Buying a new bike

[336LJ]

Hey guys sorry if this has been posted a million times. (I had a look cant find anything)

In a few months I want to get my hands on a decent 600 to start my project off.

I have never done alot of shopping for bikes! Cars I am totally comfortable with and know what to look for.
Say if I went to buy a second hand car, and it had 300,000km on the clock I would be thinking "HUGE discount please, thats flogged out!"

What sort of k's are you looking at when it comes to a bike, as in how much is too much, I keep getting conflicting answers everywhere I go.

I ideally would like to find a cheap bike with perhaps some front end damage, and start from there. But alot of complete bikes look like awesome starting points, even tho initially more expensive (I spotted a shit hot zx636 with 44,000k's on it) and figured, if I buy a complete bike I can take all the bits off and keep them nice n safe, then if I ever have to sell it bolt it all back on.

Now being that I am only new to this, I understand the rollseyes reactions I might be getting. Im not shy in admitting cars are my comfort zone when it comes to my hard earned cash!
But I just want to hear from people who have the experience, as to which is the best way to approach it money wise. I have made alot of expensive mistakes when it came to learning about cars.

is it better go go from a used bike dealer, or private (i figured dealer would at least have a 3-6 month warranty incase it shits itself) but dealers generally still trying to dry rape you when you buy second hand?

thanks for any ideas in advance

[BANDITROD]

if it was me i would go to the auctions and have a good look you can get repairable write offs fairly cheap although i am not sure of the process to get them back on the road but even just keep an eye on evilbay cos every now and then something good pops up if you can get a bike that has been droped but not reported then thats a big bonus for you. as far a klms it all depends on what you go for i know you want a 600 but what breed are you fussy or not i myself would go for a gsxr750 but thats me you could have a look at peshh69 bike it cost him fuck all and looks great

[Fight_fan]

Hey LJ! Nah not a stupid Q by any means mate! A rough guide when it comes to mileage seems to be around 10,000km per year for a bike thats been purely some soft cocks toy! At least thats the general consensus wit most people i talk to...

Yeh the 636 is a sweet base! DYNOVERKS in melbourne have fightered 1 n apparently its way faster n handles heaps better than the Zed's! N im quite partial 2 the Zed as i own 1! It will cost a little more initially, but will save a few pains in the arse down the trak IMO!

[BANDITROD]

here is peshh69 ride
http://www.streetfighters.com.au/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=8553

[Weaselman]

yeah 30,000 is the magic number for a more modern bike.

Beware anything that is shiney and has about a million k's as it might have been a courier bike at one stage
Look for crash damage behind panels. And bikes with dodgy non original paint are a dead give away.

If it your first bike and you want to fighter it then the stocker the better.

[Jockney Rebel]

find a dropped 675 daytona and fighter it ...you ll be smiles better

[336LJ]

quote:Originally posted by BANDITROD

if it was me i would go to the auctions and have a good look you can get repairable write offs fairly cheap although i am not sure of the process to get them back on the road but even just keep an eye on evilbay cos every now and then something good pops up if you can get a bike that has been droped but not reported then thats a big bonus for you. as far a klms it all depends on what you go for i know you want a 600 but what breed are you fussy or not i myself would go for a gsxr750 but thats me you could have a look at peshh69 bike it cost him fuck all and looks great


Do they hold motorcycle auctions in the brisbane area? I know there are car auctions at eagle farm/hendra.

Being new to all of this, and not having grown up around bikes. I dont have any patriotic following, or bias towards any type of bike. Which is awesome cause I can appreciate nearly everything I come across. but it makes deciding so FARKING difficult!

With cars, I just happened to buy a VH commodore, So that was it. I love them. then the LJ with the 308.. and the thirst for more power, less weight began.

So, to answer that in the longest way possible, I am not fussy about anything really. my "favs" are the 636, purely because of the hype around them, the extra torque etc, and well the looks!! - which is why I like R6's too.
I dont know much about the gsxr's but have seen some freakin awesome fighters!! I also figured 600's would be a bit cheaper?

