important questions when purchasing a used bike.....(advice needed)

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logix

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hey all, I've been riding for a few years now, have some general knowledge on bikes and plan on buying a used bike for 2014.......

private sales seem to be a much better price then what a local shop sells their used bikes for, however I have also heard a few potential issues with buying from a private seller.

also there seems to be much more choices when buying from a local shop....but as well i have heard some horror stories when buying this way.

in the end i know it boils down to doing your own research, being diligent with questions and trying to inspect the bike the best you can before purchasing, however i'm still looking for some advice from you guys as well.

also what shops would you recommend to buy from? The few i know of are Cycle World, Kahuna, Vos Motors, Ready Honda, Suzuki New Market......(although the used bikes at actual dealerships such as Ready/MOP, Suzuki Newmarket etc. don't come with as much choices as the others mentioned)..

thanks all!
 
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The shops that only sell used bikes seem to be shady, they mostly bring in bikes from the states in unknown condition. Private sellers are normally fine especially if they are the original owner of the bike. And new bike dealers get their bikes from trade ins and often know the history etc and seem less sketchy in general than used dealers.

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logix said:
hey all, I've been riding for a few years now, have some general knowledge on bikes and plan on buying a used bike for 2014.......

private sales seem to be a much better price then what a local shop sells their used bikes for, however I have also heard a few potential issues with buying from a private seller.

also there seems to be much more choices when buying from a local shop....but as well i have heard some horror stories when buying this way.

in the end i know it boils down to doing your own research, being diligent with questions and trying to inspect the bike the best you can before purchasing, however i'm still looking for some advice from you guys as well.

also what shops would you recommend to buy from? The few i know of are Cycle World, Kahuna, Vos Motors, Ready Honda, Suzuki New Market......(although the used bikes at actual dealerships such as Ready/MOP, Suzuki Newmarket etc. don't come with as much choices as the others mentioned)..

thanks all!
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The ones highlighted in red id run from like hell!

If you don't understand why do a search on here..


I prefer to buy a bike privately, this way i can meet the owner and see what they're about. Usually you can tell a lot about the way the bike has been treated just by talking to someone. Private sales i found to also be more willing to negotiate.

Dealerships are professional liars, they do this for a living and know what to say and what not to say and you have no idea what the real owner of the bike was really all about.
 
Paul1000RR said:
I prefer to buy a bike privately, this way i can meet the owner and see what they're about. Usually you can tell a lot about the way the bike has been treated just by talking to someone. Private sales i found to also be more willing to negotiate.

Dealerships are professional liars, they do this for a living and know what to say and what not to say and you have no idea what the real owner of the bike was really all about.
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this.
 
I gotta agree with Paul1000RR. I have always bought my used bikes from new bike dealers being trade-ins and although being convenient...certified just show up with cash change plates and off you go but you pay a premium for it, I am going through the process of purchasing a new to me zx14 all blinged out and like Paul say's it's nice meeting the owner and him presenting all the bills of his mods and getting a feel of how he rides and cares for the bike. Plus the bartering is a bonus and its a bonanza out there shopping at this time of year.
 
thanks guys for the advice - really appreciate it.

I read the posts about Vos yesterday and only found 1 thread about a bad experience? I imagine some dealerships have issues at times...does this happen regularly with Vos?

Also about Suzuki Newmarket, i found 1 thread as well but for some reason i could not read it....was getting errors (i quite possible a search function error)....

Has anyone had positive dealings with used bike dealerships?

Private sellers i've found at times to be very shady as well, unfortunately i havnt met any recently who were selling a bike they were giving genuine answers about....saying it's in perfect shape when in reality the bike seemed in rough shape.

What in particular is the best way to assess a used bike before making the purchase? I can't ask them to take the fairings and shell off to see if their is any internal damage on the spot.....
 
Also check out snow city cycle and can north motors
 
logix said:
thanks guys for the advice - really appreciate it.

I read the posts about Vos yesterday and only found 1 thread about a bad experience? I imagine some dealerships have issues at times...does this happen regularly with Vos?

Also about Suzuki Newmarket, i found 1 thread as well but for some reason i could not read it....was getting errors (i quite possible a search function error)....

Has anyone had positive dealings with used bike dealerships?

Private sellers i've found at times to be very shady as well, unfortunately i havnt met any recently who were selling a bike they were giving genuine answers about....saying it's in perfect shape when in reality the bike seemed in rough shape.

What in particular is the best way to assess a used bike before making the purchase? I can't ask them to take the fairings and shell off to see if their is any internal damage on the spot.....
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Bring someone along with you who knows bikes and knows what they should sound like when idling and running through the gears
 
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Jayell said:
GP Bikes.
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My only experience at GP Bikes wasn't that great... around 6 weeks ago I was looking at a couple of used bikes that they had.

First I was looking back and forth at these 2 bikes for about 20 minutes without a single person asking me if I needed help, I finally had to get someone to find a salesman to help me.

Second, when I finally did talk to the salesman, he was kinda dismissive and barely looked up from his desk as I asked questions.

Third, I wanted to know a bit of background on one of the bikes and wrote down my name, number and email for him to contact me. I gave him a few days, he never did contact me and I'm pretty sure that as soon as I got out of sight from his desk, he likely crumpled up my contact information and dumped it in the garbage can.

One last thing, they were unwilling to hold the bike for me until spring unless I paid a daily storage fee on top of the full purchase price.
The good thing about GP Bikes? They do have a ton of stock in both motorcycles and accessories, the store is huge and packed to the rafters. It's just a bit too big box for me, I certainly didn't feel like a customer, more like just another number coming through the door. Of course, that was just my experience. I've heard from others that they really like the store which is why I ended up there in the first place.

