bikes i have owned

vespa 250,cz250,honda xl75,honda x185,suzuki gt380,yam it250/465 honda cb400,yamaha 650 mid maxim,yam rz350,suzuki gs850,kawasaki kz750 honda xlr200,yam virago420,yam vmax1200,yam r1,yam r6,yam road star 1800,yam star1300 blogspot.com/-EnKNKyyYNxE/UzZh8iTTNUI/AAAAAAAAAEw/H4m07ImNvQU/s1600/014.JPG" imageanchor="1" >

inspection

everyone gets excited when buying new stuff aspecialy toys unforchunatly this is not good ,and i cant tell you how many times ive bought something got it home and then said i never noticed this or that ,becouse i did not inspect enough.you will never find every little thing but the more relaxed you are and the more systematic you search the less you will miss when buying used bikes or cars i ask the owner to have vehical cold for my viewing this is important ,as you want to hear the motor start cold first how easy does it start up ? listen to engine does it start up noisey and get quiet thats bad ? then i start at front of the bike, check tire for wear and missing knobs,check spokes for loose,or mags for cracks try to move front wheel side to side while someone holds hanlebars if theres play the wheel bearings are worn.check brake pad thickness. apply front brake and bounce front shocks a few times then check for oil on the shiney parts of the forks oil here means seals are gone both sides must be replaced now check the steering stop for crash damage this is the place that stops your handlebars from taveling more than full lock check ser number wright it down if interested check the hand controls throtle for smooth unstiky action and clutch cable condition creeky rusty cables are stretched and will soon snap most times in the middle of nowhere sit on the bike does it bounce up and down as it should without squeeks or groans ..check rear shock for leaking look inside gas tank for rust look underneath the bike for damage or oil leaks check rear tire and bearings check chain and sprokets chain is checked by pulling it away from back sproket if it comes away from sproket lots its done if the little teeth on the sprocket are starting to get blunt or curl in one direction its toast too,usualy front back sproket and chain are changed as a set together at same time next take a good test ride get everything running temp make sure everything works shift up and down all the gears a few times no clunks or grindeing missing or jumping gears ? speedo tach headlight signals brake lights etc all working now use all the little things you found rong damaged or in need of service to negotiate a better price

pre inspection call

first most important is the call... ask the owner about the bikes/cars condition, a good way to judge is by asking this question,, if the bike was a hundred points when new ,how many points would it have now,if they answer 80 out of 100 this will give you some clearer idea of condition. if travel distance to view is far,or owners are reluctant to divuldge further .you may want to break this down further and ask about each section of the bike...example tires 100 new now 90. chain and sprokets new 100 now 80 paint new 100 now 90 and ask why its 90 percent ,,has the engine been worked on,what if anything does the bike need etc.you can not ask enough questions so so many times i have looked at things for sale and whished id asked a few more questions before driveing across town all hot to see someing its not...So many sellers tell you as little as possible hopeing your dumbfool enough just to buy it when u get there

the right bike for you

when buying a motorcycle its so important to buy the right style of bike for what you will be useing it for there are 4 styles 1 cruiser usualy quite large and cumbersome bigger engines usualy 1000cc and up luggage bags ,fairings etc good for longer trips but useable in the city 2 normal what i call old school bikes straight up rideing position good for everyday comuterbikes and rideing medium road trips 3 sports bikes racers,usualy very fast hunched over rideing position,not good on long trips or anything but nice roads 4 enduros on/off road dual purpose bikes usualy under 650cc capable of casualy on road and offroad soft trails 5 offroadbikes not allowed on road used for dirt raceing trail rideing stunting etc mistakes i see mostly ,are people buying to big a bike,and even sometimes to small like buying a big cruiser but hardly ever takeing long trips also buy a bike to small and trying to use it for extended roadtrips or buy an enduro bike and never go ofroad atall many times this results in bikes sitting unused i also see alot of guys buy to much bike for there rideing ability to fast to much power this happens on and off road and most times it ends in tears and for sale signs the key is buying a bike small enough you can learn on and big enough you wont get tired of to fast as your rideing ability inprooves..this depends a lot on your size 250cc is a decent size for your average guy just make sure BOTH your feet touch flat on the ground,sometimes a suspension mod can be made it lower a few inches,but usualy best to go to a smaller size lots of sizes are still andhave been available in the past 100cc 125cc 175cc 200cc 225cc most of all ride safe ,ride within your ability,and you might just live long