What to do after I get a bike? | GTAMotorcycle.com

What to do after I get a bike?

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Daylindafung

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Quick question. I have just bought my first bike. The bike is a kawasaki ninja 250r with 6000k on it.It was said on the paper that there were 5 owners before me. The most recent owner only had it for a month. The bike has been done safety from the seller, but it sounds like he did some under the table stuff. The seller does not know much about the bike since he only did own it for one month and rode it for only 300k. He did not ask the previous owners for any maintenance work done before. My friend (6 year rider) looked at the bike and everything looks okay. But should I personally take it into a garage myself and get everything looked at again right away? Like things I do not know how to personally check (engine, oil change, filter, etc.). Or should I wait till the end of this riding season (2.5 months) till I get everything all done at once from a garage? Thanks!
 
Daylindafung said:
Or should I wait till the end of this riding season (2.5 months) till I get everything all done at once from a garage? Thanks!
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Your first bike? Would you be able to recognize the riding symptoms of worn steering head or swing arm bearings? Wheel bearings? Old tires or even old brake lines suffering from dry rot and about to burst? Worn control cables?

Any of these could make for a very bad day for you. Get the bike fully checked out by a knowledgeable bike mechanic before you start to put any miles on it.
 
Oh yeah, 6,000 km with 5 previous owners is a bit of a red flag. Why did that bike sell so frequently? Is it really 6,000 km, or has someone played with the speedo head. A decent bike mechanic will be able to better see if the bike's condition actually matches the claimed mileage shown.
 
Are you mechanically inclined at all? Ever inspected the oil in your car or maybe even small machinery? Check to see if it's black, smells burnt, has particles in it etc first. Look at the colour of the brake fluid, if it's dark brown that's bad and needs changing, it should be a light colour. Those are the easiest things to check first. Oil condition/amount is important.
 
What model year is the bike?
 
Don't smaller displacement bikes go through a number of owners because they're usually purchased by beginners who often feel the desire to "upgrade" and move on soon after buying?

6000km is pretty low so I doubt there are any wear items (wheel bearings, steering head etc) of concern (though a thorough inspection would be a good idea on a bike with little available service history anyway...) With bikes like these my concern would focus more on things that beginners often do: drops and falls and the damage that can be done to things like fairings and engine covers etc.

Does your 6-year-rider-friend know a thing or two about simple bike service and maintenance? If so see if he can show you the ropes re oil changes, air filter, chain cleaning/lubing/adjusting, what to look for in tires etc. These are good skills for a new rider to pick up.
 
One of the worst things for a motorcycle is to leave it unused in the corner of the garage for an extended period (in excess of 1 year).
Motorcycles need to be used often.
This is my first suspicion when a bike has any age on in and has very low kilometers.
Do the checks the others have suggested, especially the brake fluid.
I'm not that familiar with your bike, but if you could remove the oil plug and just take a sample of the oil (about a tablespoon).
Is there grit in it.
I would take it to a competent mechanic for a once over as suggested.
 
You need someone to get your bike a good look over.
If you don't know someone reliable yourself, you are in Markham so you could call Fawaz at http://www.speedworxsuperbike.com
I've used them for service in the past and I got the feeling that making sure everything was ok with the bike actually mattered to them. He won't rip you off I'm pretty sure.
Then again, you could go see Ted at Rosey Toes as well.
Just call them up and say you just got a bike and you want to make sure everything is ok or find what problems there are.
 
griff2 said:
Oh yeah, 6,000 km with 5 previous owners is a bit of a red flag. Why did that bike sell so frequently? Is it really 6,000 km, or has someone played with the speedo head. A decent bike mechanic will be able to better see if the bike's condition actually matches the claimed mileage shown.
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Its a 250... 125s and 250 get passed around pretty frequently and given that the bike is at least 3 years old, 5 previous owners isn't that bad given that I know a couple people who got and sold their bike within the first couple thousand kilometers because they got a bike for the cool factor and realized that people stop caring that you have a bike after a few months. There are also those people who master their 250 in a month and upgrade :rolleyes:.


eljay said:
You need someone to get your bike a good look over.
If you don't know someone reliable yourself, you are in Markham so you could call Fawaz at http://www.speedworxsuperbike.com
I've used them for service in the past and I got the feeling that making sure everything was ok with the bike actually mattered to them. He won't rip you off I'm pretty sure.
Then again, you could go see Ted at Rosey Toes as well.
Just call them up and say you just got a bike and you want to make sure everything is ok or find what problems there are.
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I would also recommend going to speedworx if you're in the area and it seems like you are in Markham.. Good honest guy working there - it can just get a bit busy at times since he also runs a track school.

I would not recommend going to Ted from Rosey Toes if your intent is to check for things on the bike for safety as he pretty much just does a walk around and check cable tension.


FYI, just because your friend rode for 6 yrs, doesn't mean he knows anything about bike maintenance. There are pro racers that don't know how to do their own oil - they let their mechanics deal with that.
 
I am not sure why people are trying to trouble shoot if the oil was changed. You buy a bike, do an oil and filter change before you ride it. Period.

