Buying a new bike is of course an exciting process, so the last thing you want is to take your bike home and realise there is a fault that you didn’t spot before you purchased the bike. To make sure the bike lives up to your expectation, there are some important steps to follow.
Inspect the pictures of the bike
If you’re buying a used bike, the likelihood is that you found the bike online, and despite the images making the bike look perfect, they can be very deceiving. Does it look like the owner has intentionally avoided taking pictures of a certain part of the bike? If so, it is likely that there is something wrong with the bike, and the owner is hiding the fault. If you really are interested in buying the bike, ask the owner to send over some more photos so that every inch of the bike is covered. The last thing you want to do is travel across the country, full of optimism about buying a bike, only to find out that there is a massive dent on the bodywork that the pictures didn’t show!
Insurance
Most people don’t know that you need extra insurance to test ride a bike, and test riding without this insurance is an offence. Having to get this extra insurance may seem like a pain, but we highly recommend that you get it before buying a bike. The comfort of a bike is paramount, and without having a test ride you will be unaware of how you feel on it.
Second opinion
When you go and inspect the bike, take another motorcycle rider with you to get a second opinion. Even if it’s the bike you’ve dreamt of having for years, take someone with you to bring you back down to Earth. In the buzz and excitement of buying a new bike, you could easily skip over a large fault as you desperately want the bike, but having a companion there may show you any potential problems that you avoided and save you thousands!
Has the owner been maintaining the bike?
Make sure you ask the current owner of the bike whether they have taken care of the bike. For example, ask how often they checked the tyre pressures. If they have frequently ridden on flat tyres, it is likely that the rims will be permanently damaged, causing you to have to purchase some new wheels at a later date.
You can also check the tension of the chain with a Chain Monkey to ensure that the chain hasn’t been neglected, and is in a good condition. It would also be of use to check the sprocket teeth for wear. A bike’s sprockets will naturally deteriorate over time as the chain passes over it thousands of times every minute, wearing away its teeth. If the sprockets teeth are sharp, they need to be replaced. For more information on chains and sprockets, view our previous blog.
Be 100% sure
When you go and visit the bike, don’t agree to buy it there and then, especially if you’re still not certain that you want to buy it. We advise that you go home, and really think it through and read reviews of the bike online before making a judgement. Hopefully you will end up buying the bike, but make sure you don’t panic and just agree to say ‘yes’, especially if you are not adamant that you want to buy it.
Read more: What to do with my insurance when changing a bike?
Read more: Top tips for getting the best price for your bike