RevZilla there was rust on the chain the muffler, is that okay when buying a used bike? I’m looking at a tu250x myself and the chain is rusty and the muffler has some minor rust.
Don't EVER let someone hold your money while you go for a test ride. NEVER!!!! Leave your car in their driveway instead. If that's not insurance enough for them, move on to the next seller.
Ive had two friends who got jipped this way. One of the bikes were stolen, so had to reregister it. There was something wrong as well with it, idr exactly what it was.
That was a very well-presented and well-produced video. I'm a 51 year old that never had enough disposable income or time to stop working long enough to pursue my life-long dream of owning or even riding a motorcycle. Looks like you have an excellent channel for guys like me. Thank you very much for putting these videos together.
damn that paperwork. In sweden we have an app for that. Scan QR-code on registration papers. Punch in some numbers from seller and buyer’s driver’s license. done, effective immediately.
Johan Eriksson Here in Israel you just head out to your local post office and transfer ownership there, it is immidiately updated in the state's registry, plus - they can tell you if the bike is stolen/owned by a 3rd party for a small fee.
So many sellers don't even wash the motorcycle before posting it.... I never understand that. I skip those instantly. If they can't even put the effort in when they want to sell, they certainly haven't looked after it. On top of which, you can't see damage on a dirty bike.
wrong: You DO NOT hand the man the money before the test ride. when you get back he could just keep your money and say you were never there. if u try to keep his bike he will say you stole it. now you're out of money and facing charges. record, and make sure he says you can record, the collateral you are leaving and say why you are leaving it with him. then you can go on the test ride knowing you'll get your money back or the title when you return.
Spent half a year waiting for the perfect bike at the right price, ended up finding a buyer selling an 2000r6 with 25k miles for $1500. With little wear and tear, no dents, good pants, no mechanical issues. The guy was an old Asian in his 40's who has a family and no longer wanted to keep a sports bike around with his age, while he already owns a cruiser.
You can always ask the seller to test ride the bike for you. Tell him/her to ride it around and go through the gears, use the breaks etc while you watch them. It is just another option if you feel weird about handing over cash without actually making a decision on the bike yet.
Harley Davidson Breakout Ducati Panigale 1299 I think that would be obvious when you looked at the paperwork. The actual owner would be holding the real title
Yeah for sure! If a bank has a lien on the bike and the previous owner doesn't pay off his loan... The repo men will be at your door step to take your bike away. Best way to check this (in Ontario) is to get a used information package from the MTO (DMV). It'll tell you if there is a lien and if so, which bank. I bought a bike that had a lien. We both went to the bank together and I transferred my money to his account, which was then used immediately to pay off his loan and remove the lien.
It would be shown on the Title and Registration. As well as the Insurance Card as to who the Payee would be. I purchase a new car. Dealer forgot to put down part of the Wells Fargo name as the Payee when the sent the paperwork to the Insurance Company. I drove home. A week or so later I received a letter from Wells Fargo. That I was "In Violation" of the Loan agreement. Why? Dealer Services was not on the Insurance paperwork. Just Wells Fargo. Had to call my Insurance Company. Correct it. Send a letter to Wells fargo Dealer Services to prove it was fixed.
This is the crooked English speaking world way of doing things. The system you have is designed to make the public unsure about buying used vehicles privately which means people end up buying from a dealer with a finance deal. The better approach would be to have to documents with every vehicle. An ownership document and a smaller day to day registration document. Whoever owns the vehicle will hold the ownership document in the hand. If you're selling a motorcycle but the bank owns the bike then a potential buyer won't hand over the money as you won't be in possession of the ownership document. No ownership document, no sale. Can't the North Americans figure that out?
youngsoldier93 Yeah, and leave your cash and I.D with that person rather than with the owner of the bike. I've had instances the owner tried to scam me and took some cash out of the stash saying I didn't pay enough while I was out on a ride
This video helped me find the issues of a bike. The point that I should turn on the bike and let it run for a while unveiled the fact that it turned off by it self. It literally died after 8 minutes. Saved me 2K lol. 🙂
Always take an experienced motorcyclist friend when buying, because while you are a giddy school girl who just wants a motorcycle, your friend is calm and collected enough to notice potential damage and red flags about the bike.
I recently bought a triumph tiger for about 3k under blue book. Had paperwork for recent service, oil and filters, new gasket to fix a seep, battery, relatively new tires, valve check etc. Also has about 3k in factory extras. Selling due to lack of time to ride. Well taken care of, but cheap because it has 100k miles. So far I've put 500 miles on it and love it.
I find this video quite amusing as I bought a used TU250X as my first bike and did about 50% of these things. I was dropped off by my partner and did about a 100 meter test ride before handing over the cash and riding home in the rain across town on Saturday morning. I had done all the licence and encumbrance checks beforehand though and we have a roadworthy inspection requirement when selling.
Great video, Lemmy! I have bought I think seven used bikes, but this is all stuff I learned along the way. My favorite tip is asking the seller to meet you at a motorcycle shop. Yeah, you might spend $100 to inspect something you don't end up buying, but it is certainly better than missing it completely and ending up with a big bill. Besides, if you use the same shop, they are likely to cut you a deal if you explain your situation. The last used bike I bought was over $10K, and the seller was more than willing to do that for me and even offered to pay for the inspection if I agreed to the asking price.