It took a long time to learn that starting with something as cheap as possible left alot more cash laying around for mods. especially considering I am obsessed with stripping things down and starting from scratch, having something already done seems like I am showing off someone elses hard work, and it doesnt feel like mine!
AND I also found out which parts of which cars shat themselves and what cost the most ! something I would like to get to know more about with bikes.

dropped and not reported? as in written off and not on the registry?

[336LJ]

quote:Originally posted by BANDITROD

here is peshh69 ride
http://www.streetfighters.com.au/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=8553


Oh my god. Having done cadets for years.. I dont think you realise how shit hot I think that camo paint is !!!!
that bike is fuckin mint. that is awesome

[336LJ]

quote:Originally posted by Weaselman

yeah 30,000 is the magic number for a more modern bike.

Beware anything that is shiney and has about a million k's as it might have been a courier bike at one stage
Look for crash damage behind panels. And bikes with dodgy non original paint are a dead give away.

If it your first bike and you want to fighter it then the stocker the better.


I guess like cars there is always the gamble you take when it comes to the engine and all the important bits.
My biggest fear is buying something and it shits its pants ! Are there any tricks or signs I should be looking out for (obviously if it sounds like its going to explode it very well might !) I know the tricks of the trade when it comes to cars and seeing whats going to need work and how quickly the "bargain" turns into... "needs some TLC" But with bikes its all guessing. For example on the 250 I can hear a clackety noise at idle. so I presume thats timing chain tension and will ride it fingers crossed till I can get it sorted!!

[fimpBIKES]

ask em for a service history, if they cant give you one then ask em some detailed questions
e.g. when was last time valve clearances were checked etc

if they dont answer with enough confidence just walk, like you would buying a car
OR if your going to redo the engine dont tell them and use it to talk them down


my recent experience buying a ute was that i was DEFINITELY after something from a dealer cos i wanted a warranty (sick of spending time fixing my shitty cars and not on the bikes)

BUT after hunting around and talking to people i bought a ute off ebay
(2nd car i've bought off there btw)
the warrantys arent enough to cover the big things in the used cars anyways so as far as im concerned it was better to pay half the price on ebay


as far as the crashed bike that have not been reported
normally happens if somebody buys a bike, doesnt have comprehensive insurance so when they bust it up the rego just runs out
never gets put on the list of either repairable or stat (fucked) right-offs

HEAPS easier if u can score one of those, less red-tape ;)

[BANDITROD]

quote:Originally posted by 336LJ


quote:Originally posted by BANDITROD

here is peshh69 ride
http://www.streetfighters.com.au/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=8553


Oh my god. Having done cadets for years.. I dont think you realise how shit hot I think that camo paint is !!!!
that bike is fuckin mint. that is awesome
its nice hey and he done that for next to nothing but being a stunt rider i think its a little beat up now but if you look for a daytona 675 like jim said they are a great bike i went for my first ride on one the other day it was a customers and i was pleasantly surprised at the power those little fuckers throw out it was awsome in every aspect it handled like a dream so i would look for something like that cos (a)they are not that old (b)they are a great all rounder IMO any ways let us know how you get on cheers

[336LJ]

quote:Originally posted by fimpBIKES

ask em for a service history, if they cant give you one then ask em some detailed questions
e.g. when was last time valve clearances were checked etc

if they dont answer with enough confidence just walk, like you would buying a car
OR if your going to redo the engine dont tell them and use it to talk them down


my recent experience buying a ute was that i was DEFINITELY after something from a dealer cos i wanted a warranty (sick of spending time fixing my shitty cars and not on the bikes)

BUT after hunting around and talking to people i bought a ute off ebay
(2nd car i've bought off there btw)
the warrantys arent enough to cover the big things in the used cars anyways so as far as im concerned it was better to pay half the price on ebay


as far as the crashed bike that have not been reported
normally happens if somebody buys a bike, doesnt have comprehensive insurance so when they bust it up the rego just runs out
never gets put on the list of either repairable or stat (fucked) right-offs

HEAPS easier if u can score one of those, less red-tape ;)


Yeah i wasnt sure how much a warranty from a dealer would cover. and they are always slime bags anyway. I used to cure boredom goin round to dealers to spot some nice cars and "tire kick" around asking dumbass questions just to see how much they would rip me off. I was suprised how blatently they do it !
I figured bikes were no different.