Not surprised to see a 250 with 6 owners but it does seem a bit high. Just take the bike in for an oil change and have them check it over, a safety check does not mean much these days.
 
PLau said:
FYI, just because your friend rode for 6 yrs, doesn't mean he knows anything about bike maintenance. There are pro racers that don't know how to do their own oil - they let their mechanics deal with that.
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2 things:
1- Ted does not only check for tension... He does proper inspections if you are selling a bike to someone else - I have been witness, if you ask him to do a quick one because you are buying a bike then that is on you.
2- In order to become a Pro Racer, you first were a club racer and an amateur racer, we Amateur Racers don't have mechanics so be assured a pro racer knows how to do their own oil change lol - But I get that you are trying to exaggerate your point.
 
ZX600 said:
2 things:
1- Ted does not only check for tension... He does proper inspections if you are selling a bike to someone else - I have been witness, if you ask him to do a quick one because you are buying a bike then that is on you.
2- In order to become a Pro Racer, you first were a club racer and an amateur racer, we Amateur Racers don't have mechanics so be assured a pro racer knows how to do their own oil change lol - But I get that you are trying to exaggerate your point.
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My experience with Ted was only for a safety inspection certificate. I already had the bike in possession, asked for a safety (not a "quick one"). He tested to see if my brakes activated my brake lights, checked clutch and chain tension, and handed the safety over.

Being my first bike at the time, I didn't know what to check for and how a "normal/proper" bike felt. My steering head bearings were done and I didn't know it until the shop pointed it out to me and told me it wasn't normal when I brought it in for a new chain and sprockets.

Not trying to put the blame on him for not checking for that (as I don't think that steering head bearings normally tested for a safety inspection), but that was just my experience.

Is there supposed to be a difference between getting a safety inspection certificate and a "proper inspection"?


2 - Not arguing with you here.
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I guess Toes does his inspections according to his mood of the day, the few he did when I was selling my friends bikes he even checked for play on the steering head bearings, but I was explicit to check it well because we didn't want to sell something not up to par.

Yes there are differences between a safety inspection and an inspection you do to ensure your bike is running in top shape. Look it up.

I am also not arguing neither, is just the way I type.

PLau said:
My experience with Ted was only for a safety inspection certificate. I already had the bike in possession, asked for a safety (not a "quick one"). He tested to see if my brakes activated my brake lights, checked clutch and chain tension, and handed the safety over.

Being my first bike at the time, I didn't know what to check for and how a "normal/proper" bike felt. My steering head bearings were done and I didn't know it until the shop pointed it out to me and told me it wasn't normal when I brought it in for a new chain and sprockets.

Not trying to put the blame on him for not checking for that (as I don't think that steering head bearings normally tested for a safety inspection), but that was just my experience.

Is there supposed to be a difference between getting a safety inspection certificate and a "proper inspection"?


2 - Not arguing with you here.
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ZX600 said:
I am not sure why people are trying to trouble shoot if the oil was changed. You buy a bike, do an oil and filter change before you ride it. Period.

Not surprised to see a 250 with 6 owners but it does seem a bit high. Just take the bike in for an oil change and have them check it over, a safety check does not mean much these days.
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The one response in this thread that makes sense.

OP: upload close pictures of the pegs, brake discs and grips, we can tell you if it really has 6000Km.

The UVIP is telling you the bike has been safety certified 5 times, with 5 ownership transfers. 250s are impulse buys and turnover quickly, usually after a few hundred dollars in eBay purchases.
 
I recall a member here who was offering coaching-sessions? Meet up for a coffee and they'd show you basic things about your bike -how to check the oil, etc.
 
PLau said:
Is there supposed to be a difference between getting a safety inspection certificate and a "proper inspection"?
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A safety inspection is about parameters of safety on the bike: brakes, rubber, lights, head and swingarms, etc.

You could have a pretty abused bike still pass safety, especially since there are hacks who will safety anything for a quick $60-80.
 
ZX600 got you covered.

Fresh oil change is in order. Don't trust the previous owner.

If you are not mechanically inclined and don't know a reputable mechanic, take the recommendations and have a shop look it over.

Get a maintenance manual.

Check out Internet forums specific to your bike. Surf and learn.

It's not rocket science or juggling monkeys. It's a motorcycle. Get some dirt under your finger nails.

Learn how to inspect the bike yourself. How to inspect brake pads, lube the chain, check and adjust the air in the tires. Move on to clutch cable play and engagement.

This isn't a gas and go cage and leave things to Mr Lube every 5000km.

Get involved. Hook up with some experienced riders that take care of their machines and soak in some of the experience.

Hopefully, you've already got decent gear and a rider training course under your belt.

Good luck!


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250s get ride around like the village donkey. Not surprised with the amount of owners. Most likely none of them did any maintenance
 
griff2 said:
Oh yeah, 6,000 km with 5 previous owners is a bit of a red flag. Why did that bike sell so frequently? Is it really 6,000 km, or has someone played with the speedo head. A decent bike mechanic will be able to better see if the bike's condition actually matches the claimed mileage shown.
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for sure the speedometer has not been played with. the OEM tires are still on the bike atm and still in great condition.
 
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