Never, never buy a bike without a title. Some people will gladly write you a bill of sale when they've already defaulted on the loan and it's in collections. They will tell you the title was lost because they don't want you to see the lienholder on the paperwork. If it's truly been lost have them reapply for a new title.
Good tips Lemmy, one that I would add is sometimes a dealer or private seller may be willing to deliver it to your house if you live near by and haven't gotten your license sorted out yet. My first bike was delivered to my apartment fully fueled up and ready to ride.
I've bought two motorcycles on Craigslist, almost had the ninja 300 a bought a month ago for my wife. 14 ninja 300 abs with 3k miles for $2850 was a hell of a deal. I got him on his desperate to sell and chain was rusted a little with more than likely coolant and brake fluid hasn't been changed. I never did get a real mechanic, I test rode it and it was smooth. I would never buy a bike with custom paint or chiness fairings Also, For test ride dont negotiate on price until after you test ride it.
This is possibly the most useful video ever posted for prospective riders...EVER. Thank you, Lemmy. I take some things for granted though...new tires are a must. A tire that looked good, but is just waiting to fail because it's ancient could be a death sentence. Flush the fluids and do the brakes. Period. You'll have the money from a used bike versus buying from the dealership. Just about any bike is worth 2/3rds on the used market the moment it's been driven off the dealership lot. Don't pay for people's addons. Less tinkered with bikes are worth more for a reason. Sellers like to think that bikes are worth more as soon as the sun comes out after spring, but oddly, the reverse tends to be true. For those of us who hang around Craigslist like vultures adding to our bike collections, we know that fewer people are selling in late fall/winter, and the competition isn't there. Wait til about April/May, and the market will be bursting and prices start to drop fast as sellers realize they've listed their bike in a swamped market.
I bought a GIO Brand 250cc Dirt Bike for $900, it had a lot of trouble starting... but it was also -10C outside. We spent a while getting it to start, thank god I brought my licenced mechanic friend along, we got it started with a couple of bumpstarts. Even if the bike was in perfect condition, I was still going to take it to a Motorcycle shop so they can have a look at it. My mechanic friend says it needed some fresh gas and a tuneup, also the Throttle cable needs to be lubed since the throttle was a little bit sticky. Carb clean wouldn't hurt and the clutch lever broke when bringing it back home (Our mistake, accidentally had the bike resting on it, no worries, that can be fixed). The owner was very upfront and agreed to take $350 off of the cost (Originally $1250) so I could have it. I'm so happy I have it, I still need to get it fixed up and need to wait till Southern Ontario warms up though~
I just replaced the tires on 1 of my bikes and I couldn't get matching whitewalls so I was forced to get 2 different brands. Doesn't ALWAYS necessarily mean the person didnt maintain the bike or didnt take care of it if they aren't matching. I treat my bikes better than I treat my children lol
I watched my buddy selling a banshee. A state trooper showed up with his son to buy it. The trooper ran it into a tree and left. My buddy was afraid to sue. I would never let anyone test drive without such an agreement as he mentioned. And get it in writing or video. That's good enough for small claims. It's very informal.
Lemmy forgot to mention Insurance and Registration. Motorcycle Reg in NJ is $65. Insurance would depend on Licensed or not, CC's, Year, Type of bike (Sport or Cruiser) He did mention about purchasing from a Dealer. May cost more. Reputable shops will Safety Check before selling. My HD dealer(Example) would replace worn parts (Less than 50%) Some states have a Return Period. Usually a few days. To help protect the buyer.
One thing id like to add is not only is it very important to check the tire tread it is also extreemly important to check the age of the tires themselves as the rubber will harden up after 5 years or so and lose its grip, I have been stung personally before with this, also id like to add that the underside of the engine being clean could just mean the seller has given the bike a good clean i know myself when i sell a bike i clean it meticulously top to bottom underside of the engine and all
I think your acting was pretty good actually Lenny. I’ve purchased a used car and scooter in the past but it’s been a while and to be honest, I don’t remember exactly how they went down. Thanks for the refresh!
To everyone saying don't leave cash in hand before going on a test ride because your'e worried about the seller lying about being given any money. How often does that really happen? I've never heard a story like that from anyone.
Can you define a cold motor? Often times CL sellers choose to meet on "neutral" grounds, which means bike not being cold. How long of a cool down would be sufficient to cool it down? Of course weather and fairing will be a factor, but as a rule of thumb? 2 hours? 4?
Cold motor to me is that it's the first start of the day. (sitting over night) there are issues that still can be hidden. I have seen people jump the motorcycle battery and its fine the rest of the day (charging system works but the battery life is short). Others had a longer start to "prime the motor", I expected a 1-2 seconds on the starter button is enough. Any more and there is an issue (no including kick starting bikes). Make sure the choke works on old motorcycles. going back to the long start, a poorly adjusted choke cable will work perfectly on a bike that has run a couple of hours ago (not so good on a cold motor start)
Third Pedal put your hand on the motor if you can keep it there without burning the absolute fuck out of your hand then it's cold enough to were you can hear the bike fight to start if it's fuel Injected it'll start right up if it had carbs you need to adjust the choke and it should turn on after about 3 seconds of holding the switch
Mytwistedvoices4 This is my mentality as well. Old battery and carbs out of adjustment are easy and cheap fixes. I would be more worried about the worn internals that expand with heat and hide the early signs. And my question stem from that; How long does it take for the engine to cool down internally? To all "Captain-Obviouses" here: Don't be one. Read the original post twice. P.S. I already own my bikes, this is more of a public awareness type of question.
