're probably not.
Jakalwarrior hey it's already been a month so not sure if I'll get a response but I'm looking to buy an 07 gsxr 600cc. I'm 6' 3" do you know if that'll work or would I look like a praying mantis with my knees up to my chest.
Same here, my bike is nearly 25 years old so of course there are some scratches but personally haven't dropped the bike once in my two years of ownership. I'd argue assuming someone is a liar like F9 does if the seller says the previous owner dropped it might be kinda wrong. Obviously it depends on the reaction of said seller but still...
You'll be Ok. I'm 6'2 and fit pretty well on all of the 600s EXCEPT the honda. On the Honda I couldn't read the speedometer without contorting to look under the low little windshield.
Meh....it's the name of the game on the platform. Yes we have to keep them inline however at the end of the day no one is forcing content producers to use their services, and there are more platforms than most people realize. When producing media for a client (and in the grand scheme of things, youtube and their advertisers are the clients) you have to do what they ask. Same thing for photography. Sure, I love being creative with my shots, but when I'm hired to shoot something, I have to put that aside and simply just deliver what the client wants even if I personally find it boring or ugly. It's the nature of professional content creation; unless you hold a Neistat level following, you simply just have to take the job offer as it stands otherwise someone else will.
Thankyou sir for improving the quality of previously owned motorcycles for both the buyer and the seller. I have learnt a lot from this video and hope to learn a lot more.
I love it! I thought I was the only one to use #5 (the show). I did the same thing a couple of times. One time I checked things, Said "Hmm" a couple times then told Him everything was OK and it STILL worked on Him. He offered to sell it to Me for $500 less even AFTER I said it was OK. Yes, it really works.
While all of this may be true to check these things, they shouldn't keep you from buying a bike if you know what the issues are. When I bought by FZ6, it had a known starting issue and handled like a ton of bricks. I bought the bike cheap because these known issues. The difference was the novice rider didn't really ride the bike. It sat enough for the battery to go bad and the front tire to go nearly flat. I knew the issue and solutions for these. And because I checked them and STILL bought the bike, I got a great deal. Check these as suggested, but if you are confident you can fix the issues within your own skill and $$, don't let some issues deter you from your purchases.
I just hate it when people say their stuff runs perfectly and has no issues and you go out and it doesn’t start. I used to get my hopes up so high and unless I’m buying a bike or quad five years old or newer it’s almost garunteed I need starter fluid, wd40, carb cleaner, all hand tools, gas, and a jumpbox. Like I went to buy a jetski sxr800 and it had fake engine bay pics I guess, the thing literally had like algae and rust all over the motor like wtffff
Yep, this is how I work. I once bought a bike the kid said almost killed him. Before leaving the driveway I knew it was from underinflated tyres, spongey brakes, poorly tensioned chain and a clutch with way too little slack. All that added up to make it feel ludicrously bad, but it was an easy fix. Best and cheapest commuter bike I've ever had, that little Honda CBR125!
+Nicholstop : yeah like.. why the fuck cant they just be honest about everything and avoid wasting other people's time and energy.. are they actually expecting someone to buy something without inspecting it?
im so amazed with how u tell the story!! the music , the rhyme , body languages, back ground music :))) so work together!! made me goosebump ,good jobs matee
I live in an area full of mechanics. I do my own work. Im still on my first bike and im proud to say i made all the right moves to keep my bike on the road. From chain maintanance, tire choice, all the way to my own custom changes to make the bike better, like fipping the risors and changing the seat foam to something alot thinner. It rides like a bicycle, it goes where you want it to at any speed. It even off roads with the atcs in the area. 65000 kms on the dial and still pulls strong. And looks sexy doing it. My only issue im still trying to chase out is the wallow in turns after bumps. I do have my rear shock preload set for a passenger, and i have a bad fork seal. But on some days it acts like its not there, scraping the pegs and taking off like a scolded cat. The reviews on the vz800 say the bike has this problem anyway.
Most people would recommend around 60k km to replace the front fork springs and rebuild the seals if you're seeing issues. Your preload definitely needs a tune and if there isnt a fork brace on your bike, I would invest in one. Fork brace worked wonders for some issues I had.
@@Infernostar18 If fixing your front forks and rear doesn't work I would check your wheel bearings. A bad bearing can create resistance on a wheel and make it feel like a suspension issue but whats really happening is your wheel is seeing excess friction and "sticking" a bit. I had a bad front wheel bearing and it would wallow in turns.
I've seen a lot of video on buying used bike and this was for sure the best. He mentioned think that even the top motorcycle UA-cam channels never came close to mentioning.
Also good sign of condition is condition of the owner and his garage. If garage is all messy, dirty and neglected but the bike is spot on clean usuali it means it was dressed up for sale....
I dunno about that, I know plenty of good mechanics that aren't good at their own personal organization of tools. They'll clean car parts before putting them back on but they won't ever sweep up the crap on their floor lol
I'vt a well used, but well maintained track bike for sale right now (see avatar). It's been down a couple of times, a few rashes, wrinkles in the tank, different colored plastic bits, but it runs and handles really well. I'm honest in my ad, and already talked one guy out of it on the phone as he was looking for something prettier.
orangelion03 I've got one of the f650gs twins, I've had one proper " crash" with it (a 90 degree bend managed to sneak up on when I was in 4th gear so I ended up taking a long trip into a farmer's field via a ditch) how ever I do a lot of dicking around on the thing, letting friends and such like have a go round car parks so it's nice and " well used" Thing is rides fine, and considering the extent of my injuries and how fucked my helmet was from the crash you can't really tell at all that I crashed it properly ha ha. I believe I ended up with just a bent gear lever. Which amused the recovery company after they saw how battered I was when I picked it up from them.
Great video mate, I would add to do your research on the bike so you know what you are looking at (as in tyre types/sizes/pressures, that kind of detail) and what common faults to look out for and how to check for them.
The other reason is not to do yourself out of a bargain. All Z and GPz derived engines rattle like a bag of bolts at idle: the primary chain is untensioned. All honda engines with gear driven cams have a strange whine that's very noticeable at idle and at moderate revs. Research avoids you turning down a great bike because you thought that a quirk was a problem.
There are a few things I would do differently. The cold start is a good idea but I wouldn't immediately walk away from a few noises. Rough running and slow cranking yes although the slow crank could very well be the battery in a bike that spends most of its life going nowhere. Deduct cost of new battery. On startup if it's a bit noisy pull in the clutch to see if the noise goes away. Walk if it doesn't. Synthetic oil and wet clutches are a recipe for a bit of noise unless the bike is newish. Listen for the auto choke to go off and note the revs. Too many revs is suspect. Pull the dipstick (before and after test ride) and check the level and note whether the oil looks reasonable. Don't expect the oil to be anything other than black on a bike with some miles on it but it shouldn't be bubbled up or creamy. The test ride should use every gear and on a flat piece of straight road coast along at a reasonable speed and let go of the handle bars. If it pulls to one side or shimmies back and forth you probably have a fork, frame issue or just a very badly aligned rear wheel. Check the rear wheel alignment and if it's ok RUN. I'd definitely give it the berries on the test ride. The owner probably won't be impressed but any engine problem the bike has will show up with the bike wound on. On startup check the exhaust for blue smoke and smell it for oil. Do the same after the test ride. Check the exhaust ends for an oily sooty residue. I'm fussy with tyres and unless the ones on the bike looked virtually new and were what I'd normally fit then I'd automatically replace them. If the bike has had the baffles removed from the exhaust or a different exhaust installed and it didn't have a power commander or something similar I'd walk. Ask who did the mapping and what they did with the 02 sensor. If the bikes old enough and has a newish chain ask what sprockets they used. If you get a blank look for an answer Walk. I'm no fan of after market air cleaners either. If I ended up buying the bike then it would go straight to my mechanic for the following. Oil and filter change, new air cleaner element, throttle bodies, valves adjusted, suspension adjusted specifically for me, pads check and new brake fluid, fork oil replaced, rear shock gassed, maybe depending on mileage new plugs, new chain and sprockets, coolant flush, clutch fluid replacement and everything on the bike that could be lubed taken care of (ie steering head, swing arm etc) Depending on the age of the bike I'd replace all the hoses and cables. Maintenance and confidence go hand in hand on any bike.
TBone MC - all that you mentioned after "oil and filter change" + 2 new tires cost almost $2,000. I bought a used V-Strom 650 for $4,250 ( 2012, 18k miles). If I'm going to spend another $2,000 on maintenance, then for $7,000 out the door I could have a brand new 2015, 0 miles straight from the dealership, awesome and reliable motorcycle
The last bike I did this to was a Blackbird. The bike had 17000 k's on it and the work cost roughly 2 thousand $ but I ended up with a virtually new 10 year old bike and I'll be really disappointed not to get 200,000 out of it. Besides regular servicing it'll get the full treatment once a year when I'll get all the fluids changed plus everything that can be lubed serviced. Compared to a new bike it's a bargain as new bikes need servicing too. I bought a new vfr 1200f in 2015 after the Blackbird because I'd convinced myself that I needed something designed in the 21st century but that was a mistake because I only use the VFR as a commuter now and the Blackbird comes out to play on the weekends.
