buying a used bike - Are Enduros "hard" on a bike

Dave L

Dave L

Well-known member
I am looking at a bike with around 10,000km on it, 5 years old. When I asked about maintenance I was told that the oil was always changed every 800km. I also asked about how loud the aftermarket muffler was because I want to ride in the Simcoe forest as they have strict noise regulations. The seller told me that the bike always passed the noise tests at the enduros he has done. I am all for taking abike offroad and using it the way it was supposed to be used, However I am not familiar with enduros, would the bikes life of doing enduros affect the bikes longer term reliability. Could it be a time bomb??

This would potentially be my first bike and although I am handy I really dont feel like rebuilding a POS because its been flogged to death. I still have to see it, the pictures show a nice clean bike. Is there anything specific things I should look for?
 
An enduro is basically a race through the forest. I wouldnt classify it as abuse. When I ride enduros it is no different from riding in the woods in a non race with friends.
 
Bent components. Frame skid plate forks wheels. Check to make sure the exhaust header isn't caved in. All very common problems with a race bike. 94 db is the exhaust limit for Canadian enduro racing. That's not all that loud. Mine is about 75 db and its pretty quiet. Generally race bikes are heavily maintained but check the colour of the oil. That's pretty much it as far as I can think of.
 
"You'll be much better off buying an ex-racer when looking at off road bikes."

+1

Unless it was ridden by 1 of a handful of really fast guys the bike was trail ridden. However, whether it was a fast enduro guy or not it was more than likely well maintained if he was racing and relying on it.

If it's 5 years old then it's a 2007 and bent forks or frames would be rare and very obvious. It's also likely a 4 stroke.

Befor going to see it check the web for owners groups. See what mods & fixes are advocated and make notes regarding what to ask about or look for. It is best if it's stock but that's pretty rare.

With the bike on a stand (both wheels off the ground) Here's what I would look for/at:

Check the condition of the wheels. Rim dents, loose or busted spokes. Rim dents happen and if it's a small one it's no big deal. Busted or loose spokes indicate laziness when it comes to maintenance. Check the brakes. Rotors should be in good shape with minimal scoring or discoloration. Pads need to be replaced frequently, particularily in sandy or muddy conditions. Check the brake fluid, it should be clear. If it's dark and not transparent (in the back) it's been boiled and is a sign of hard use. Not that hard use is bad but not changing the fluid is.

Check wheel & swingarm berrings for side play. Again, they do wear out, albeit slowly with average use but age quickly for a top level rider or crappy maintainer. You should check the steering head bearings too. 20 years ago they would wear out fairly quickly but not so much nowadays but it's worth checking. With the front wheel off the ground grab the bottom of both fork legs from the front and pull and tug strait ahead. There should be NO play whatsoever.

Chain & sprockets, not necessarily expensive to replace but should ALWAYS be kept in good shape. Sharp, broken or mis-shaped teeth are no good as is excessive side to side play in the chain.

Check suspension action. Both ends should move freely with no squeaks etc. Check for leaks at both ends. Also make sure the adjustment screws are OK. These are sometimes brass and a ham-fisted owner can screw them up. Out of curiousity unscrew the air bleeder screws on the forks to see if there is alot of air in them. Myself and the guys I rode with would maintain our bikes obsessively on a weekly or bi-weekly basis. there was NEVER a buildup of air in the forks, after the days of air assist mind you.

Check the crankcase for leaks. Drain a bit of oil, is it clean? Is it new? Do you still have the old stuff? If it's in a bucket check to see if there's debris on the bottom. Check the action of the gear shift. Positive and precise or loose and sloppy?

Check the air filter and air box. Clean or dirty? Is there dirt in the air box? If there is and the filter is in poor shape I would be somewhat concerned depending on price.

Make sure there are no oil leaks around the head or base gasket, also the valve cover, again for a 2007 there shouldn't be.

Check the coolant in the rad. It should be in good shape and at the proper level with no sign of contamination.

Find out what kind of aftermarket exhaust is on it. make sure it has a spark arrestor. Ask if he still has the original.

There's a good shop in Barrie (Mission Cycle I think) they might be helpful.

If it's a guy who's raced enduros and looked after the bike (most racers) then it will be fine and he won't mind you looking it over carefully. If he has any issues with close inspection....walk.

Good luck. Searching for a bike can be alot of fun too. I've met some REALLY good guys and learned alot from them over the years.
 
Was gonna say the same thing. Race bikes are usually better looked after than trail or "play" bikes.
My race bike is my baby, and as soon as something is wrong I fix it. And I check it over weekly to make sure it's ready to race. Since it does get used hard I do the maintenance at factory intervals so I avoid any costly fixes later.

Trail or play bikes get ridden and then put away, then ridden. Minor issues get overlooked as long as it runs good enough, and generally maintenance gets over looked as they say they aren't riding it hard enough to be that anal.

My 2010 has 2 1/2 seasons on it, and aside from expected cosmetic blemishes from racing mx it is in great shape.
 
rmemedic said:
...Trail or play bikes get ridden and then put away, then ridden. Minor issues get overlooked as long as it runs good enough...
Click to expand...

That's generally true about any vehicle isn't it? You might even say people who ride motorcycles are the nerds of driving, because even someone who knows very little about their motorcycle still usually knows 50% more about their vehicle than someone who knows very little about their car. (This doesn't include the average scooter rider, sorry but it doesn't.)

Anyways just an observation and doesn't help OP I guess so, carry on.
 
joeboo said:
That's generally true about any vehicle isn't it? You might even say people who ride motorcycles are the nerds of driving, because even someone who knows very little about their motorcycle still usually knows 50% more about their vehicle than someone who knows very little about their car. (This doesn't include the average scooter rider, sorry but it doesn't.)

Anyways just an observation and doesn't help OP I guess so, carry on.
Click to expand...

There are still some hopelessly oblivious riders out there.. But ya.
 
You dont say the size or kind of bike.But I myself would keep looking,thats alot of milage for a five year old enduro bike.So im gessing it has been street ridden,you must be able to get a bike with less milage.Are you looking for a offroad bike or a bike that is blue plated?
 
Sorry, I am looking at a 250 dual sport. In an interesting turn of events my wife thinks its a bad idea to buy used, she is afraid of repairs. I can be a little OCD with stuff and bringing a used bike up to scratch will certainly add some cost. SO I took a drive over to Honda, The CRF250L is pretty tough to argue against. I have a sales rep looking for one for me today.
 
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