I got to say extra money is great. I've riden 20 out 25 years and dropped my 1st big road bike more times than I've crash, ever. PS ebay search mirrors and indicators, saved me loads.
Umm.. I'm never giving my money to some schmuck when I take the rig for a ride. How can any one imagine getting the money back if you don't want the bike?
I know this video is three years old, but I'm about to buy my own motorcycle after contemplating on it for over a year. So excited and the information in this video, I think, will be of use.
What i am getting at is sort of gain the experience ride well /safe then make the decision weather you want to buy a bike and actually ride more long term. Basically gaining the skill before investing in a bike (i.e knowing that you can ride and safe before you buy the bike)
Fantastic job on this video. You guys get straight to the point and keep it there. Ive bought and sold a handful of vehicles in my 27 years and yall nailed everything i look for and more, Keep up the good work! P.S. yall earned a sub
lol i just bought a new (starter) bike a couple weeks ago...... did all this except a couple things happy with my purchase very good video :D BTW fountain pen collector so love the pen!
Laying down cash; I dunno. I'd get a written deposit receipt with stated conditions of deposit and lots of id #'s. You may need that if deal goes south or if either party is some freak show.
NEVER HAND OVER CASH FOR TEST RIDE , my friend did this to buy a zx6r and LOST 5500 POUNDS in the UK. the guy selling waited for his neibour to go on holiday broke in his house had his ID the logbook the keys EVERYTHING he even sold the bike right outside the real owners house making it ;look; proper , when my friend returned HAPPY the guy selling had gone and the police were waiting because of a tipoff thinking my friend had broken in and was stealing the bike the ONLY reason the police beleaved his story was because the real owner had CCTV installed and NEVER told anyone so be warned .
The seller never checked to make sure the buyer was endorsed before the test ride. I find this to be a rather important distinction, and could potentially avoid some sort of criminal charges, negligence maybe.
I was about to buy an MT07 (FZ07) but they guy selling it wanted to meet up at night even though he was available during the day. I felt that was a fair enough sign he was hiding something.
You forgot about 2 very, very important things. When you check the oil, if it is over full, walk away. It is pretty common for bikes, especially sports bike, and bikes with a lot of mileage, to get a noisy valve train. You know the dreaded engine tap, everyone talks about. On of the oldest tricks in the book to quite it down, over fill the oil. More oil means a thicker barrier between the lifters, and the rockers, or the rockers, and the valves, and thus less noise. Although it quiets it down, it is not a fix, it will only hide the problem, and at some point you will be looking at a engine rebuild. So unless your buying the bike at such a cheap price, that a engine rebuild would be worth it, walk, no run away. Which brings me to the second thing, there are plenty of bikes out there. If you for any reason you have second thoughts on the bike, walk away, at the very least to sleep on it, then make a choice, you can always find anther bike. I will give you a perfect example, when I was looking for my first bike, I found a 96 Kawasaki Vulcan 750 for sale, for I think like almost $2k. I went there with the intentions of buying the bike. When I got there it turned out the bike was stored under a tarp, however that tarp had ripped. Water was able to get all over the front of the bike, causing the rubber seals on the front of the bike to be destroyed, and the multi function switch on the left side to not work. Despite that I was still going to buy it, what stopped me was I wasn't sure if you could just reseal the front forks, or if you needed new ones. If it was reseal that would be cheap, but if you needed new forks it would be expensive. So the guy agreed to have it towed a shop, the shop would look at it, depending on the price to fix it, we would agree on a price for the bike. But on the drive home, and sitting there thinking about, the more I came to realize, this bike was going to be more problems than it was worth, and I doubt the guy would be willing to sell it for the price I think would make worth it. So I told him not to bother getting to shop for me, I was going to pass, I ended finding my 86 Kawasaki zl600 for $1000, in perfect running condition. This was about 3yrs ago, with the exception of a set of tires, a $15 speedo cable, and the basic oil changes, I have not had to do anything to this bike. I am so happy I made to choice to walk away from that first bike. So unless you have a incredibly good deal, you cant walk away from, I would suggest not buying the bike the first time, go home sleep on it, then make a choice. If the bike gets sold, that's ok there is always anther bike for sale. In fact I always suggest going with out cash the first time, and make sure you let the seller know you will not have cash, this will avoid the possibility of you being robbed.
Lenny, I've got to say that each and every video is delight to watch and listen to. I find I don't watch or enjoy TV as much bot am always thrilled to come across another one of Revzillas videos. Oh also I learn so much. Seriously. I'm waiting for a NEW reality series to come about staring Lenny and the Rev Zilla team. Seriously. Ride safe and as always you're the best.
This is the RUclips channel I've been looking for. Thank you for all the tips and tricks. I subscribed after I saw your video about how to find a bike the is best for you
As far as tires, check the back tire specifically on sport bikes. I went to check out the bike and the middle was super bald from burn outs. Dude could be red lining it all day long
I wouldn't want a bike that I didn't have to fix up first, that's half the fun. I don't feel like a bike is mine until I've taken it apart and put it back together again.