Always look down the length of chain or belt, if the swingarm is bent, the chain wont be straight... as long as the marks are even on the chain tension slider. Then hold the front brake and push forward, to see if the steering neck bearings are loose or you feel a bump, also move the bars left to right and feel for a centerline hangup, then do full range of motion and make sure the throttle don't rev up... BEFORE you ride a bike.
Good stuff. My own weirdest experience maybe was on two occasions. First, checking out a little trail bike for a friend - it couldn't turn right-handers. I found myself thinking, no, surely not, but it was true. It swooped quickly left at the drop of a hat, but took real physical effort, to make a right. Roundabouts are good for this. Second time, it was a trail bike again, and the oil was yellow. Really, custard yellow. That was not the weirdest bit, weird though it was. The really troubling thing, was the owner trying to persuade me this was perfectly acceptable for that type of bike, given its usage, and so on. Oh fu** yes, that was borderline creepy. The guy went on, having regaled me with tales of his race-track exploits, and prowess at stripping and rebuilding engines etc, to accuse me of taking up his valuable time only to insult him by not buying the heap of s**t at the end of it all. A double-glazing salesman, a time-share rep in the making. A total wa*ker. You were correct to highlight first, the character of the person selling. The weird 'spelling puns' thing, is typical of people imagining themselves to be smart-mouthed and quick-witted. I don't know why, but it screams 'avoid' at me too. One last thing, and it is true of not only motorcycles but almost anything you care to try to buy - 80% of what is on the market, is pretty much garbage. If you find yourself thinking there are lots of good examples out there, of what you want to buy - think again. Most stuff for sale, is a poor quality example of what it is you want to buy. I have bought & sold several houses, cars, bikes, with my own money, and can confidently say, people hardly ever sell you a bargain. In fact, the best buy, probably is not at all at a good price. Conversely, a load of trash, is often sold way over what it is worth - because actually, it's not worth buying at all. A word on ebay and the like, their 'ratings'. I recently saw a Police feedback project, the results of which proudly proclaimed 85% of the populace were content with the quality of the Police's work. At first I felt slightly impressed - then I remembered my ebay experience. My rule is, don't buy from a vendor with less than 99% rating. In fact, 99% actually makes me feel uncomfortable. Closer, is that I almost exclusively buy from 100% or at least 99.8% vendors. 'Why' is a long story, but to begin with, there are a lot of vendors 'engineering' that rating. EG they get a bad reference, on say, a $9,000 vehicle, they get 10 friends in the business, to buy a small plastic item from them for $1 apiece, and get 100% for each of those, etc. By engineered, I mean faked. Also, one other biggie, never buy a vehicle where any lie was told, nor where the vendor is not the owner, their name is not on the registration book or whatever. Why? Well, the most common issue, is the 'proxy vendor' will be able to dodge any awkward question by saying 'I would have to ask, I have never ridden/used this particular bike/item myself.' If you find yourself discovering this sort of situation where, 'if only' some circumstance were slightly different (eg the real owner were available for comment) then you could be easily satisfied with an answer, think of that the other way around. In other words - somebody wanted you to be placed in that exact position, where as a buyer, you WOULD tend to think 'what a pity they are not available I am sure it would have been an alright answer...!' Realise, however few transactions you have done, the vendor has likely done guzillions. They have tailored, the exact sales situation, to get around a problem this machine has. To put you, the buyer, in the uncomfortable position of appearing paranoid. I mean, it's not as though people are always out to con others into buying a bag of s**t from them, is it?!! Don't make me laugh - people are out there 24/7 flat out doing exactly that. Flogging garbage as good stuff, to people who are of a generous and normal disposition. Don't be generous when buying a used motorcycle, or anything for that matter. Think the absolute worst of the vendor's motives and techniques, their answers and their blocks, and you won't be far wrong. The biggest lies I have been told, are two: - Full Service History - turned out to be someone stole the dealer stamps, and used them once they set up their own repair shop, plus, the dealer selling to me, never made the single phone call I did, to find this out. Really? Reeeally? No, I didn't believe that either. So in fact, the lies simply multiplied as time went on... - Number of previous owners - for a start, they will fudge sometimes, saying they mixed up 'total number of owners' with 'previous owners'. IE put one less than there actually is. This is a big difference, if the vehicle is only on its second owner. Makes you think, the vendor is the only owner, when they are not. For me, it was as I was literally about to leave the house, to travel 200 miles on a bus, to a seaside town to see the bike, I did a last-minute check, and this check turned up the bike had two more owners than he said. That, put it at 5 including himself. This last one, was a very big lie about a key metric of a motorcycle. The bike being 8 years old, suddenly starts to look like lots of people didn't much like it. I can assure you, a bike can have a problem from new, not get resolved, and be around until at least year 10, because I bought one like that. The manufacturer had to scramble to meet emissions on what was an old model at the time - so they were not going to spend a mint, converting it to fuel injection, which was what it needed. Instead, they reduced the size of the idle jet by one interval (#17.5 down to #15 or #20 down to #17.5) and the bike never went properly until I figured it out from scratch using a tuning manual. Both Suzuki and Yamaha were guilty of this with two of the most popular, reliable, and established middleweights they ever made. If it can happen with those, it can happen with anything. Sorry, I said the last one - here's how I didn't notice the weak mixture making the bike run tragically on my test ride - I rode it on a blustery day in March. Don't do this - no windy-day rides. If it's windy/noisy, any exceptional conditions, arrange another day to seal the deal, and just explain why. And, to emphasise the point made about starting the bike from cold - the one solitary time I bought a bike, and let this rule slide, the machine had a weird starting issue. I believe, it was a hairline crack in the cylinder head. Puffed and farted and stank of petrol not being burned properly, for about 15 minutes. Terrible rough-running, impossible to set off. It was a Kawasaki 750 'Eliminator'. Once warmed, went like a jet turbine. No issue. Let it cool for maybe 20 minutes, the problem came right back. The female owner had her boyfriend there, and they said it was a 'communication problem'. He accepted responsibility for starting it earlier, not having been told by her, I had expressly asked it be left cold on the day of me arriving to try it out. My guess, they had figured what was wrong with it, imported from the USA, and flogged it to someone not familiar with the breed, and so the 'soft valves' issue, this engine was renowned for, I never even had as a my main problem. There are more wheezes, than you can shake a stick at. It is never-ending. Remember - almost all of what is for sale, is garbage at any given time. You ought to be able to eliminate it down to the handful of machines (or houses, or propelling pencils) by a simple paperwork exercise in advance of going anywhere. If you live where there is a dearth of examples, be prepared to go further afield. Good video, and good luck!
Well done. You should do a YT channel on your experiences. I wrote off my jag a few years ago. Went to buy another one from a private seller. Decided to take it to a local chain shop for a presale inspection. They offer them for like $100 CAD. Glad i did They wouldnt tell me if i should buy it or not but did show me all the cover ups done. Parts marked by a wrecker. Exposed electrical you would never see withough getting it up on a hoist. Sad, the seller was really cool. And likeable. When i confronted him he started BSing. Mechanic showed me how he figured it had been parked in a snow bank for a ciyole years. Rusty contact spots all over the frame. Needless to say i told buddy to get bent.
Look at the owner....absolutely! This will tell a lot. Certain types of folks are notorious for not doing basic maintenance and caring for their things.
"A bad bike will make bad sounds as it warms up" .... not always the case ... bikes with dry clutches can tend to sound like a bag of old spanners when warming up no matter how good or new the bike is ;)
TechGoat: Very good point, its about knowing the quirks of a particular bike. I owned a couple of old 70's cb 750 fours which have quite noisy/rattley cam chains. When it came round to selling them I had a good few guys who were "very concerned" at the top end rattle/noise and walked away. These engines were massively over-engineered and redlined on a test bed for 20 hours non stop by Honda during their R & D and not one blew, not one.
@@martynflynn8368 What is it about Honda's that all their cam chains seem to last 30 million miles, but start rattling/ticking 10 seconds after the warranty period ends? Every Honda I've known has a noisy cam chain!
12.3 VDC is not the best. 12.1 volts likely will not start the bike. A fully charged battery should read 12.6 or 12.7 after a full day at rest. Checking the voltage soon after the motor shuts off will show higher numbers like 13.2 if the charging system is working. Typical reads while the motor is running should be between 13.5 and 14.5 volts DC. You're welcome.
some jackass replaced the battery with a big-ass capacitor bank when i bought an old cruiser and i'm still confused as to whether he was smart or stupid the caps (used) cost more than what i paid for the bike but less than the factory battery (used)
ETA UNKNOWN well, the magneto is just a permanent magnet workaround to avoid coils anyway so it shouldnt be too hard to figure out with some experimentation
RyanF9-(Good Job, as always...) I see the comment regularly that this is the best Motorcycle related content on YT but after nearly exhausting your library I am convinced you have the best "Do-It-Yourself" content on the Inter-Web! I watch everything from Auto-Centric to Xylophone Repair and Race/All Terrain/Off Road/4X4 to DIY of every topic and I do not see the consistent high quality and creative thoughtfulness of F9. Nobody, Nowhere, Knowhow. I will shut up now and start at the top. Thanks for the great Videos and for sharing your talents.