Places that I've had good dealings with are Kahuna, Ready Powersports, Cycle World West and Hully Gully in London. Buying from a reputable dealership is generally fairly safe as they aren't going to risk their reputation on selling sketchy bikes. If you're buying privately you can get some better deals, but you need to be extra careful inspecting the bike. There's lots of guides around that tell you what to look for in used bikes.
 
If you'd like I can send you a used bike inspection list (with pictures, etc.) that is fairly detailed. You won't get through all of it but at least it'll give you an idea. Shoot me a pm with your email.

Also other than general look over, have the bike ridden around a bit by the owner, bang through some gear, listen to the engine, put it on a stand and in first, rev it up.
probably the most important to me is getting a feel for the owner, ask him questions like

1. "what have you done to the bike?"
2. "what's been replaced on the bike?"
3. "When will the oil/chain have to be replaced next?"

It's good to ask questions about "when will this need to be done" rather than "when was this done" because it will show you that the bike owner is always on his game about bike maintenance. Anyone can take the bike to get an oil change, or change a really bad chain, but if they dont' know when it needs to be changed next, it's probably pretty sure that they will only change them when something breaks, etc.

Also straight out ask "Is there anything wrong with the bike" "has the bike ever broken down on you" etc. moreso to see how they react. IF they immediately blurt out "it's been perfect" and don't even take the time to think for a second about it, well..you know. Every bike has had some problem at some point if the owner has had it for a while.
 
I bought last year from apex in kitchener. I had great service there and am very pleased with them. they evwn have a customer appreciation day with free beer! can't beat free beer lok

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when buying used, run the vin before you even go see it, make sure there isnt a lean on the bike....i came across a few.
also make sure its in the name of the person selling it....came across a few of those as well...
 
EaZ8 said:
when buying used, run the vin before you even go see it, make sure there isnt a lean on the bike....i came across a few.
also make sure its in the name of the person selling it....came across a few of those as well...
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It doesn't have to be in the name of the person selling it. Some people sell for profit, some people can't afford insurance after they purchase the bike. I've bought and sold vehicles like that. It may not be legit but in most cases it is.

Also go to a dealership if you like to pay government the 13% theft money. I prefer private sales.
 
logix said:
thanks guys for the advice - really appreciate it.

I read the posts about Vos yesterday and only found 1 thread about a bad experience? I imagine some dealerships have issues at times...does this happen regularly with Vos?

Also about Suzuki Newmarket, i found 1 thread as well but for some reason i could not read it....was getting errors (i quite possible a search function error)....

Has anyone had positive dealings with used bike dealerships?

Private sellers i've found at times to be very shady as well, unfortunately i havnt met any recently who were selling a bike they were giving genuine answers about....saying it's in perfect shape when in reality the bike seemed in rough shape.

What in particular is the best way to assess a used bike before making the purchase? I can't ask them to take the fairings and shell off to see if their is any internal damage on the spot.....
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This is how i always do it:

Step 1: Email the seller. Ask if the bike is available, confirm all the details, ask what maintenance has been done, when and if he/she has records. Ask for UVIP, number of owners, how long they've owned it for, has it been wrecked, is it sold with safety, and what the bike needs.

Ive found that most people will reply with something like "everything is up to date, bike is perfect bro, super minty clean" :lmao:

Right off the bat this is gonna be difficult. The seller cannot understand a simple request and sounds about 14. I move on to the next bike... or if i really wanna push my luck send another email asking again for the details.

Once in a while you get a response with all the details you asked for. If the bike hasn't had 7 owners and is 3 years old, hasn't been dumped, and has actually been maintained i go take a look at it. My rule of thumb, and many people on here will blast me for it, if there is no bill to prove you did something like the valve clearance it hasn't been done.

Step 2: Go see the bike. If you don't know what you're looking for bring a friend. If everything checks out you got yourself a new bike :)

When you go see the bike ask the exact same questions you asked over email, notice if they line up or not.
Before taking it away verify the vin with the UVIP that you purchased yourself, and make sure everything adds up in the paperwork. If the guys name is bill and uvip says mike owns the bike you've got a problem. Common sense, but still...


Also if you find a bike on here you can search the posters history and get an idea what the person is like without ever even contacting them. If their recent threads include "I dumped my bike, how can i fix it cheap" or "my bike is leaking oil should i sell or keep it" you probably might wanna move on to the next one.
 
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DemonPig said:
It doesn't have to be in the name of the person selling it. Some people sell for profit, some people can't afford insurance after they purchase the bike. I've bought and sold vehicles like that. It may not be legit but in most cases it is.

Also go to a dealership if you like to pay government the 13% theft money. I prefer private sales.
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If the sellers name and location isn't exactly what the UVIP says im outta there.
 
Paul1000RR said:
My rule of thumb, and many people on here will blast me for it, if there is no bill to prove you did something like the valve clearance it hasn't been done.
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What about DIY?
 
Jayell said:
What about DIY?
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Many people do their own maintenance so receipts aren't always available, plus if anyone is like me I always lose mine.

I look for little things that would tell me how much the owner cared for the bike. If the tires are bald, chain is really dirty, oil is old or the bike is dirty then these things could indicate that the owner has been neglectful of regular maintenance. Most people who really care for their bikes won't let it get into really bad shape.

Of course, the caveat of this is that they could have just taken care of all this just before they sell the bike, but in my experience people that couldn't be bothered with regular maintenance won't be bothered to fix it up before they sell it.
 
Paul1000RR said:
I knew this was gonna happen...

Majority of the people ive talked to don't even know what a valve clearance is, never mind actually doing it themselves.
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Okay, fair enough. I do my own maintenance, including valve clearance, and document everything. Are you gonna buy my bike?
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