Quite good. Thank you. I am, in fact, shopping for my first bike. I'll be sure to watch all your pertinent videos. Again, thank you. For guys like me who are just starting out, this info is quite valuable!
Know how to walk away. Old guy wanted 800 for a broken plastic, clutch needing Yamaha FZR1000. I have a 250 right now but it’s tempting when you first have the chance to get a faster bike.
I would do a little background research on the seller. Poke around their social media for evidence of mechanical abuse or crashes and have a look and see if you can find them posting for information on internet forums.
Damn this is really well made. All of these concepts can be applied for buying used cars too, so this vid is doubly useful since I'm sorta looking into both.
Ask for a clear title before even heading out there. I repeat. Ask for a clear title and verify the VIN just like the video said. I have gotten screwed before and the last thing you want is to own a bike you cannot ride legally.
One thing that should've been different, when you touch the exhaust, you want to touch it with your knuckles not the inside of your hand so if you clench you'll push away.
Interesting good tips however what if you just want to try riding for the first time don't mind in taking/passing the endorsment M test but don't want to invest money in buying a bike. Just want to try or go some where to ride a bike for a few weeks for a reasonable price. To know for sure you want to go the length and buy and ride a motorcycle
Basic selection should include what my courier colleagues did in the 1990's a bunch of %95 new FZ750's were available for around $5000 personally I scored the No1 Yamaha FZR600W 1989 engine number 3HG000001 the UK number 1 the test bike in all the magazines for $400AUD unregistered I spent $1200AUD on steering and suspension and registration a fellow courier Zeus was taking his girlfriend on a circumnavigation of Australia in a van and I was most respectful to Zeus and Fleur.
![Seungmin "그렇게, 천천히, 우리(As we are)" | [Stray Kids : SKZ-PLAYER]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/kAzmhLHePqU/mqdefault.jpg)
What bike is this?
It's a Suzuki TU250X. -DrewZilla
Thanks!
You're welcome! -DrewZilla
Same bike I used for my MSF course a year back ago.
RevZilla there was rust on the chain the muffler, is that okay when buying a used bike?
I’m looking at a tu250x myself and the chain is rusty and the muffler has some minor rust.
"You can't load a new motorcycle into the bed of another motorcycle." That sounds like a challenge
I bet it already happened in India
My thoughts exactly.
Cant you haul a motorcycle trailer behind your motorcycle lol deffinatly doing this one day
exactly
He obviously hasnt been to Vietnam either. Ive helped someone do it and have a video.
Don't EVER let someone hold your money while you go for a test ride. NEVER!!!! Leave your car in their driveway instead. If that's not insurance enough for them, move on to the next seller.
That’s bs. I’m not letting anyone take my bike and possibly drop it. Then try to hold their car
@@coreystrawn4532 could always leave the cash in the truck
Yeah what if they try and keep the money and title then report it stolen
Ive had two friends who got jipped this way. One of the bikes were stolen, so had to reregister it. There was something wrong as well with it, idr exactly what it was.
Hold deeeeeeze nuts!!! I wouldn't buy used unless it's from someone I personally know.
That was a very well-presented and well-produced video. I'm a 51 year old that never had enough disposable income or time to stop working long enough to pursue my life-long dream of owning or even riding a motorcycle. Looks like you have an excellent channel for guys like me. Thank you very much for putting these videos together.
Ask a friend or a dealership to give you a test-drive. :)
I hope you’ve gotten a ride since your post if not take a safety class they usually provide the bike you can learn and cruise a tiny bit
damn that paperwork. In sweden we have an app for that. Scan QR-code on registration papers. Punch in some numbers from seller and buyer’s driver’s license. done, effective immediately.
Scandanavia is always ahead of the curve
What scanner do you use and what's a QR-code?
John Trollinger What is fire and cooked meat?
Johan Eriksson nice
Johan Eriksson Here in Israel you just head out to your local post office and transfer ownership there, it is immidiately updated in the state's registry, plus - they can tell you if the bike is stolen/owned by a 3rd party for a small fee.
Step 1) gotta make sure there's gas in it
Step 2) make sure the keys are next to it
Step 3) wait until the owner turned his back
*_Only the parts that matter._*
PAKTRA PRODUCTIONS Savage 👅
+1
make sure he doesn't know who you are or you didn't contact him via social media with your real name
@@PACKERMAN2077 are u giving a tutorial how to steal a bike?
So many sellers don't even wash the motorcycle before posting it.... I never understand that. I skip those instantly. If they can't even put the effort in when they want to sell, they certainly haven't looked after it. On top of which, you can't see damage on a dirty bike.
wrong: You DO NOT hand the man the money before the test ride. when you get back he could just keep your money and say you were never there. if u try to keep his bike he will say you stole it. now you're out of money and facing charges.
record, and make sure he says you can record, the collateral you are leaving and say why you are leaving it with him. then you can go on the test ride knowing you'll get your money back or the title when you return.
DuckDuckDeuces ur dumb
I have left a deposit with the seller, never the full amount.
ok
kvvp_ on loser
lol are you angry every day you wake up or something?
wait a minute!!! you mean to say, you cant use an adjustable crescent wrench to loosen an Allen head bolt?! MIND BLOWN!
don't be stupid, you need channel locks
No you need a ratchet
All you need for everything is some rusty vice grips, side cutters, a hammer and chisel and some duct tape.
None of you actually work on shit. And if you do... Eeek...
yeh, hammer and chisel best ..