Found a bike that I almost bought. Guy was selling it for a guy who never transferred ownership from the guy he bought it from. Out of date registration, pink slip missing. In California, you can check online how much it will cost to register a particular vehicle. Just need the VIN & license plate.
@@flyingmerkel6 Right. A 5 minute online research and asking couple of questions to the seller can save you a ton of headache and expense. Especially right now, the State is broke and going after those back registrations like crazy. A seemingly super cheap vehicle can end up costing you 2x or more of its actual worth. If a seller is pressuring or rushing you or refusing to give clear answers, walk away.
I use the same tactics on ALL motorized vehicles I check out for myself or others. I've gotten pretty good at it also. When they start over explaining things, I either run or bargain depending on my findings. Got some GREAT deals for this. Great video man. Got that Voom insurance also. Thanks for the tips.
If you're buying a dirt cheap bike don't do any of the dog and pony stuff. It just means you're not worth putting up with. Also assume that bike has been crashed, not dropped but hit the ground at speed.
Started watching your videos the other day and I absolutely love them! I have no desire to own a motorcycle as I have my cargo bicycle and I'm good, but your videos are so well put together and really interesting! You have a warm quality to your voice, you're funny and you're trustworthy. Keep it up !
Ehh, bitchbikes are known to not last long, you'll be reselling it in a few weeks, don't recommend. They are also known to be very loud (No, not a sex joke.) when starting them up. They are real money pits, it wasn't long before me and my previous had to part ways, for your own sake, just get a brotorcycle, they'll last longer and they are known to be reliable in the worst of times, plus they'd take a bullet for you. :)
When buying my used bike, the owner came out and said everything that was wrong with it and held on to the cash till weeks after I bought it. They wanted to make sure I liked the bike and had no reservations about it. They were good people.
When I see an a posted ad of a vehicle in good shape but the seller has gone out of their way to show every bit of minor cosmetic damage I think it's a very positive thing. That way you the buyer aren't surprised by anything and it helps the seller because you can't use hidden damage as a bargaining chip.
@@Roddy556 I bought a dirtbike second hand a while back and the guy not only mentioned what was faulty, he actually mentioned everything he had replaced too.
@@KiatnissNZof course he would mention what he replaced as that probably raises the value of the dirtbike
@@shoruda while this is true, he did only sell it for $1,500, I assume it was more of a "yeah, these are things you won't have to worry about for a while under normal uses"
Rare!
Number 1 sign a bike has been abused is I can afford it.
That is exactly the story with me trying to buy a bike on a budget. Every video shows how to buy a good bike, I just want to know what bike is not a total piece of shot
I got lucky some years ago buying a bike from my neighbor, who was a regional manager at Yamaha. He sold it to me for $900, and I went on to put another 40k miles on it with just basic maintenance. I sure miss it.
I hope that's not that case for me but my budget is pretty low. Hopefully I get lucky. 🙏
This is so true i was very tight with money and i bought 20 yr old 180cc 2 stroke Gilera runner for 700€ and 250kms later its dead... and i knew everything but i still bought it .... i dont know why
@@mariol1436 Try to fix it. These bikes can be very enjoyable. 180 2t will never come back again.. :-/
In 2006 I drove a few hundred miles to look at an exotic (to me) Buell Ulysses. The guy had given me directions, and over a slight rise and then down hill on a gravel road I saw his house. The yard was immaculate; the grass lush and green and cut as level as a pool table. All of the plants edged so precisely, I swear he must have used a protractor to define the edges. He opened door to the operating room, uh, garage, and all of his tools were on a hanging board behind the work table, each tool outlined, not one missing or in the wrong spot. He cranked up the Buell, it fired on the first hit.
“The best place to take it for a test ride” he started to tell me, but I held up my hand to stop him. “I’m good” I said, “let’s just load her in the back of my truck.”
I rode that Uly for 11 glorious years. A great bike and a great buying experience.
Agreed - easy to identify a good moto owner by the condition of his domain / garage -
Lol when you have a speech prepared and they don't want to hear it.
Let me tell you about how I've maintai...
Beautiful story! =)
I am from India and I've been looking for a second hand bike for a while now
I've come across a lot of people but none of them know shit about mentaining their motorcycles
I can't tell you how much it hurts to see a poorly mentained bike begging for service. You were lucky you found an owner who kept his bike in prestige condition
Yesterday I met a guy he had a fuel injected bike and he kept his fuel gauge at the least possible reading
When I said that I want to take it for a spin ,he puts 0.5 litres of petrol in there
"There's a good chance that the motorcycle is as defective as its owner"
Gold.
That's a phrase from the firearms community
Sums up the kx85 i just bought... however previous owner. Its in good hands now ;)
This works with pets and children as well.
Before when I was searching 2nd hand, there were the stereotypical careless, low income idiots that drove these types of bikes I wanted to buy
In the end I bought my bike brand new
"needs nothing, ready to ride across country, fresh service, will not find better, perfect, museum ready, been sitting awhile, don't ride much, price firm, a few scratches, needs a few things, selling for father, etc" = walk away. 90% of vehicles not properly maintained which gets worse with age. If you are willing to educate, negotiate, fix major "hidden" problems or have more money than brains go ahead. Most people sell when the repair costs are greater than the enjoyment. Very few unicorns.
I once looked at a used bike that had a dent in the gas tank. The owner was a farmer and I asked him how the dent got there. He said: "My pig knocked it over." I bought the bike on the spot because I figured nobody would make up a crazy story like that and he must be telling the truth. The bike turned out to be a cream puff and I've still got it many years later.
That's freakin' awesome!
Mmmh cream puff u makin me hungry
The farmer thing too lol. Take a look at the guys yard. Clean? No? The bike clean? Yeah? It's mint.
He could have been talking about his wife...
@@deweypug bahahaha maybe so
Me when buying a bike: "So it runs?"
Seller: "Yes"
Me: Take my money
This may just be a joke but I know fuck all about this sort of thing so that's literally gonna be me when I get my first bike
got a used bike for 500€ from one of my moms friends, went there, started it up and was like ok good enough
@@hfl_ I'm planning to get my father in law to test drive it, see what he thinks, then make a purchase, he dailies an 1100cc to and from work
@@hfl_ then do your research
@@bernardschmitt6389ill research ur mom lol
As a mechanic, I want to point out that this is all good for buying cars, too. If you go through the entire process, being friendly and polite while trying to nail down answers to questions the seller's avoiding, you can usually get 20-40% of the price knocked off before you even reach the price negotiation stage.
I'll also add: be careful about who you take with you when you're looking at a used vehicle. My wife, for example, tries to be nice to the seller, and in the process she'll invalidate points that I make that should be driving the price down. It's good that she's trying to avoid offending the seller, but it's bad that she's undermining the process. Likewise, I've had other people go with me that would try to negotiate the price down on my behalf based on what I was finding, but they were too aggressive. That led to the seller holding firm at a higher price, in response to the aggressiveness. I could have gotten the price lower, and more fair, had my friend(s) stayed out of the negotiation.
You also need to know the value of the vehicle. If you're buying a bike from a weekend rider that you intend to use as a daily driver, there's a value disparity. I always love it when a customer tells me that they're not going to replace a particular part because the cost of the repair is more than the blue book value of the vehicle. Well, if it's your daily driver, then the value of the vehicle is your salary. You also need to really understand the value to the seller. I'm currently trying to sell a scooter, and honestly, with some of the offers I've gotten, I have to answer with "It's worth more to me to keep owning it than it is to sell it at that price". I recently bought a scooter from a guy having serious health issues that he may not survive. The only price negotiation I engaged in was based on what I could put together, because honestly, it would have been disrespectful to do anything else. The bike had no value for him, so he was only going after some money to use for any bucket list items or what-have-you. Value isn't limited to the blue book, or even what you can get putting it on craigslist. You need to be clear what you need the vehicle for, and why the seller is getting rid of it. The best vehicle purchases happen when there's a parity in value between the buyer and seller, and everyone walks away happy.
Such an underratted comment! Great info
The second paragraph applies to a LOT of things (maybe even ALL things related to buying and selling).
So, for me, who don't own any sort of vehicle or money to buy nor sell, is very useful.
Thanks for spending the time to write it down.
What's the blue book?
@@mpi1191 According to Wikipedia:
A blue book or bluebook is an almanac, buyer's guide or other compilation of statistics and information. The term dates back to the 15th century, when large blue velvet-covered books were used for record-keeping by the Parliament of England. The Oxford English Dictionary first records such a usage in 1633.
