I think those people are smoking crack. You're not going to get the same resources of info as you would a modern bike. Back when I had my Radian those two resources were about the only two and the best. The Yahoo group was actually very useful, only a pain to use the format
How many KM is too much?
- Thread starter tazb
- Start date
Hey now that Apple is on crack, everybody's doing it.
So, apparently i've been told by a few people that there is a huge following of radian bikes, however i'm unable to find source of good info for radians with except to badrad website and yahoo user group.
Any pointers as to where is that following?
Those have been my findings too. I have all the manuals if you need them. Throw me a PM and I can send them to you.
Everyone knows it's the cool thing to do
Because of people like you I always laugh at people who go to get their services done at the dealerships, where half of the work is usually done half-@ssed, and the other half is not done at all.
I would hazard a guess that the large majority of riders do not service their bikes through a dealer. Bikes are very simple to work on compared to a car and most bikers are at least somewhat mechanically adept. Not to mention most dealers haven't figured out how to actually run a good service department.
My curent bike for instance has never been touched by anyone but myself. However I've kept a log of all the maintenance and repair work that I've done. Not for any future buyers, but more as a reference for myself as I like to keep on top it. I'll pass it on when I sell the bike, but I doubt it will make a difference as far who would be willing to buy my bike.
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Then unfortunately those people are going to bad dealerships.
This sort of detail would definitely boost the confidence in someone interested in your bike.
Me, for one, is interested =)
kenmclelland
Member
Once it rolls over 100k km I'm knocking on your door.
Depends on the bike and how the regular maintenance was done. Follow owners manual on when to do timing chain, valve clearance, etc...100k km is only 62k miles and we never used to worry until 100k miles which is 160k km.
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Mad Mike
Well-known member
KM is not the most important way to judge a used motorcycle, even small bikes can go 100,000KM without major overhauling when properly maintained. Maintainence is the key - you want to look at how well a bike has been maintained and stored.
Things I look at:
Excessive fade or whitening on the black plastic parts, rusty fasteners, chalky, black or or pitted aluminum parts indicate the bike was stored outside. More chance of electrical gremlins.
Leaks. May indicate infrequent oil changes. Small motors require adherence to scheduled fluid changes, contaminants attach seals and gaskets.
Unusual mechanical noise or vibrations while riding. These tend to show wear on bearings and moving parts.
Irregular idle. Might indicate mechanical or electrical issues.
Hard starting (make sure the bike is cold when you start). Will tell you a little about the tuning, starter and battery health.
Suspension oil leaks or cracked seaks - this is common, it's not typicall related to maintenance but it means you know the repair is needed now.
Bumps and bruises. Is bodywork cracked or repainted? ? footpegs or mirrors replaced? Again not uncommon and probably not serious if the bike passes safety. It does however reduce a bikes resale value substantially.
Any decent bike mechanic can give you an opinion at the time they do a safety. A little internet research will tell you of the common issues for the year/brand/model you are looking at.
Things I look at:
Excessive fade or whitening on the black plastic parts, rusty fasteners, chalky, black or or pitted aluminum parts indicate the bike was stored outside. More chance of electrical gremlins.
Leaks. May indicate infrequent oil changes. Small motors require adherence to scheduled fluid changes, contaminants attach seals and gaskets.
Unusual mechanical noise or vibrations while riding. These tend to show wear on bearings and moving parts.
Irregular idle. Might indicate mechanical or electrical issues.
Hard starting (make sure the bike is cold when you start). Will tell you a little about the tuning, starter and battery health.
Suspension oil leaks or cracked seaks - this is common, it's not typicall related to maintenance but it means you know the repair is needed now.
Bumps and bruises. Is bodywork cracked or repainted? ? footpegs or mirrors replaced? Again not uncommon and probably not serious if the bike passes safety. It does however reduce a bikes resale value substantially.
Any decent bike mechanic can give you an opinion at the time they do a safety. A little internet research will tell you of the common issues for the year/brand/model you are looking at.