Spent half a year waiting for the perfect bike at the right price, ended up finding a buyer selling an 2000r6 with 25k miles for $1500. With little wear and tear, no dents, good pants, no mechanical issues. The guy was an old Asian in his 40's who has a family and no longer wanted to keep a sports bike around with his age, while he already owns a cruiser.
GHOS7v Nice!
did he have a hot asian milf wife?
Did you just say "old" and "in his 40's"? Those two are not equivalent lol
Alex A gf big tits?
old 40 year old Asians 🤔
You guys go out of your way to make free, informative, and even comedical content for us. Seriously, thank you RevZilla.
You can always ask the seller to test ride the bike for you. Tell him/her to ride it around and go through the gears, use the breaks etc while you watch them. It is just another option if you feel weird about handing over cash without actually making a decision on the bike yet.
You forgot 1 most important thing before you buy - do a check to see if the bike is owned by a 3rd party such as the bank or a financier !!!!
Harley Davidson Breakout Ducati Panigale 1299 I think that would be obvious when you looked at the paperwork. The actual owner would be holding the real title
how can you check this? I'm in California btw.
Yeah for sure! If a bank has a lien on the bike and the previous owner doesn't pay off his loan... The repo men will be at your door step to take your bike away. Best way to check this (in Ontario) is to get a used information package from the MTO (DMV). It'll tell you if there is a lien and if so, which bank. I bought a bike that had a lien. We both went to the bank together and I transferred my money to his account, which was then used immediately to pay off his loan and remove the lien.
It would be shown on the Title and Registration. As well as the Insurance Card as to who the Payee would be. I purchase a new car. Dealer forgot to put down part of the Wells Fargo name as the Payee when the sent the paperwork to the Insurance Company. I drove home. A week or so later I received a letter from Wells Fargo. That I was "In Violation" of the Loan agreement. Why? Dealer Services was not on the Insurance paperwork. Just Wells Fargo. Had to call my Insurance Company. Correct it. Send a letter to Wells fargo Dealer Services to prove it was fixed.
This is the crooked English speaking world way of doing things. The system you have is designed to make the public unsure about buying used vehicles privately which means people end up buying from a dealer with a finance deal.
The better approach would be to have to documents with every vehicle. An ownership document and a smaller day to day registration document. Whoever owns the vehicle will hold the ownership document in the hand. If you're selling a motorcycle but the bank owns the bike then a potential buyer won't hand over the money as you won't be in possession of the ownership document. No ownership document, no sale. Can't the North Americans figure that out?
Always bring at least one person with you just in case you get kidnapped or something xD but seriously do it
youngsoldier93 Yeah, and leave your cash and I.D with that person rather than with the owner of the bike. I've had instances the owner tried to scam me and took some cash out of the stash saying I didn't pay enough while I was out on a ride
Someone who is a 6'3 226 lb, albino dude in his 40's with a terminator haircut, packing a AR15 with a OCP, will though.
Dumbass.
Me and my best friend glock
Need to make some friends
This video helped me find the issues of a bike.
The point that I should turn on the bike and let it run for a while unveiled the fact that it turned off by it self.
It literally died after 8 minutes.
Saved me 2K lol. 🙂
RevZilla I have to admit your videos are part of what talked me into riding
Same.
Always take an experienced motorcyclist friend when buying, because while you are a giddy school girl who just wants a motorcycle, your friend is calm and collected enough to notice potential damage and red flags about the bike.
I don't know, I'd hate to give someone the money and go for the test ride come back and he says " man you didn't give me no money".
Mark Walters lmaoo yea
Mark Walters When checking out a bike bring a 2nd person as a witness and as backup.
@Alexander Leblanc This seems to be a good idea.
Record a video and also bring in a test ride contract and make them sign it. Check signatures
The cut-aways and inserts are hilarious 🤣.
Thank you for making this entertaining 👏🏾
I recently bought a triumph tiger for about 3k under blue book. Had paperwork for recent service, oil and filters, new gasket to fix a seep, battery, relatively new tires, valve check etc. Also has about 3k in factory extras. Selling due to lack of time to ride. Well taken care of, but cheap because it has 100k miles. So far I've put 500 miles on it and love it.
I love that you guys do awesome videos like this! This was really helpful.
Anti_Parallali b
L
I find this video quite amusing as I bought a used TU250X as my first bike and did about 50% of these things. I was dropped off by my partner and did about a 100 meter test ride before handing over the cash and riding home in the rain across town on Saturday morning. I had done all the licence and encumbrance checks beforehand though and we have a roadworthy inspection requirement when selling.
Great video, Lemmy! I have bought I think seven used bikes, but this is all stuff I learned along the way. My favorite tip is asking the seller to meet you at a motorcycle shop. Yeah, you might spend $100 to inspect something you don't end up buying, but it is certainly better than missing it completely and ending up with a big bill. Besides, if you use the same shop, they are likely to cut you a deal if you explain your situation. The last used bike I bought was over $10K, and the seller was more than willing to do that for me and even offered to pay for the inspection if I agreed to the asking price.
Never, never buy a bike without a title. Some people will gladly write you a bill of sale when they've already defaulted on the loan and it's in collections. They will tell you the title was lost because they don't want you to see the lienholder on the paperwork. If it's truly been lost have them reapply for a new title.
mchristr TITLE IS KING!!!
