magoo128 Posted January 25, 2012 Report Share Posted January 25, 2012 Hi there, I am new to trials side of things and I am in the process of trying to find a second hand bike. Unfortunately I am on a tight budget and cannot afford to splash out on a new bike. One thing that I am wondering is if there is a way to tell of the genuine age of a trials bike. I know that with off road bikes you can tell from the frame and engine numbers...Is this the same for the Trials? Also if any of you have any tips to look out for when buying a second hand bike these would be greatly appreciated as well...or even better if you know of any good bikes for sale in Scotland or North England any info would be fantastic. Thanks in advance for your help. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
b40rt Posted January 25, 2012 Report Share Posted January 25, 2012 Age less important than condition, best bike to buy is owned by a mature rider, generally. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy Posted January 25, 2012 Report Share Posted January 25, 2012 If we can use this topic as a definitive list of things to check, tips etc I'll take the points from it and put a "Buyers Guide" page on the Classifieds site Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tankygsy Posted January 25, 2012 Report Share Posted January 25, 2012 (edited) Specifics of each manufacturer of trial bike differs so my best reccomendation is to take a friend along, or a club member, one who knows the type of bike you are looking to purchase. Also, if you see a bike that you are interested in ask here on TC if there is anything specific for that model to look out for that may cost money later on. People here are great and always willing to help out. 2nd hand bikes over 3 years old are what they are, they are not new and parts on them will be worn out - yet working - or perhaps they may be about to catastrophicly fail and cost you a small fortune! There are certain generic checks that cover most bikes, all you need is a little bit of mechanical knowleadge to carry out and assess a 2nd hand bike sensibly. First thing is how does it look in general? Does it look tidy? Does it look like its been looked after? Can you see bits hanging off? Is there any obvious crash damage that hasnt been fixed that really should have been? Now lets get practical... Check it over from cold; water levels, oil levels, how clean is the oil? If its been looked after the oil should be fairly clean, not murky / milky and bitty. The cooling system should be full and again this should be fairly clean and ideally with some colour to it beit red, green or blue etc from a good antifreeze. Suspect cooling systems that are just water only - it may be loosing coolant and the owner has to keep topping it up (and they may have just topped it up prior to your inspection!). The freind you bought along who knows this particular model of bike should take it for a ride. Most sellers wont mind it being test ridden - unless they have something to hide. Ask your mate - Does it ride like it should? Does the clutch slip? Do the brakes work? Does it start easy weather its cold or hot? How does the engine sound? How well does the engine run? How punchy is the engine? Do the front / rear shocks feel ok? Does it feel tight and smooth or does it feel loose and rattlely? Did the fan come on? Is it smoking more then it should? DOES IT FEEL CORRECT? Now check the water / oil quantities and quality again. It should look the same as before. The oil should still be clean and the water should still be in the cooling system. If the oil has gone milky and the seller cant give you a reasonable explanation or remedy then best you stay away as alarm bells are ringing with this old hack! If all is good during the the pre and post test ride and it works like a trial bike should you can now check it in a bit more detail. Ask the seller what money they have spent on new parts recently, for instance if it's been serviced it may of had a new air filter, wheel bearings, chain etc. Ask if they have receipts for any new parts, don't worry if they havnt got every piece of paper for every new part they have purchased as not everyone keeps them (I do) it just means you need to check up on the sellers claims. Some new items you cant visually inspect, but the ones that you can check are worth having a look at - you don't know the seller so don't take their word for it. Engine: Check for any kind of bad running I.E. Hard starting, over heating, clunky gears, smoking, knocking at low to mid rpm, smooth transition between low - mid - and full throttle. Has the foam on the air filter disintegrated? If so then when was it last serviced?? If the owner lets you carry out a compression test then do so and compare readings to spec. If they don't let you do a compression test then either they don't really want to sell you their bike or they have something to hide! It's wise to do a compression test but if you havnt got a compression tester it's still nice to hear from the seller that they would not be concerned about one being carried out. Check exhaust for rattles, broken mounts. The exhaust brackets can break in a crash and sometimes require welding, give it a good wiggle it should be fairly solid. Electrics: Check general condition and that they are tidy. Are there any 'additions' to the wiring like terminals that have been crimped on by somebody in the past - if so why is this? Suspect untidy wiring or additional terminals as something that may have been 'hacked about with' and could possibly have underlying electrical issues if there is no reasonable explanation. Check the lights work (if it has them). Check plug lead and cap condition. Clutch and drive train: Check for correct operation. The clutch should be smooth, not clonky and certainly not noisy. It should not slip. Use as a bargaining tool if it does slip. It might save you Edited January 26, 2012 by tankygsy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andyj007 Posted January 25, 2012 Report Share Posted January 25, 2012 hats off sir, totally awesome reply that mr tankygsy. best post of year award. nominated... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
magoo128 Posted January 25, 2012 Author Report Share Posted January 25, 2012 Absolutely fantastic advice there tankygsy...and greatly appreciated...even more so as done via iPhone ( mine would have been bounced off the wall by the first paragraph.) You sound like the type of guy I would like to buy a bike from...and definitely the guy I would like to have with me when buying a bike. Thanks so much, and Andy I think we have our definitive list!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chewy Posted January 26, 2012 Report Share Posted January 26, 2012 Good format for buying guide ..perhaps bike specific hints/ notes as addendums at relevant paragraphs ..provided we dont all get into my make is better than yours it should be a reasonable thing to achieve. PS when you read (let alone write it through an Iphone) it seems an alot of stuff to be doing /remembering to check..however it is all relevant to private sale..unless you can get the seller to warrant/ pay for repairs within a longer period of time than it takes to look!!!.thats pretty difficult to invoke with some new bikes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gjbiker Posted January 26, 2012 Report Share Posted January 26, 2012 Excellent write up by tankygsy Also some good general advice here - Buyers guide Perhaps worth adding that spares can be quite expensive compared to other types of motorsickle - mudgaurds (fenders) being my biggest sucking of the teeth bartering tactic! GJ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
madmostin Posted January 27, 2012 Report Share Posted January 27, 2012 Here's a tip. Most rims have a date of manufacture on. Useful if you have doubts of the age of machine. Also tyres have a date stamp too. Look for a four digit code. 2409 would be 24th week in 2009. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
magoo128 Posted January 27, 2012 Author Report Share Posted January 27, 2012 Here's a tip. Most rims have a date of manufacture on. Useful if you have doubts of the age of machine. Also tyres have a date stamp too. Look for a four digit code. 2409 would be 24th week in 2009. Ah thats a good bit of advice about the rims. Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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