Westernbiker
Member
Posts: 1464
1st Place Street Kings National Cruiser Class
Phoenix
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« on: April 28, 2011, 07:19:29 AM » |
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So someone is selling an older bike that they say has 500 miles on it. Without taking it apart what would you look for to see if it was a 500 mile bike or is it a 100500 mile bike?
Disc brake wear?
General over all clean?
Tell me what your ideas are.
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![](http://weathersticker.wunderground.com/weathersticker/miniStates/language/www/US/AZ/Phoenix.gif") May the Lord always ride two up with you! |
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X Ring
Member
Posts: 3626
VRCC #27389, VRCCDS #204
The Landmass Between Mobile And New Orleans
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« Reply #1 on: April 28, 2011, 07:23:05 AM » |
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Check it over as best you can and see if wear on exterior pieces match the claimed mileage. I don't know if Carfax handles motorcycles yet but that would be another clue.
Marty
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People are more passionately opposed to wearing fur than leather because it's safer to harass rich women than bikers.  |
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hubcapsc
Member
Posts: 16785
upstate
South Carolina
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« Reply #2 on: April 28, 2011, 07:23:24 AM » |
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So someone is selling an older bike that they say has 500 miles on it. Without taking it apart what would you look for to see if it was a 500 mile bike or is it a 100500 mile bike?
Disc brake wear?
General over all clean?
Tell me what your ideas are.
If it was a Valkyrie, I'd look down in where people put all those chrome engine covers and where the reed valve for the smog thing is... it should look really good there. Take off the seat (and tank? maybe just the seat is good enough) All that stuff under there should be really clean. And behind the side covers... Not like my bike  -Mike |
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Bobbo
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« Reply #3 on: April 28, 2011, 09:26:27 AM » |
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Like a car, you can check many of the rubber items, like footpegs. If the footpeg rubber looks old, but with no wear, it probably has only 500 miles. If it's worn, then probably a lot more miles. Same with tires. Old looking OEM tires with no visible wear, or non-OEM? These aren't fool-proof, but it would be a reasonable indicator.
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czuch
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« Reply #4 on: April 28, 2011, 10:09:58 AM » |
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I'll second the rubber stuff. Also the steering head bearings.
100500 would have a hang-up at center. Go side to side It should be smoothe.
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Aot of guys with burn marks,gnarly scars and funny twitches ask why I spend so much on safety gear
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NiteRiderF6
Member
Posts: 559
Doug n Stacy
Mississippi
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« Reply #5 on: April 28, 2011, 10:16:59 AM » |
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Brake disc pads, also look at the disc to detect extended use.
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1999 Honda Valkyrie Interstate - SuperValk Mod - SS - Lots of Chrome!  |
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Westernbiker
Member
Posts: 1464
1st Place Street Kings National Cruiser Class
Phoenix
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« Reply #6 on: April 28, 2011, 10:45:16 AM » |
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Good answers guys thank you and keepem coming if ya can think of any.
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May the Lord always ride two up with you! |
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ArmyValker
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« Reply #7 on: April 28, 2011, 11:09:58 AM » |
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yep, a 500 mile bike should have like new brakes on it, and OEM tires (dry rotted probably) and just about everything should look brand new that's not rubber.
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mario
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« Reply #8 on: April 28, 2011, 12:56:06 PM » |
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i had a buddy tell me to look and feel under the fenders for rust and corrosion, too.
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Mario
01 Valkyrie Standard (sold)
12 Suzuki V-Strom 1000
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Spirited-6
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« Reply #9 on: April 28, 2011, 01:20:38 PM » |
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Give the GUY a LIE Detector test.  Car Fax will help, maybe.  |
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Spirited-6
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Kaiser
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« Reply #10 on: April 28, 2011, 01:31:27 PM » |
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As stated, tires should be about shot. But, in addition to seeing if they are dry-rotted, you can check the DOT date stamped on them. It's a four digit number with the year and the week of the year that it was produced. The year on the tire should be very close to the production date of the bike.
If the PO put new tires on to sell the bike, this obviously won't work.
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Westernbiker
Member
Posts: 1464
1st Place Street Kings National Cruiser Class
Phoenix
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« Reply #11 on: April 28, 2011, 02:14:53 PM » |
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Yea, has new tires.
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May the Lord always ride two up with you! |
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3W-lonerider
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« Reply #12 on: April 28, 2011, 02:34:47 PM » |
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one sure fire way of knowing..if the bike is in a state that requires state inspections..find out where he gets it inspected and go to that shop..they will have records dating back several years..there will be no dought on the mileage. all the shop will need is owners name and month of inspection.
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ArmyValker
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« Reply #13 on: April 28, 2011, 02:40:02 PM » |
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and/or you can run the VIN at the DMV if the PO is not the original owner. The mileage should be recorded at time of title transfer.
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Westernbiker
Member
Posts: 1464
1st Place Street Kings National Cruiser Class
Phoenix
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« Reply #14 on: April 28, 2011, 02:47:15 PM » |
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and/or you can run the VIN at the DMV if the PO is not the original owner. The mileage should be recorded at time of title transfer.
Would the title have the milage on it now? I don't remember if they do. California plates by the way. |
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May the Lord always ride two up with you! |
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Robert
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« Reply #15 on: April 28, 2011, 04:43:07 PM » |
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Another way is the bolts. They are coated so when there is much milage on them they turn a grey. They come from the factory kinda gold colored. The ones in the front cover around the oil filter and anywhere they may get dirt on them. They cant be cleaned to make look pretty again so there is no way alter there appearance. The brake levers should have no wear on them the pivots for them should be clean no running grease. Front forks should show minimal wear no pitting in the ends that bolt to the wheel. The coating should be intact. Any kind of pitting from the front cover to forks to crash bars. Windshield no pitting or scratches. Brake calipers no dust on the inside edges facing the rotor.
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“Some people see things that are and ask, Why? Some people dream of things that never were and ask, Why not? Some people have to go to work and don’t have time for all that.”
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old2soon
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« Reply #16 on: April 28, 2011, 04:53:13 PM » |
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Just got done servicing my 99 i/s with 43000+ miles on it. Lotsa gunk and build up on the front part of the swingarm. Some of that build up is cold patch. Hope this helps. RIDE SAFE.
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Today is the tommorow you worried about yesterday. If at first you don't succeed screw it-save it for nite check. 1964 1968 U S Navy. Two cruises off Nam.
VRCCDS0240 2012 GL1800 Gold Wing Motor Trike conversion
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ArmyValker
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« Reply #17 on: April 29, 2011, 04:46:55 AM » |
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and/or you can run the VIN at the DMV if the PO is not the original owner. The mileage should be recorded at time of title transfer.
Would the title have the milage on it now? I don't remember if they do. California plates by the way. Mine has a space for "mileage at time of transfer" but Missouri doesn't record that block, as all my titles are blank in that space. |
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