The production quality, and quality of presentation in RevZilla videos is through the roof!
This is actually a fortnine level quality video
Good tips Lemmy, one that I would add is sometimes a dealer or private seller may be willing to deliver it to your house if you live near by and haven't gotten your license sorted out yet. My first bike was delivered to my apartment fully fueled up and ready to ride.
I've bought two motorcycles on Craigslist, almost had the ninja 300 a bought a month ago for my wife. 14 ninja 300 abs with 3k miles for $2850 was a hell of a deal. I got him on his desperate to sell and chain was rusted a little with more than likely coolant and brake fluid hasn't been changed.
I never did get a real mechanic, I test rode it and it was smooth.
I would never buy a bike with custom paint or chiness fairings
Also, For test ride dont negotiate on price until after you test ride it.
I just bought a BMW s1000rr and I love it
revently got a 2004 zx12r with 3,500 miles. I replaced the tires, changed oil/brake fluid and coolant. runs/rides great!
This is possibly the most useful video ever posted for prospective riders...EVER. Thank you, Lemmy.
I take some things for granted though...new tires are a must. A tire that looked good, but is just waiting to fail because it's ancient could be a death sentence.
Flush the fluids and do the brakes. Period. You'll have the money from a used bike versus buying from the dealership. Just about any bike is worth 2/3rds on the used market the moment it's been driven off the dealership lot.
Don't pay for people's addons. Less tinkered with bikes are worth more for a reason.
Sellers like to think that bikes are worth more as soon as the sun comes out after spring, but oddly, the reverse tends to be true. For those of us who hang around Craigslist like vultures adding to our bike collections, we know that fewer people are selling in late fall/winter, and the competition isn't there. Wait til about April/May, and the market will be bursting and prices start to drop fast as sellers realize they've listed their bike in a swamped market.
Respect for openly stating that it was aweful acting. got my upvote.
I bought a GIO Brand 250cc Dirt Bike for $900, it had a lot of trouble starting... but it was also -10C outside. We spent a while getting it to start, thank god I brought my licenced mechanic friend along, we got it started with a couple of bumpstarts. Even if the bike was in perfect condition, I was still going to take it to a Motorcycle shop so they can have a look at it. My mechanic friend says it needed some fresh gas and a tuneup, also the Throttle cable needs to be lubed since the throttle was a little bit sticky. Carb clean wouldn't hurt and the clutch lever broke when bringing it back home (Our mistake, accidentally had the bike resting on it, no worries, that can be fixed). The owner was very upfront and agreed to take $350 off of the cost (Originally $1250) so I could have it. I'm so happy I have it, I still need to get it fixed up and need to wait till Southern Ontario warms up though~
8:23/8:24 "foreshadowing": this is pure gold!
I just replaced the tires on 1 of my bikes and I couldn't get matching whitewalls so I was forced to get 2 different brands. Doesn't ALWAYS necessarily mean the person didnt maintain the bike or didnt take care of it if they aren't matching. I treat my bikes better than I treat my children lol
I watched my buddy selling a banshee. A state trooper showed up with his son to buy it. The trooper ran it into a tree and left. My buddy was afraid to sue.
I would never let anyone test drive without such an agreement as he mentioned. And get it in writing or video. That's good enough for small claims. It's very informal.
Lemmy forgot to mention Insurance and Registration. Motorcycle Reg in NJ is $65. Insurance would depend on Licensed or not, CC's, Year, Type of bike (Sport or Cruiser) He did mention about purchasing from a Dealer. May cost more. Reputable shops will Safety Check before selling. My HD dealer(Example) would replace worn parts (Less than 50%) Some states have a Return Period. Usually a few days. To help protect the buyer.
In New York State bikes prior to 1972 do not have a title. I think that is the year, same goes for cars and trucks
Just bought a 2018 MT10 for 9400 with 780 miles. I'm happy
One thing id like to add is not only is it very important to check the tire tread it is also extreemly important to check the age of the tires themselves as the rubber will harden up after 5 years or so and lose its grip, I have been stung personally before with this, also id like to add that the underside of the engine being clean could just mean the seller has given the bike a good clean i know myself when i sell a bike i clean it meticulously top to bottom underside of the engine and all
I think your acting was pretty good actually Lenny. I’ve purchased a used car and scooter in the past but it’s been a while and to be honest, I don’t remember exactly how they went down. Thanks for the refresh!
To everyone saying don't leave cash in hand before going on a test ride because your'e worried about the seller lying about being given any money. How often does that really happen? I've never heard a story like that from anyone.
Can you define a cold motor? Often times CL sellers choose to meet on "neutral" grounds, which means bike not being cold. How long of a cool down would be sufficient to cool it down? Of course weather and fairing will be a factor, but as a rule of thumb? 2 hours? 4?
Third Pedal touch it is the engine cold? Yes? cold motor. No? not cold motor
Cold motor to me is that it's the first start of the day. (sitting over night) there are issues that still can be hidden. I have seen people jump the motorcycle battery and its fine the rest of the day (charging system works but the battery life is short). Others had a longer start to "prime the motor", I expected a 1-2 seconds on the starter button is enough. Any more and there is an issue (no including kick starting bikes). Make sure the choke works on old motorcycles. going back to the long start, a poorly adjusted choke cable will work perfectly on a bike that has run a couple of hours ago (not so good on a cold motor start)
Third Pedal cold motor = air temprature
Third Pedal put your hand on the motor if you can keep it there without burning the absolute fuck out of your hand then it's cold enough to were you can hear the bike fight to start if it's fuel Injected it'll start right up if it had carbs you need to adjust the choke and it should turn on after about 3 seconds of holding the switch
Mytwistedvoices4 This is my mentality as well.