Excellent advice
As much as I like buying bikes, I absolutely hate selling them! The amount of prospective buyers I've had that lowball me, don't show up, or have done zero research on the bike they are dealing on makes me want to just leave them in the corner of the garage and not even bother selling them. Lol, I once sold a Wing to a guy that gave me kind of a low offer, but also a good story about being a divorced dad and wanting to take his daughter out on bike trips for affordable holidays for them both. He seemed genuine and a nice enough guy so I took the offer, 4 hours later it was up on Kijiji for 2.5 times what he paid for it! Lol, lesson learned.
I'm older now and never trust a sob story.
Cash talks, bs walks
This happened to a me that I just sold, I had it listed for 2100 (200cc bike) guy said he would give me 2000, I was okay with that. He put it up later that night for 2500. I had that on the market for two months and had a few people ask but didn’t want it lower than 1800. Don’t know if he ever sold it. Will find out when July gets here and I have to pay taxes on it.
Damn what an asshole. People like that belong in a hole.
Snaps. Sounds like the Northern Ontario mentality towards anything "used" in a nutshell. "I'll offer you $200 and a used Band-Aid for your $5000 bike!"
I recently bought a bike at a decent price from a guy.His other bike and man cave garage was utterly spotless.....We even had the bike loaded in the van and were still chatting,and then I said 'I better pay you for this bike now'....Its been as good as gold🤫There are some decent people out there!
@The Joker Go troll someone else you sad tosser...
You did miss the most important one.
"I took the fairings off to make it a street fighter / naked."
i took the fairings off when i crashed 😎 yes, i still ride my zombie bike
@@sierra659 I then why didn't you buy a naked from the start?
"Oh good, so I can see those fairings and they'll come with the sale?"
@@pianomail "No I threw away those perfectly good fairings worth a few hundred bucks"
A faired bike without the original fairings (with original paint and decals) is a huge red flag.
@@nigo1787 Rarity. SV650N's are rare as hell here in Canada.
One good example of a bad used bike is that cops arrest you for riding a stolen motorcycle.
Especially if it's on the test drive while negotiating.
My dad had a 74 Z9 for years. I got pulled over on it and it turns out it was a stolen motor in a stolen frame. Motor was stolen in 78 and mated with a frame stolen in 80. My dad pulled it out of a barn in 86.
@@Taniwha351 What happened then? Do you have the bike with you now?
@@sambridhathapa4313 I wish, that bike was parted out by two different insurance companies about a month after I was pulled over. The motor was returned to the original owner, she still owned the bike, the frame was sent to auction, and dad sold the left overs. Was a sad end. That bike had become part of our family in the 25 years dad had it.
@@Taniwha351 Sad. Maybe build yourself a custom motorbike. Like a cafe racer.
From all the Bikes I have bought so far I can say that usually the decision depends to 90% on the seller and only to 10% on the Bike. The condition of the bike will be compared to its price, thats for sure, but the decision if I buy it or not depends almost exclusively on me eyeballing the seller. And that is said by me, beeing a mechanic and an Engineer...
So, you're there for personal reasons, 90%?
No he’s just saying that, you can tell a lot about the bike just by speaking about the owner. I was a lot more confident about the bike I just bought recently because I could see how in the owners eyes how much he cared about the bike
@@LubomirPotocki Good for you. Only you are most certainly not selling anything, which is just fine for me and probably all other germans as well :)
Being an old retired guy I can be picky ...I only buy and sell with people that I like...I went to look at an immaculate Royal Enfield...The guy was in my opinion a jerk and I wouldn't even take it for a ride...I found another one on the base from a kid shipping out and paid his asking price...I sold all of my bikes to buyers that I liked and I sold the last one in two days!..
You'd be amazed how many sellers tell me no to a test ride, even if I offer to leave cash in hand. Most of that group also tend to throw a whiny fit when I refuse to buy their bike, regardless of how well the visual went.
I don't know who's out there buying bikes without a test ride to make these folks think that'll fly, but it's a good way to get ripped off
I just sold my bike for 98% of asking price and the topic of "test ride" never came up. If it did I would've asked him to schedule a mechanical inspection at a mutually agreed upon shop.
Thats what I was asking myself for so long, who in the world buys a bike without a testride? Do those people exist? 😂😂
Yep I had that, bike of the lady from the couple. She wouldn't let me ride it. I said come on otherwise I just walk away. I tried it and guess what. Front brake disks crooked and timing chain fucked.. well no thank you.
Of course the douche that feels the need to specify, "I sold my bike for 98% of asking price", would insist on involving a shop if they didn't just take your word. At whose expense? Yours? Cause I doubt anybody that isn't a good friend is just gonna do that for free. And even so, fuck you I'll go find a seller that isn't a dick, and find out for myself. 98%, really. You got asking price, Jesus. What kinda buyer even bothers haggling over 2%, without a test. And then you do the math, to come up with that percentage. Dumbasses. Unless you're selling some pos for a grand, and somehow it ends at 980, and still, why bother. With no test, you're risking WAY more than 2%, so who cares? Since neither are likely qualified to judge, or they'd be apt to have more sense than this whole absurd affair to begin with. No test, no sale. You can NOT judge any machinery accurately, without seeing it in action. So, unless you get a damn steal and will still be fine if you have to completely rebuild it, or just have to have it... In which case, WHY BOTHER WITH 2%?!?!?!
@@jlnkln7027 I brought my last bike without a test ride. And 2nd-last. And my first 2.
But I buy cheap non-runners and restore them. Been doing that since early teens. My current main bike was brought for parts and not running, but turned out the fault was simple to fix and 2 years/80,000K later I'm still loving it..
Thank you joffrey.
Dude Mr slav I love your videos man and I can't believe you like motorcycles like me.
lmao we all just saw thus
I love your videos man
King*
mr slav yes
I think sometimes in the interests of amusing our fans we forget the job.
I would look for:
- signs of damage like scratches, dents, mis-coloured parts especially of metal (they've been painted over but the rust festers underneath).
- signs of weather damage: has the machine been parked in the sun and rain? Faded paint on the sun side, pits and abrasions on metal parts. They look ugly but can cave in at the slightest pressure.
- starting. First kick? Tenth? Or with self start, any granular noises?
- idle. Even or staccato? You can tell most of an engine's condition from how she idles. Carburetted engines: might need slight throttle until they warm up, but if after 5 minutes of very gentle encouragement she fails to idle, walk away (Mind you, I live in the tropics, in South India. In colder climes this will vary).
Injected engines take a few seconds longer. Stand your ground for 5 minutes. Talk about the seller's beautiful neighbourhood, house, car, the weather in Papua New Guinea (in India, NEVER mention any female member of the family or neighbourhood) but LET THAT MACHINE ARRIVE AT EQUILIBRIUM. Let it idle.
- test ride: take a friend along. Let them test ride. If you still need confirmation, test ride. But If your friend is unhappy, walk away. If the owner declines a test ride, walk away. However, in the case of premium motorcycles like Harley-Davidson, get the owner to agree to a service center inspection and vehicle condition report. If the owner declines this (he should have had this done already), walk away.
- electricals: don't worry too much about dead indicator bulbs. You can replace them with pocket change unless you are buying a premium motorcycle. But check for Scotch tape; it covers a lot of faults.
- sabotage. Look for signs of deliberate damage from jealous neighbours. I speak from personal tragic experience.
- the condition of the petrol tank on a traditional motorcycle. That is the focal centre of any motorcycle, so judge how well the owner has respected it.
All my recommendations have been given for riders in the tropics and especially in India. 70-odd percent of road users in India ride motorcycles or scooters. But, to misquote, sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander.
Holy sh... This was such an unexpectedly high quality video. I feel like a watched a film. I'll definitely be watching more.
he's like a motorcycle Sherlock Holmes..
This is so cool
@Mike G lol
I'd also feels same
That's the response to all of his videos. He made a recent one about the best used motorcycles. You have to see it. It's literally a masterpiece of film making. I still watch it every few weeks. These FortNine videos have the best scripts, best voice over work, best footage, and the best music. The music is like the final icing on the cake, they have the most amazing vintage music on their soundtracks. Thank you FortNine team!
dude huge respect for bringing great storytelling, and filmmaking technique to this niche! lovin the style and how well researched your content is.
After you take your last breath are you going to heaven or hell? Please ask yourself that question.
Jesus can save your soul from hell. He will forgive your sins. He said whoever calls upon his name shall be saved. Call upon Jesus today. Repent and believe the gospel.
@@brotherdj777 religion is bs
No one asked.
Remember that an old bike with low miles means a lot of maintenance before you ride. Currently replacing all the seals, lines and rubber components on a 87 Yamaha with 600 miles on it.
How old must it be to be considered "old"?
Happened to me with a 99 Shadow. I also had gas tank rust, but the bike ran for several weeks before it died on me suddenly. As my first bike, I never thought to check the gas tank, but now that's the first thing I'm gonna look at if I ever get another one.
Just bought an 04 V-Strom and am doing the same.
I’m not even looking for a bike to buy....I just watched this because I just enjoy watching Ryan’s clever and well put together vids. You do this very well mate, Merry Christmas and more success to you.