I actually picked up the zxr250 smashed to bits. (for free) dropped it off at dave kellets and 900 later it was ready for the bits n peices to be bolted back on. rattle can the shit out of it. big poofy headlight (twin headlights i got were too dull) ready to go.

I dont suppose buying a bike with bent forks/frame etc, is a good idea. something with the plastics all smashed off? 900 didnt seem so bad cause I didnt pay for the bike anyway... which now seems a bit suss haha

Yeah with cars I can tell if people are talking out their ass so once Im a bit more clued up on things Im gonna get around and dig through the shit so to speak.

thanks for the tips everyone :D I'll keep everyone updated. (might be a while though. I have 3 cars to put back together ...shite!!)

[336LJ]

quote:its nice hey and he done that for next to nothing but being a stunt rider i think its a little beat up now but if you look for a daytona 675 like jim said they are a great bike i went for my first ride on one the other day it was a customers and i was pleasantly surprised at the power those little fuckers throw out it was awsome in every aspect it handled like a dream so i would look for something like that cos (a)they are not that old (b)they are a great all rounder IMO any ways let us know how you get on cheers


Sounds like a plan Im gonna keep my eyes open and see what I can dig up. Sounds like the type of bike Id like. and they look fucking horn!
cheers mate :D

[BANDITROD]

that torana of yours looks alright mate got any pics for me to drool over

[336LJ]

quote:Originally posted by BANDITROD

that torana of yours looks alright mate got any pics for me to drool over


This is my first LC. I didnt build it though. I tidied it up a bit and when the motor spun a bearing after 1 month I stripped it and found out how untidy it really was ! cut the front end off to make a carBQ lol.
http://i236.photobucket.com/albums/ff78/H8_RICE/ALL%20-%20CARS/l_f03e191368b0287261fd779b59acedcc.jpg

LJ with the "Turd rims" guard flutes were in it when i got it. was caged but took it out for rego...no where for the girls to sit cause it was a 2door cage and blocked the doors (Door gaps werent done at the time the pic was taken)
http://i236.photobucket.com/albums/ff78/H8_RICE/ALL%20-%20CARS/l_6398443fa03fb10e2d33fff1a7db80b8.jpg

The last pic I took of the LJ on the road, Plates sum up exactly what I think of riced up shitboxes :P
http://i236.photobucket.com/albums/ff78/H8_RICE/ALL%20-%20CARS/l_eb71bcedcf7a03659f9423826388af13.jpg

The VH my first car really. poor mans project car lol
http://i236.photobucket.com/albums/ff78/H8_RICE/ALL%20-%20CARS/l_41f7013b2c8125a56f3eb454ec44972a.jpg

Both the vh and the LJ were totally stripped to get ready for powercruise but my mate was killed when the LJ got to the green paint seen in my signature....
So iv been stuck with a $500 shitbox pintara wagon with rb30 and 5spd conversion (i give it hell p.o.s) which is why I bit the bullet and got the bike done. Just got rego done then. cops spotted the bike with no plates in the car park and were waiting for me lol.

[BANDITROD]

sorry to hear about your mate it sucks to lose someone close to ya the vh looks pretty clean and tidy as does the torry i bet that little rocket hauls arse

[336LJ]

quote:Originally posted by BANDITROD

sorry to hear about your mate it sucks to lose someone close to ya the vh looks pretty clean and tidy as does the torry i bet that little rocket hauls arse


yeah thats pretty much why its parked up and i am not touching it. I put the k frame back in it to move it onto the concrete under the house and it doesnt feel right so I am just leaving it for a while.

The first few times I drove the LJ after not having been in it for a while I got the shakes ,its nerve racking lol. so lound n temperamental. Its not a top fueler tho. but it flies. the minispool makes it a bit of a handfull, and cop magnet.. bastards followed me EVERYWHERE.

with the LJ we moved the steering column over, did all the machine work to make things fit, handmade extractors, engine mounts, gearbox mounts, diff mounts (9" which now has twisted axles) the brake booster is out of a hi ace van, and is up under the dash I made all the brackets and bent up the bundy tube, and every time I get a car I rip all the wiring out and start fresh so I know where it all is. fell asleep under the dash once upside down . MASSIVE HEADACHE!![:p]

[-Dex-]

Thats wicked dude. Keep the same attitude towards your bike and you'll have something special I reckon.

