Buyer beware!

What do you want to look out for when buying any bike, let alone a modern classic, which may be past its best? We asked engineer, drag racer, former bike shop owner and MOT tester Pip Higham

FIRST IMPRESSIONS

These are important. Is the bike clean? Is the front mudguard or either of the levers scarred? Are the key slots damaged. Is the seat ripped? Is the gear linkage sloppy? Is there any evidence of mismatched panels?

CRASH DAMAGE

Does the air-box fit correctly. Do the brackets and rubbers fit snugly? Air-box problems are an indication of a front-end bump, resulting in a bent frame.

PAPERWORK/NUMBERS

Is the V5 present and is the bike registered to the bloke you’re dealing with? Look at the engine and frame numbers: check for molestation such as file or grind marks. Is the immediate area suspiciously low, indicating that it’s been shaved prior to re-stamping?

ENGINE OIL

Now check the oil with fingers and then your nose. You don’t want to be smelling barbecued clutch or unleaded petrol, because both are very bad!

BATTERY

Keys in, lights on and press the red button. Iif the motor fires up with the lights on, it indicates the bike has a healthy battery.

ENGINE

After a short spell on choke the motor should settle to a regular idle. There may well be a bit of mechanical noise, but that should be akin to similar bikes you’ve heard.

WHEEL ALIGNMENT

If there’s a centre stand, pop it in first and run it up and down through the gears a time or two (taking sensible precautions!). This will allow you to look at the chain, rear sprocket and general wheel and tyre truth and concentricity.

LOOSE/RUSTY

Have a glance at all the engine mountings, particularly if you can see any faint rusty trails round bolt heads or engine plates. Iif there’s anything amiss, you’ll soon see relative movement between parts that should be bolted together tightly when the engine is running.

FRONT END

Get someone to sit on the pillion seat to unload the front wheel, grab it between your knees and tweak the bars. This will reveal tired wheel bearings, a loose mudguard or fork brace, and even loose handlebars or a baggy wheel spindle or yoke, either top or bottom. A quick spin of the wheel helps with a front-end tyre, rim and disc inspection. Check the fork seals for leaks, too.

BRAKES

With the front in the air, give a quick squeeze of the front brake lever while looking at any brake hoses and connections. Flexi hoses don’t last forever. Check the rear brake linkage and lines as per the front. Check banjo bolts for leaks.

TYRES

Check both tyres for bulges, cuts, orientation (lots of tyres need to be fitted in the right direction, just follow the arrows) and tread depth.

ELECTRICS

Pop the seat off and (if possible) the side panels. Run the motor again and go through all the electrical functions, lights, flashers, horn, the lot. Now turn the bars from lock to lock with lights and flashers on. It’s quite common for parts of the harness to ‘work harden’ over time. The harness around the steering head is subjected to constant back and forth movement.

BODYWORK

Have a look at any fairing brackets for signs of repair or corrosion, or loose fittings.

FUEL/TANKS

Inspect the tank inside and out for signs of rust. A fair few modern bikes extend the tank below the fuel tap and these spots can harbour unpleasantness. A look inside the tank should give you a good idea whether the ethanol-laden stuff we buy at petrol stations has resulted in water in the tank. Also, I’m not a fan of tank sealant. I’ve seen so many fail that my confidence levels are nil. Right now I only ever use Esso Super Unleaded, as currently the theory is that it still contains no Ethanol.