Luke from Australia
Merry Christmas Luke :) ~RF9
Adam I find this after buying my last bike. I've watched this probably 25 times in the last couple years I think just because it's funny and it's just good (done well).
buyer: Has the bike ever been dropped?
seller: dude, what the fuck? you're calling on a dual sport. It was dropped half a dozen times just this last tuesday. Also, im asking $1200 for an air cooled bike that runs. Do fucking want it or not?
VERY true with dual sport and dirt bikes. You should expect them to be somewhat beat up from drops and minor crashes. Street bikes are a different story.
Most youtubers baffle me with their massive subscribers compared with their poor content, or their low subscribers and their excellent content. Glad to see a channel that earns every subscriber and more. Production expertise, charisma, content experience and knowledge. Well done. Broadcast television is officially dead with channels like this.
That's the first thing that struck me. They didn't have to bother. This could have just been a bunch of still photos or clips from other videos with a voiceover, but they went to the trouble of writing a script and actually filming something. It doesn't have a lengthy intro and it's not padded to 10:01. It's actually depressing that the channel only has 1.64m subscribers. They must have an iron will.
I just remembered this video when Ryan wishes us “happy hunting” as I recently bought a 1995 TDM 850 for dirt cheap just because the owner couldn’t start it after half a year in storage. When all it needed was a new set of correct sparks, fresh gas and a new battery. It fired right up! Now a brake job is coming up, suspension and bearing check, new fluids and hope the winter will be over soon...
This is a good bike, right?
How did you diagnose that it just needed those simple fixes?
Shawn Davis Sometimes you just have to take a chance if the price is right .
@@shawndavis1480 You can just deduce. 6 months storage (without tending the battery) = dead battery + stale gas. Most flammable components of the gas just evaporates and what remains is difficult to ignite. I don't know about the spark plugs, though. Do they go bad in storage?
By the way, my TDM was fun to ride but it consumed almost as much oil as gas : )
I needed to add at least two liters of oil every 1000 kilometers or so. Crazy!
Nice, I'll take out the engine and say that when I'll sell my bike !
one piece of advice I can give to everyone is this, never under any circumstance, fall in love with a bike before you buy it. You always need to have the option to walk away with ease and a clear conscience. When I was looking for my first bike, I found this 1983 Yamaha Maxim, it was old and ratty and definitely needed work. The owner couldn't get it started and told me it didn't run well when it did because it needed a battery and some carb work. I like the bike, actually I loved it, there was nothing special about it but I was just so excited to own this bike and I didn't want anything else. I was with my dad who had a much more level head and much more experience in buying bikes. He told me we should come back another time with a compression tester and if the engine is solid, we'll get it, if not we walk away. I agreed. we came back a week or so later with a tester and checked the cylinders, 2 of them had 70 psi or so, the other 2 had 120 or so. This engine would need serious work. Despite this I still wanted the bike, telling my dad that I could rebuild the engine if we got the bike for cheap enough, I offered the guy 200 and thankfully he didn't take it. I probably would have never finished that engine and probably would have either wound up parting it out or just scrapping it. It would have been a huge waste of my time and energy if it weren't for my dad. He ended up selling it to someone much less fortunate who probably didn't check the compression and is now out 500 bucks plus other expenses like title transfer and parts. A bit after that I found a 1982 honda Magna V45 on facebook market place for 400 bucks, it was in really nice cosmetic condition but it didn't run (like all sub 500 dollar bikes). The owner seemed very honest and straight forward. Me and my dad ran a compression test and all cylinders were pushing 160-180 psi. Did the deal and worked on it for around 5 months and it ran like a beast. spent probably 1000 total on it. Moral of the story, there's always a better deal. Had it not been for my dad's level head I probably would have bought that POS and wasted countless hours and dollars trying to fix it up.
A good thing to take with you is a touchless thermometer. Some parts cool off quicker than others. A mirror on a stick is also good.
This BMW's having visible oil stain on the seam between engine and transmission means a very expensive fix is coming up. mirror on a stick shows off that kind of problem a lot easier.
'As defective as its owner' lmao
Hailey M
Because it is correct
Best used one I ever saw was a chopped XS650 (ruined a perfectly good bike) in which the seller had written: Deleted front brakes for clean look, back one is all you need!
It's fine if it's a suicide coverup for life insurance. Just make sure you aim off a cliff on the ride home
I'm proud of his stupidity tbh
We only run the front brake on our drag bikes
Nice video and advise.
I've never bought a brand new bike and, when it comes to Hondas, I seem to have a knack for buying little gems.
However, every Yamaha, and even that one KTM, I've ever bought has been an absolute lemon and I cannot explain it.
My top tip is to look closely at the sprockets, especially the front!
Any doofus with a spanner can adjust a chain and throw some grease over it. However, if you get the front sprocket cover off the true maintenance history will be revealed!
I've been rewatching these on my Saturday morning. Excellent set of tips but don't forget your hot start test after the test ride! Make sure it gets to operating temp, come back and kill it. Wait about 30 seconds to a few minutes (simulating filling up gas or something) then start it up. If it doesn't start, walk away. Or push for a significant discount.
My Ninja 1000 hates hot starts but loves cold starts. Go figure.
@@spoonman73 Had a royal enfield that was a year old and had a some of the electronics replaced under warranty - it just ALWAYS took a half second longer to start than you'd expect. It's just what it did. Felt like it was lagging a bit - ALWAYS started though.
@@spoonman73 Same on Ninja 650, starts only on second try
this makes me so paranoid. I feel like buying a used bike will have the same amount of pressure as taking an exam,
especially a used dirt bike, stay the fuck away. apparently this guys 2020 i just rode with yday is already requiring a full overhaul and its a fucking 2020. i was looknig at 10 year old dirtbikes before, fuuuuuck that.
I recommend new because when it comes to the videos I've seen on youtube you don't know what a used bike has been through. At least with it new YOU make the history
Easiest way to tell is by the owner. You can quickly tell if someone is lying if they slowly reveal more and more as you look over it in detail.
@@sambeezy007 yep. Buddy of mine crashed his fully loaded (with camping gear, etc front and rear bags) gs1200 down a ditch into a rock... Couldn't even tell it was in an accident hours later when we got it out. You never know what they went through.
Yup. Friend of mine just sold a ktm with a broken subframe.
The amount of work put into this video is insane ! Great editing/quality and knowlege ofc. 11/10
The content itself could be much better, seems to focus more on entertainment
King joffery of house Baratheon explaining signs of a bad motorcycle.
Now that you mentioned it, he looks kinda similar indeed.
Yes, but if Joff was actually a Baratheon.
This feels like a LA NOIR case. I love it - the editing and production is awesome
Channels like these are gosh darn goldmines. I’m just watching this 4 years later and ALL the information is still extremely relevant. Time to binge and plan a budget.
I'm always surprised with how good this channel is. Such a good resource for a rider and highly watchable. Keep it up mate!
But he Sherlocked the shit out of the tires. So the swear was there.
Every f9 video is always fun
Ran when parked. Part only costs $20.
never buy a car or bike thats been warmed up. a warm engine can hide A LOT of problems
What if you already bought that peace of sh....
Well, good luck, I guess
Insurance Claim?
S O L
Tell State Farm it was stolen
Here the garage time comes
One of the things Joffrey forgot to mention is that bikes of a certain age will have some wear. I had a dude turn up and complain about a stone chip on a fireblade I was selling. It was a 22 year old bike with 25k miles on it... one stone chip....
Although I've never seen whorespower being used here in the UK. I'm going to start using it.
Check the fork seals for leakage, look at the rear sprocket for wear on a chain driven, make sure all lights work properly and make sure vin# on the frame matches vin# on the engine.
Ah yes, these are all valid points which I will definitely keep in mind the next time I buy a bike.
5 min later : *proceeds to buy yet another non-running piece of sh** sight unseen because the ad just popped up on my feed*
Hahahahahha
It be like that sometimes
Very wise words Ryan. I purchase all of my bikes new and used from a dealer, we have been mates for MANY years and their bikes are brilliant. It seems that UK bikes cover very very few miles but generally get an annual service anyway!
This video saved me this past weekend and I wanted to say thanks!
I followed your tips and something didn't add up, and he claimed it had only been dropped once recently hence the scrape on the bar end... but everything else was immaculate and it was an 05 Ninja 250 and he claimed he had crash bars and sliders... I knew for a fact you can't put bars or sliders on a pregen 250 because I looked everywhere and learned the engine is a structural component and sliders would do way more damage.
I found out it had been crashed really badly and he replaced all of the plastics with originals and did a few minor fixes but the frame was slightly twisted and there was a really huge hairline crack across the engine case.
That thing would've killed me at some point for sure! I'm not very mechanically inclined and if I hadn't seen this video I would've bought it.
Thanks for saving my life Ryan. I mean it!
You're doing good work, be proud.
- Dante Antonio.
I just love everything and the cuts hahaha... precise to the shi...