[Jockney Rebel]

ditto ..the general rule these days is most of the jap stufs engines are fairly bullet proof ,,accident damage is the thing to look out for ,cracked frames on the ally framed bikes ,and consumables a bike with fucked pads tyres and chain/sprockets can cost a grand+ to get straight just for those bits..
bent forks arent that bad if the headstock and frames ok [look for wrinkles around the headstock and make sure the headstocks not twisted ]also check all the bearings in the chassis
[swing arm wiggle it from side to side with the weight off the rear wheel..it shouldnt move ,headstock bearings get the front in the air and with your fingertips on the bars let the bars move from lock to lock they should move smoothly then put the front on the ground and jump on the bars with the front brake on if the bearings ar fuked youll hear a knocking sound,lastly spin the wheels in turn to check the wheel bearings the should spin freely with no roughness,while your down there checkin the wheels eye up the discs [rotors] for warping when you ride it this will feel like the brake lever pulsing with the brake on if there really knackered.
on to the engine ..if your dealing with an idiot ..and theres a rattle coming from the clutch side ..itll sound like the engines on its last legs but its probably the clutch release bearing [a two bob part]but i once bid a bloke down from 2 grand to 500 quid cos he was convinced his engine was self destructing[he deserved it hes was a twat] anyway this is some general stuff that u can use to bid a bike down its all fixable fairly easily but costs time and money..good luck

[336LJ]

quote:Originally posted by -Dex-

Thats wicked dude. Keep the same attitude towards your bike and you'll have something special I reckon.


cheers mate [8D]

I cant wait to see what I can get my hands on and what the end result will be.

Im kinda embarassed on the 250 cause of the big mong lookin headlight lol. but its not a serious project its an emergency budget build :D

Im gonna sell my cars when they are done. (was going to anyway to finance a bulletproof, procharged engine build for the VH)

I will have hopefully around 10-12 grand budget when I sell up...plus what I can save in the meantime

[336LJ]

quote:Originally posted by Jockney Rebel

ditto ..the general rule these days is most of the jap stufs engines are fairly bullet proof ,,accident damage is the thing to look out for ,cracked frames on the ally framed bikes ,and consumables a bike with fucked pads tyres and chain/sprockets can cost a grand+ to get straight just for those bits..
bent forks arent that bad if the headstock and frames ok [look for wrinkles around the headstock and make sure the headstocks not twisted ]also check all the bearings in the chassis
[swing arm wiggle it from side to side with the weight off the rear wheel..it shouldnt move ,headstock bearings get the front in the air and with your fingertips on the bars let the bars move from lock to lock they should move smoothly then put the front on the ground and jump on the bars with the front brake on if the bearings ar fuked youll hear a knocking sound,lastly spin the wheels in turn to check the wheel bearings the should spin freely with no roughness,while your down there checkin the wheels eye up the discs [rotors] for warping when you ride it this will feel like the brake lever pulsing with the brake on if there really knackered.
on to the engine ..if your dealing with an idiot ..and theres a rattle coming from the clutch side ..itll sound like the engines on its last legs but its probably the clutch release bearing [a two bob part]but i once bid a bloke down from 2 grand to 500 quid cos he was convinced his engine was self destructing[he deserved it hes was a twat] anyway this is some general stuff that u can use to bid a bike down its all fixable fairly easily but costs time and money..good luck


Thanks mate, heaps of info I can jot down and keep with me when I go looking.

I cant wait to get out there armed with some good info and haggle[^]
Like back in the old days test driving cars we might buy, get round the corner with the owner distracted by someone back at his house. up goes the bonnet in goes the arms and FACE. going over it like a monkey lookin for nits.

Had one bloke get pissed off cause we kept finding rust spots under the screen seals on a VS my mate was buying.. dickhead said it was mint.