Old battery and carbs out of adjustment are easy and cheap fixes. I would be more worried about the worn internals that expand with heat and hide the early signs. And my question stem from that; How long does it take for the engine to cool down internally?
To all "Captain-Obviouses" here:
Don't be one. Read the original post twice.
P.S. I already own my bikes, this is more of a public awareness type of question.
"Cover your ears, she's loud"
-Later on in the video it putters along nice and quitely
I got to say extra money is great. I've riden 20 out 25 years and dropped my 1st big road bike more times than I've crash, ever.
PS ebay search mirrors and indicators, saved me loads.
Umm.. I'm never giving my money to some schmuck when I take the rig for a ride. How can any one imagine getting the money back if you don't want the bike?
Excellent idea!
Yeah I would just let him take a picture of my driver's license and my face. If I run off he can hand it to the cops.
Personally I’m not going to meet anyone from the internet without a second person around anyway I flat out don’t trust people
I know this video is three years old, but I'm about to buy my own motorcycle after contemplating on it for over a year. So excited and the information in this video, I think, will be of use.
I’m checking out a CBR 250 2012 this will be my first bike I’m excited!
did you get it lol?
Lemmy for president
What i am getting at is sort of gain the experience ride well /safe then make the decision weather you want to buy a bike and actually ride more long term. Basically gaining the skill before investing in a bike (i.e knowing that you can ride and safe before you buy the bike)
You guys are awesome!!!! Keep em coming. Could have used you guys back in the 80s when I bought my first bike . Still riding
I use buy my bikes from the junkyard because i can fix them but now getting older & injure from a fall it hard work on them now!
Fantastic job on this video. You guys get straight to the point and keep it there. Ive bought and sold a handful of vehicles in my 27 years and yall nailed everything i look for and more, Keep up the good work!
P.S. yall earned a sub
lol i just bought a new (starter) bike a couple weeks ago...... did all this except a couple things happy with my purchase very good video :D BTW fountain pen collector so love the pen!
Laying down cash; I dunno. I'd get a written deposit receipt with stated conditions of deposit and lots of id #'s. You may need that if deal goes south or if either party is some freak show.
This was a great video into the process of buying a used motorcycle. Keep the content coming!
Where r you?
Decent choice of pen too with the TWSBI.
That money and test ride...is why I will always go through a dealer or consignment shop, even if I have to pay a little bit more
"bike has never been down"
Always scares me away, I remember being new
Stumbled across this vid, I just bought my first bike and it happens to be a Suzuki 250x, fancy that!
NEVER HAND OVER CASH FOR TEST RIDE , my friend did this to buy a zx6r and LOST 5500 POUNDS in the UK. the guy selling waited for his neibour to go on holiday broke in his house had his ID the logbook the keys EVERYTHING he even sold the bike right outside the real owners house making it ;look; proper , when my friend returned HAPPY the guy selling had gone and the police were waiting because of a tipoff thinking my friend had broken in and was stealing the bike the ONLY reason the police beleaved his story was because the real owner had CCTV installed and NEVER told anyone so be warned .
🤣
Just gonna quickly shout out the TWSBI Eco used to sign the paperwork. Love a good fountain pen!
The seller never checked to make sure the buyer was endorsed before the test ride. I find this to be a rather important distinction, and could potentially avoid some sort of criminal charges, negligence maybe.
dont forget to write up a receipt to document the transaction and get it signed by the seller
I was about to buy an MT07 (FZ07) but they guy selling it wanted to meet up at night even though he was available during the day. I felt that was a fair enough sign he was hiding something.
Maybe he was hiding a knife :D
Maybe the paint was not good cuz at night u will not notice anything
Capital Punishment Always inspect in the LIGHT OF DAY.
You forgot about 2 very, very important things. When you check the oil, if it is over full, walk away. It is pretty common for bikes, especially sports bike, and bikes with a lot of mileage, to get a noisy valve train. You know the dreaded engine tap, everyone talks about. On of the oldest tricks in the book to quite it down, over fill the oil. More oil means a thicker barrier between the lifters, and the rockers, or the rockers, and the valves, and thus less noise. Although it quiets it down, it is not a fix, it will only hide the problem, and at some point you will be looking at a engine rebuild. So unless your buying the bike at such a cheap price, that a engine rebuild would be worth it, walk, no run away. Which brings me to the second thing, there are plenty of bikes out there. If you for any reason you have second thoughts on the bike, walk away, at the very least to sleep on it, then make a choice, you can always find anther bike. I will give you a perfect example, when I was looking for my first bike, I found a 96 Kawasaki Vulcan 750 for sale, for I think like almost $2k. I went there with the intentions of buying the bike. When I got there it turned out the bike was stored under a tarp, however that tarp had ripped. Water was able to get all over the front of the bike, causing the rubber seals on the front of the bike to be destroyed, and the multi function switch on the left side to not work. Despite that I was still going to buy it, what stopped me was I wasn't sure if you could just reseal the front forks, or if you needed new ones. If it was reseal that would be cheap, but if you needed new forks it would be expensive. So the guy agreed to have it towed a shop, the shop would look at it, depending on the price to fix it, we would agree on a price for the bike. But on the drive home, and sitting there thinking about, the more I came to realize, this bike was going to be more problems than it was worth, and I doubt the guy would be willing to sell it for the price I think would make worth it. So I told him not to bother getting to shop for me, I was going to pass, I ended finding my 86 Kawasaki zl600 for $1000, in perfect running condition. This was about 3yrs ago, with the exception of a set of tires, a $15 speedo cable, and the basic oil changes, I have not had to do anything to this bike. I am so happy I made to choice to walk away from that first bike. So unless you have a incredibly good deal, you cant walk away from, I would suggest not buying the bike the first time, go home sleep on it, then make a choice. If the bike gets sold, that's ok there is always anther bike for sale. In fact I always suggest going with out cash the first time, and make sure you let the seller know you will not have cash, this will avoid the possibility of you being robbed.