Phantom Rides snow time, fun time
Skyteam Bomber yeah 👌
2:00 forgot one
You're are one clever son of a bi...
@@TheDct88 Big Oof
0:03 thank you so much, I spit my coffee all over my screen. I like your videos! I'm thinking of buying a motorcycle for work, and your tips are very helpful, thanks
"If the motorcycle has lived an abused and depressing life, it won't want to get out of bed in the morning." I love that. XD
Everytime I buy a motorcycle I only look for the ones with problems. The bigger the problem the better the deal!
That's because you know how to repair them and you surely have good skills on it
EBay is your friend. Js
@@etaunknown4024 hell yeah I use eBay for all my parts because AutoZone doesn't carry many bike parts
‘I love bad bikes that my motherf*£kin problem, I love to wrench yeah I got a f@£kin problem’
Yeah i can barely change my vid card so no fixxer uppers here
My favorite is the buyer who hasn't even ridden one before, gives you cash in hand, then proceeds to get on the bike and drops it within 5 seconds. SOLD
haha the Sherlock theme is funny. I wonder how many people actually got that. Sometimes I feel like you're too creative for your own good Ryan.
MotoBoy did you also read the description? :D
Wow, you must have missed him literally saying "let's Sherlock the shit out of these tires." You must be a regular fucking Sherlock Holmes. Jesus christ just saying.
Or maybe MotoBoy refered to the bbc's sherlock styled editing and soundtrack, which I'm guessing less people noticed, so let's not be that judgemental please.
I think he needed the pipe.
50,000 miles and haven't ever dropped a bike except off road... but the previous owner did drop my Ninja lol. I think height has a lot to do with it. If you can barely touch the ground and can't get any real leverage, you're probably going to drop it the first time you mess up in a parking lot. If you're so tall you make a 600 look like a Grom, you're probably not.
Jakalwarrior hey it's already been a month so not sure if I'll get a response but I'm looking to buy an 07 gsxr 600cc. I'm 6' 3" do you know if that'll work or would I look like a praying mantis with my knees up to my chest.
I’m 5’6 and have never dropped my bike.
Same here, my bike is nearly 25 years old so of course there are some scratches but personally haven't dropped the bike once in my two years of ownership. I'd argue assuming someone is a liar like F9 does if the seller says the previous owner dropped it might be kinda wrong. Obviously it depends on the reaction of said seller but still...
You'll be Ok. I'm 6'2 and fit pretty well on all of the 600s EXCEPT the honda. On the Honda I couldn't read the speedometer without contorting to look under the low little windshield.
Height doesn’t matter. It’s your inseam that matters.
A coldstart is a great recommendation. You are likely to see blue smoke from a cold engine than a warm one.
Really enjoyed the abrupt cuts before the scene ending cuss. Was always funny ;)
cRizy89 Portugal. Portugal. Hehe
Portugal ...
He said, "Lets sherlock the shit out of these tires." without cutting: 2:01
I love when a video producer knows how to work with the youtube rules, rather than moan about how "unfair" they are....
Meh....it's the name of the game on the platform. Yes we have to keep them inline however at the end of the day no one is forcing content producers to use their services, and there are more platforms than most people realize. When producing media for a client (and in the grand scheme of things, youtube and their advertisers are the clients) you have to do what they ask. Same thing for photography. Sure, I love being creative with my shots, but when I'm hired to shoot something, I have to put that aside and simply just deliver what the client wants even if I personally find it boring or ugly. It's the nature of professional content creation; unless you hold a Neistat level following, you simply just have to take the job offer as it stands otherwise someone else will.
Thankyou sir for improving the quality of previously owned motorcycles for both the buyer and the seller.
I have learnt a lot from this video and hope to learn a lot more.
Always put the show on, getting them to confess something about the bike or car is the best way to learn about whatever you're buying.
I love it! I thought I was the only one to use #5 (the show). I did the same thing a couple of times. One time I checked things, Said "Hmm" a couple times then told Him everything was OK and it STILL worked on Him. He offered to sell it to Me for $500 less even AFTER I said it was OK. Yes, it really works.
While all of this may be true to check these things, they shouldn't keep you from buying a bike if you know what the issues are. When I bought by FZ6, it had a known starting issue and handled like a ton of bricks. I bought the bike cheap because these known issues. The difference was the novice rider didn't really ride the bike. It sat enough for the battery to go bad and the front tire to go nearly flat.
I knew the issue and solutions for these. And because I checked them and STILL bought the bike, I got a great deal. Check these as suggested, but if you are confident you can fix the issues within your own skill and $$, don't let some issues deter you from your purchases.
That is a good point. If you are wise enough to know what is an easy fix (for you), it is a useful bargaining chip.
I just hate it when people say their stuff runs perfectly and has no issues and you go out and it doesn’t start. I used to get my hopes up so high and unless I’m buying a bike or quad five years old or newer it’s almost garunteed I need starter fluid, wd40, carb cleaner, all hand tools, gas, and a jumpbox. Like I went to buy a jetski sxr800 and it had fake engine bay pics I guess, the thing literally had like algae and rust all over the motor like wtffff
Yep, this is how I work. I once bought a bike the kid said almost killed him. Before leaving the driveway I knew it was from underinflated tyres, spongey brakes, poorly tensioned chain and a clutch with way too little slack. All that added up to make it feel ludicrously bad, but it was an easy fix. Best and cheapest commuter bike I've ever had, that little Honda CBR125!
+Nicholstop : yeah like.. why the fuck cant they just be honest about everything and avoid wasting other people's time and energy.. are they actually expecting someone to buy something without inspecting it?
It's the best way to get a deal! You're not looking for a perfectly running machine... Go buy new for that.
im so amazed with how u tell the story!! the music , the rhyme , body languages, back ground music :))) so work together!! made me goosebump ,good jobs matee
Awesome tips as always. I love all the reviews from this channel but tips and tricks are really outstanding. Keep up the good work Ryan and the team.
But the bumps on the rims actually were there when i bought it :/
I believe you... ish. ~RF9
you can believe him, but that doesn't un-bump the rims :)
I believe you...but that won't save you *flips switch*
.
Id like but its at 69 so👍
changing rims is expensive as fu-
The quality of information in your videos never ceases to amaze me.
Normaly, I don't thumb up videos before I watched them to the end. But this one got it at 0:04 :D
Weltenspinner LPs
You had me at Hello.
You forgot about, twist the throttle and let go to see if it returns.
If it doesn't, the seller damn well better have told you beforehand
Shit I can relate to this on my old 2 stroke 😂
My bike does this rn... anyway to fix it?
@@rv_jumpshotz1139 try oiling the cable
it's the new cruise control thing
This whole thing is a Sherlock tribute and I cannot be happier
This. Why aren't more people catching on to this??
also check exhaust fumes with a hankie, a warmed up bike shouldn't leave it black - could be burning oil otherwise.
3:53 don't buy if the bike starts doing stranger things?
You might end up upside down.
I live in an area full of mechanics. I do my own work. Im still on my first bike and im proud to say i made all the right moves to keep my bike on the road. From chain maintanance, tire choice, all the way to my own custom changes to make the bike better, like fipping the risors and changing the seat foam to something alot thinner. It rides like a bicycle, it goes where you want it to at any speed. It even off roads with the atcs in the area. 65000 kms on the dial and still pulls strong. And looks sexy doing it. My only issue im still trying to chase out is the wallow in turns after bumps. I do have my rear shock preload set for a passenger, and i have a bad fork seal. But on some days it acts like its not there, scraping the pegs and taking off like a scolded cat. The reviews on the vz800 say the bike has this problem anyway.
🦗🦗🦗
Most people would recommend around 60k km to replace the front fork springs and rebuild the seals if you're seeing issues.
Your preload definitely needs a tune and if there isnt a fork brace on your bike, I would invest in one. Fork brace worked wonders for some issues I had.
Did i mention, i live on rural roads and my usual cruising speed is about 130 kmh?
@@Infernostar18 If fixing your front forks and rear doesn't work I would check your wheel bearings. A bad bearing can create resistance on a wheel and make it feel like a suspension issue but whats really happening is your wheel is seeing excess friction and "sticking" a bit.
I had a bad front wheel bearing and it would wallow in turns.
I'm a mechanic and I still saved the video for future use hahah. Great videos as always 👍
haha same :P
I've seen a lot of video on buying used bike and this was for sure the best. He mentioned think that even the top motorcycle UA-cam channels never came close to mentioning.
Also good sign of condition is condition of the owner and his garage. If garage is all messy, dirty and neglected but the bike is spot on clean usuali it means it was dressed up for sale....
I dunno about that, I know plenty of good mechanics that aren't good at their own personal organization of tools. They'll clean car parts before putting them back on but they won't ever sweep up the crap on their floor lol
Whoever buys my bike is going to have to sit down as I list the drops and crashes XD
I'vt a well used, but well maintained track bike for sale right now (see avatar). It's been down a couple of times, a few rashes, wrinkles in the tank, different colored plastic bits, but it runs and handles really well. I'm honest in my ad, and already talked one guy out of it on the phone as he was looking for something prettier.
orangelion03 I've got one of the f650gs twins, I've had one proper " crash" with it (a 90 degree bend managed to sneak up on when I was in 4th gear so I ended up taking a long trip into a farmer's field via a ditch) how ever I do a lot of dicking around on the thing, letting friends and such like have a go round car parks so it's nice and " well used"
Thing is rides fine, and considering the extent of my injuries and how fucked my helmet was from the crash you can't really tell at all that I crashed it properly ha ha. I believe I ended up with just a bent gear lever. Which amused the recovery company after they saw how battered I was when I picked it up from them.
Keep going with the high quality content!
Those transitions before a bad word 😂👍🏼
Great video mate, I would add to do your research on the bike so you know what you are looking at (as in tyre types/sizes/pressures, that kind of detail) and what common faults to look out for and how to check for them.
Thanks! Yeah that's a really good one to add. Every bike has its quirks... and nowadays usually a whole forum devoted to them. ~RF9
The other reason is not to do yourself out of a bargain. All Z and GPz derived engines rattle like a bag of bolts at idle: the primary chain is untensioned. All honda engines with gear driven cams have a strange whine that's very noticeable at idle and at moderate revs. Research avoids you turning down a great bike because you thought that a quirk was a problem.
There are a few things I would do differently. The cold start is a good idea but I wouldn't immediately walk away from a few noises. Rough running and slow cranking yes although the slow crank could very well be the battery in a bike that spends most of its life going nowhere. Deduct cost of new battery. On startup if it's a bit noisy pull in the clutch to see if the noise goes away. Walk if it doesn't. Synthetic oil and wet clutches are a recipe for a bit of noise unless the bike is newish. Listen for the auto choke to go off and note the revs. Too many revs is suspect. Pull the dipstick (before and after test ride) and check the level and note whether the oil looks reasonable. Don't expect the oil to be anything other than black on a bike with some miles on it but it shouldn't be bubbled up or creamy. The test ride should use every gear and on a flat piece of straight road coast along at a reasonable speed and let go of the handle bars. If it pulls to one side or shimmies back and forth you probably have a fork, frame issue or just a very badly aligned rear wheel. Check the rear wheel alignment and if it's ok RUN. I'd definitely give it the berries on the test ride. The owner probably won't be impressed but any engine problem the bike has will show up with the bike wound on. On startup check the exhaust for blue smoke and smell it for oil. Do the same after the test ride. Check the exhaust ends for an oily sooty residue. I'm fussy with tyres and unless the ones on the bike looked virtually new and were what I'd normally fit then I'd automatically replace them. If the bike has had the baffles removed from the exhaust or a different exhaust installed and it didn't have a power commander or something similar I'd walk. Ask who did the mapping and what they did with the 02 sensor. If the bikes old enough and has a newish chain ask what sprockets they used. If you get a blank look for an answer Walk. I'm no fan of after market air cleaners either. If I ended up buying the bike then it would go straight to my mechanic for the following. Oil and filter change, new air cleaner element, throttle bodies, valves adjusted, suspension adjusted specifically for me, pads check and new brake fluid, fork oil replaced, rear shock gassed, maybe depending on mileage new plugs, new chain and sprockets, coolant flush, clutch fluid replacement and everything on the bike that could be lubed taken care of (ie steering head, swing arm etc) Depending on the age of the bike I'd replace all the hoses and cables. Maintenance and confidence go hand in hand on any bike.
TBone MC - all that you mentioned after "oil and filter change" + 2 new tires cost almost $2,000.
I bought a used V-Strom 650 for $4,250 ( 2012, 18k miles). If I'm going to spend another $2,000 on maintenance, then for $7,000 out the door I could have a brand new 2015, 0 miles straight from the dealership, awesome and reliable motorcycle
Why would you walk if the baffles are missing from exhaust? I am looking at a bike with missing baffles next weekend!
TBone MC might as well just buy a new bike if u gonna throw all that money at a used one as soon as u get it lol
Removing the baffles without re mapping computers etc is a half arsed job and what damage has that done to the engine.
The last bike I did this to was a Blackbird. The bike had 17000 k's on it and the work cost roughly 2 thousand $ but I ended up with a virtually new 10 year old bike and I'll be really disappointed not to get 200,000 out of it. Besides regular servicing it'll get the full treatment once a year when I'll get all the fluids changed plus everything that can be lubed serviced. Compared to a new bike it's a bargain as new bikes need servicing too. I bought a new vfr 1200f in 2015 after the Blackbird because I'd convinced myself that I needed something designed in the 21st century but that was a mistake because I only use the VFR as a commuter now and the Blackbird comes out to play on the weekends.
Always look down the length of chain or belt, if the swingarm is bent, the chain wont be straight... as long as the marks are even on the chain tension slider. Then hold the front brake and push forward, to see if the steering neck bearings are loose or you feel a bump, also move the bars left to right and feel for a centerline hangup, then do full range of motion and make sure the throttle don't rev up... BEFORE you ride a bike.
I love how this was filmed and edited
Good stuff. My own weirdest experience maybe was on two occasions. First, checking out a little trail bike for a friend - it couldn't turn right-handers. I found myself thinking, no, surely not, but it was true. It swooped quickly left at the drop of a hat, but took real physical effort, to make a right. Roundabouts are good for this. Second time, it was a trail bike again, and the oil was yellow. Really, custard yellow. That was not the weirdest bit, weird though it was. The really troubling thing, was the owner trying to persuade me this was perfectly acceptable for that type of bike, given its usage, and so on. Oh fu** yes, that was borderline creepy.
The guy went on, having regaled me with tales of his race-track exploits, and prowess at stripping and rebuilding engines etc, to accuse me of taking up his valuable time only to insult him by not buying the heap of s**t at the end of it all. A double-glazing salesman, a time-share rep in the making. A total wa*ker. You were correct to highlight first, the character of the person selling. The weird 'spelling puns' thing, is typical of people imagining themselves to be smart-mouthed and quick-witted. I don't know why, but it screams 'avoid' at me too.
One last thing, and it is true of not only motorcycles but almost anything you care to try to buy - 80% of what is on the market, is pretty much garbage. If you find yourself thinking there are lots of good examples out there, of what you want to buy - think again. Most stuff for sale, is a poor quality example of what it is you want to buy.
I have bought & sold several houses, cars, bikes, with my own money, and can confidently say, people hardly ever sell you a bargain. In fact, the best buy, probably is not at all at a good price. Conversely, a load of trash, is often sold way over what it is worth - because actually, it's not worth buying at all.
A word on ebay and the like, their 'ratings'. I recently saw a Police feedback project, the results of which proudly proclaimed 85% of the populace were content with the quality of the Police's work.
At first I felt slightly impressed - then I remembered my ebay experience. My rule is, don't buy from a vendor with less than 99% rating. In fact, 99% actually makes me feel uncomfortable. Closer, is that I almost exclusively buy from 100% or at least 99.8% vendors. 'Why' is a long story, but to begin with, there are a lot of vendors 'engineering' that rating. EG they get a bad reference, on say, a $9,000 vehicle, they get 10 friends in the business, to buy a small plastic item from them for $1 apiece, and get 100% for each of those, etc. By engineered, I mean faked.
Also, one other biggie, never buy a vehicle where any lie was told, nor where the vendor is not the owner, their name is not on the registration book or whatever. Why? Well, the most common issue, is the 'proxy vendor' will be able to dodge any awkward question by saying 'I would have to ask, I have never ridden/used this particular bike/item myself.'
If you find yourself discovering this sort of situation where, 'if only' some circumstance were slightly different (eg the real owner were available for comment) then you could be easily satisfied with an answer, think of that the other way around. In other words - somebody wanted you to be placed in that exact position, where as a buyer, you WOULD tend to think 'what a pity they are not available I am sure it would have been an alright answer...!' Realise, however few transactions you have done, the vendor has likely done guzillions. They have tailored, the exact sales situation, to get around a problem this machine has. To put you, the buyer, in the uncomfortable position of appearing paranoid. I mean, it's not as though people are always out to con others into buying a bag of s**t from them, is it?!!
Don't make me laugh - people are out there 24/7 flat out doing exactly that. Flogging garbage as good stuff, to people who are of a generous and normal disposition. Don't be generous when buying a used motorcycle, or anything for that matter. Think the absolute worst of the vendor's motives and techniques, their answers and their blocks, and you won't be far wrong.
The biggest lies I have been told, are two:
- Full Service History - turned out to be someone stole the dealer stamps, and used them once they set up their own repair shop, plus, the dealer selling to me, never made the single phone call I did, to find this out. Really? Reeeally? No, I didn't believe that either. So in fact, the lies simply multiplied as time went on...
- Number of previous owners - for a start, they will fudge sometimes, saying they mixed up 'total number of owners' with 'previous owners'. IE put one less than there actually is. This is a big difference, if the vehicle is only on its second owner. Makes you think, the vendor is the only owner, when they are not. For me, it was as I was literally about to leave the house, to travel 200 miles on a bus, to a seaside town to see the bike, I did a last-minute check, and this check turned up the bike had two more owners than he said. That, put it at 5 including himself.