@ZLA Lemmy underpriced? I think that's what he meant by a really good deal.
Lenny, I've got to say that each and every video is delight to watch and listen to. I find I don't watch or enjoy TV as much bot am always thrilled to come across another one of Revzillas videos. Oh also I learn so much. Seriously. I'm waiting for a NEW reality series to come about staring Lenny and the Rev Zilla team. Seriously. Ride safe and as always you're the best.
Wow! One of the best RUclips channels around. So helpful and professionally made. Thank you!
This is the RUclips channel I've been looking for. Thank you for all the tips and tricks. I subscribed after I saw your video about how to find a bike the is best for you
As far as tires, check the back tire specifically on sport bikes. I went to check out the bike and the middle was super bald from burn outs. Dude could be red lining it all day long
rode that bike at msf, great little machine. my first love.
Right, seeing the TWSBI Eco at 10:38 has officially convinced me to get a motorbike.
I've never ridden a motorcycle before but I want to buy one
Do it!
got my first bike today - a damn nice Yamaha Virago ;-)
Great video, great explanation, funnily explained, entertaining. Always coming back to RevZilla‘s channel.
Best Motorbike channel on RUclips hands down. Entertaining and super informative 😁
I wouldn't want a bike that I didn't have to fix up first, that's half the fun. I don't feel like a bike is mine until I've taken it apart and put it back together again.
Porschenutist Either one of yall want to come down to arkansas and buy a 82 kz440 off me? Works, just tired of wrenching for now
I'm from little rock how much??
In my home country, 2 years ago model cost pretty much the same thing as the current year model. It sucks!
well I failed miserably and for that I paid dearly lol thanks guys I know next time
Nate Silva what did you buy
You guys really know how to make a high quality video, great production values!
THANK YOU that is the exact bike i wanted to buy(suzuki tu250x). just in time
The pony tail guy looks like the huskier version of Jason Momoa (Aquaman)
Quite good. Thank you. I am, in fact, shopping for my first bike. I'll be sure to watch all your pertinent videos. Again, thank you. For guys like me who are just starting out, this info is quite valuable!
Thanks for the tips dude, really help me for choosing my first bike!
Know how to walk away. Old guy wanted 800 for a broken plastic, clutch needing Yamaha FZR1000. I have a 250 right now but it’s tempting when you first have the chance to get a faster bike.
I would do a little background research on the seller. Poke around their social media for evidence of mechanical abuse or crashes and have a look and see if you can find them posting for information on internet forums.
Damn this is really well made. All of these concepts can be applied for buying used cars too, so this vid is doubly useful since I'm sorta looking into both.
Ask for a clear title before even heading out there.
I repeat. Ask for a clear title and verify the VIN just like the video said.
I have gotten screwed before and the last thing you want is to own a bike you cannot ride legally.
Another TIP: When looking at the vehicle, make sure the owner has government ID that matches the title :)
Very helpful work, guys. Also, the video quality is excellent! Doing research into a first-time bike now...
One thing that should've been different, when you touch the exhaust, you want to touch it with your knuckles not the inside of your hand so if you clench you'll push away.
I love how he tightens a bolt that requires an alan key, but uses an adjustable wrench 2:25
Interesting good tips however what if you just want to try riding for the first time don't mind in taking/passing the endorsment M test but don't want to invest money in buying a bike. Just want to try or go some where to ride a bike for a few weeks for a reasonable price. To know for sure you want to go the length and buy and ride a motorcycle
Great video! Im just starting out, I’m looking to get myself a bike in the near future and this helped a lot!
Basic selection should include what my courier colleagues did in the 1990's a bunch of %95 new FZ750's were available for around $5000 personally I scored the No1 Yamaha FZR600W 1989 engine number 3HG000001 the UK number 1 the test bike in all the magazines for $400AUD unregistered I spent $1200AUD on steering and suspension and registration a fellow courier Zeus was taking his girlfriend on a circumnavigation of Australia in a van and I was most respectful to Zeus and Fleur.
Hey I bought one that’s broke down but ima do it up right and show it some love.
It helps me a lot!! Thanks for uploading. More power to your show! GREETING HERE FROM PHILIPPINES
a lot of dualsport riders run mismatch tires
LOL, adjustable wrench on Machine Bolt @ 2:28
This video gave me major shop class nostalgia