This last one, was a very big lie about a key metric of a motorcycle. The bike being 8 years old, suddenly starts to look like lots of people didn't much like it. I can assure you, a bike can have a problem from new, not get resolved, and be around until at least year 10, because I bought one like that. The manufacturer had to scramble to meet emissions on what was an old model at the time - so they were not going to spend a mint, converting it to fuel injection, which was what it needed.
Instead, they reduced the size of the idle jet by one interval (#17.5 down to #15 or #20 down to #17.5) and the bike never went properly until I figured it out from scratch using a tuning manual. Both Suzuki and Yamaha were guilty of this with two of the most popular, reliable, and established middleweights they ever made. If it can happen with those, it can happen with anything.
Sorry, I said the last one - here's how I didn't notice the weak mixture making the bike run tragically on my test ride - I rode it on a blustery day in March. Don't do this - no windy-day rides. If it's windy/noisy, any exceptional conditions, arrange another day to seal the deal, and just explain why.
And, to emphasise the point made about starting the bike from cold - the one solitary time I bought a bike, and let this rule slide, the machine had a weird starting issue. I believe, it was a hairline crack in the cylinder head.
Puffed and farted and stank of petrol not being burned properly, for about 15 minutes. Terrible rough-running, impossible to set off. It was a Kawasaki 750 'Eliminator'. Once warmed, went like a jet turbine. No issue. Let it cool for maybe 20 minutes, the problem came right back.
The female owner had her boyfriend there, and they said it was a 'communication problem'. He accepted responsibility for starting it earlier, not having been told by her, I had expressly asked it be left cold on the day of me arriving to try it out. My guess, they had figured what was wrong with it, imported from the USA, and flogged it to someone not familiar with the breed, and so the 'soft valves' issue, this engine was renowned for, I never even had as a my main problem.
There are more wheezes, than you can shake a stick at. It is never-ending. Remember - almost all of what is for sale, is garbage at any given time. You ought to be able to eliminate it down to the handful of machines (or houses, or propelling pencils) by a simple paperwork exercise in advance of going anywhere. If you live where there is a dearth of examples, be prepared to go further afield.
Good video, and good luck!
WRAP IT UP
@@tilleypatrickpt right
i didn’t read that
Well done. You should do a YT channel on your experiences. I wrote off my jag a few years ago. Went to buy another one from a private seller. Decided to take it to a local chain shop for a presale inspection. They offer them for like $100 CAD. Glad i did
They wouldnt tell me if i should buy it or not but did show me all the cover ups done. Parts marked by a wrecker. Exposed electrical you would never see withough getting it up on a hoist. Sad, the seller was really cool. And likeable. When i confronted him he started BSing. Mechanic showed me how he figured it had been parked in a snow bank for a ciyole years. Rusty contact spots all over the frame. Needless to say i told buddy to get bent.
I regret clicking the read more option.
Look at the owner....absolutely! This will tell a lot. Certain types of folks are notorious for not doing basic maintenance and caring for their things.
I love your videos, man. That's some good shi......
Shirlock*
Videos
Man that is some good shifting real smooth
that start of the video made me laugh
amit gamez 5 points of rwrrrwrrrrrRrrrr
Very clever editing.
Just found this channel, doing my A1 license in germany for 125cc and this channel is really helping me, thank you.
"A bad bike will make bad sounds as it warms up" .... not always the case ... bikes with dry clutches can tend to sound like a bag of old spanners when warming up no matter how good or new the bike is ;)
*Ducati- yes.
TechGoat: Very good point, its about knowing the quirks of a particular bike. I owned a couple of old 70's cb 750 fours which have quite noisy/rattley cam chains. When it came round to selling them I had a good few guys who were "very concerned" at the top end rattle/noise and walked away. These engines were massively over-engineered and redlined on a test bed for 20 hours non stop by Honda during their R & D and not one blew, not one.
@@martynflynn8368 What is it about Honda's that all their cam chains seem to last 30 million miles, but start rattling/ticking 10 seconds after the warranty period ends? Every Honda I've known has a noisy cam chain!
@@TD-wi1zh Yep same here. Noisy cam chains but they seem to last forever. Good old, old Honda's.
12.3 VDC is not the best. 12.1 volts likely will not start the bike. A fully charged battery should read 12.6 or 12.7 after a full day at rest. Checking the voltage soon after the motor shuts off will show higher numbers like 13.2 if the charging system is working. Typical reads while the motor is running should be between 13.5 and 14.5 volts DC.
You're welcome.
13 volts will not necessarily start a bike either, you could get that with (9) AA batteries.
chris roberts
Seems we have an engineer here
some jackass replaced the battery with a big-ass capacitor bank when i bought an old cruiser and i'm still confused as to whether he was smart or stupid
the caps (used) cost more than what i paid for the bike but less than the factory battery (used)
ETA UNKNOWN well, the magneto is just a permanent magnet workaround to avoid coils anyway so it shouldnt be too hard to figure out with some experimentation
field coils*
non-field coils wont work, tried that
RyanF9-(Good Job, as always...) I see the comment regularly that this is the best Motorcycle related content on YT but after nearly exhausting your library I am convinced you have the best "Do-It-Yourself" content on the Inter-Web! I watch everything from Auto-Centric to Xylophone Repair and Race/All Terrain/Off Road/4X4 to DIY of every topic and I do not see the consistent high quality and creative thoughtfulness of F9. Nobody, Nowhere, Knowhow. I will shut up now and start at the top. Thanks for the great Videos and for sharing your talents.
when i go on craigslist and the guy says its super fast!!!!! I stay away from them.(no shit i know its fast its a sports bikes)
i feel you lol
I usually see that on ads for Ninja 250s.
Lol, can confirm a Ninja 250 is far from fast
First and foremost; Paperwork! Missing title, seller-registered owner mismatch, etc.
Found a bike that I almost bought. Guy was selling it for a guy who never transferred ownership from the guy he bought it from. Out of date registration, pink slip missing. In California, you can check online how much it will cost to register a particular vehicle. Just need the VIN & license plate.
@@flyingmerkel6 Right. A 5 minute online research and asking couple of questions to the seller can save you a ton of headache and expense. Especially right now, the State is broke and going after those back registrations like crazy. A seemingly super cheap vehicle can end up costing you 2x or more of its actual worth. If a seller is pressuring or rushing you or refusing to give clear answers, walk away.
I use the same tactics on ALL motorized vehicles I check out for myself or others. I've gotten pretty good at it also. When they start over explaining things, I either run or bargain depending on my findings. Got some GREAT deals for this. Great video man. Got that Voom insurance also. Thanks for the tips.
If you're buying a dirt cheap bike don't do any of the dog and pony stuff. It just means you're not worth putting up with.
Also assume that bike has been crashed, not dropped but hit the ground at speed.
i laughed several times, and being a lifetime bike guy you nailed it beyond what i expected. nice work.
Started watching your videos the other day and I absolutely love them! I have no desire to own a motorcycle as I have my cargo bicycle and I'm good, but your videos are so well put together and really interesting! You have a warm quality to your voice, you're funny and you're trustworthy. Keep it up !
damn the quality
“So uh are you gonna buy it I need ....shoes for my children. “
You mean tires for your track bikes?
Meth for his live-in slut.
The first three seconds was the first sentence I ever heard Ryan say. Subscribed on the spot and been a fan ever since.
Should have watched this before my most recent purchase
Every time I watch this dude I feel like I’m watching one of those really interesting documentaries you can turn away from.
i bought a 2012 klx 140L yesterday for a grand. changed oil, cleaned filter, and all that fun stuff. drove it all day and it rides like a dream.
Now give 5 signs about a bad used wife.
Do they sell test strips for that?
@@hillie47 They do but if it turns red you are fu***d
Crikey, imagine you had to buy a bike knowing you'd be stuck with it for life or have to pay half your lifes savings to be rid of it.
If it's incredibly well manicured it normally indicates it can't handle the ruff stuff.
Ehh, bitchbikes are known to not last long, you'll be reselling it in a few weeks, don't recommend. They are also known to be very loud (No, not a sex joke.) when starting them up. They are real money pits, it wasn't long before me and my previous had to part ways, for your own sake, just get a brotorcycle, they'll last longer and they are known to be reliable in the worst of times, plus they'd take a bullet for you. :)
I called the number on the for sale sign and a girl named Jenny answered.....
Did you lose your nerve and hang up?
Yes, Then I tried my imagination, but I was disturbed.@@GeneralChangFromDanang
Why does no one ever say anything?!
😂😂😂 She never changed it!
Was it 8675309?
This guy's videos makes you wanna buy a motor bike even if you dont own one (i do own one) its amazing content... keep up the good work F9!
Highly entertaining and informative. Even if I wasn't a rider I'd watch these vids.
Can confirm, never rode a bike, watched this video.