Last minute advice before buying a bike!!!


C

Churry

New Member
Hey all,

So I'm pretty close to closing a deal on a 2009 FZ6R. Buyer wanted 5500 for it, I got it down to 4700. Facts:
-just under 5k miles on it
-just had it serviced a couple of weeks ago
-Tires are stock and have not been replaced since he got the bike
-Never been down
-I didn't test drive it, but I asked him to drive it around the parking lot and everything looked fine from what I saw up to 3rd gear.
-Engine sounded strong while the bike was idle during our 10 minute conversation
-no visible damage to the bike except for some minor scuffs on the frame sliders (which he said he got from moving the bike in and out of a u-haul)


The bike is originally out of state, but he has CA plates on it and the Title is a CA title (which is under his name) so I'm going to say transferring the title to my name will not be much of a hassle. Going to run a VIN check later during the week to see if everything checks out on that end. He even offered to deliver the bike to me on his truck!

Can anyone see a reason not to buy this bike?

Thanks!
 
D

Detrich

New Member
pix of the bike? pix of tire tread?

VIN check is a great idea. u can also play dumb and take the VIN to ur neighborhood Yamaha dealer and tell them u are buying this bike and pretend that u want to know if it's still under warranty. either way, they should be able to bring up a vehicle service history on it for u and verify who they show the last legal title owner is... :)

also, you will very likely need to put new tires on it fairly soon. if u r a new rider, i strongly suggest that u replace both the front & back in a set, so that u get a consistent feel. otherwise, if u are an experienced rider already, just replace the front tire- depending on the tread after u examine it.

for reference, i had about 5200 miles on my stock tires, and the front was nearly bald. (i ride about 80% canyons, 20% freeways.) so, i replaced both recently. a set of Q2's $295 otd & installed from Temple City Power Sports. bike turns so much faster and feels so much lighter now.

for safety reasons, i recommend budgeting to spend about $650 per year on tires- ie 2 tire changes per year. and, changing them every 4k to 5k miles. bald or uneven tread are not worth the risk to me. but, everyone has their own comfort levels.

gl & keep us posted
 
C

Churry

New Member
Detrich said:
pix of the bike? pix of tire tread?

VIN check is a great idea. u can also play dumb and take the VIN to ur neighborhood Yamaha dealer and tell them u are buying this bike and pretend that u want to know if it's still under warranty. either way, they should be able to bring up a vehicle service history on it for u and verify who they show the last legal title owner is... :)

also, you will very likely need to put new tires on it fairly soon. if u r a new rider, i strongly suggest that u replace both the front & back in a set, so that u get a consistent feel. otherwise, if u are an experienced rider already, just replace the front tire- depending on the tread after u examine it.

for reference, i had about 5200 miles on my stock tires, and the front was nearly bald. (i ride about 80% canyons, 20% freeways.) so, i replaced both recently. a set of Q2's $295 otd & installed from Temple City Power Sports. bike turns so much faster and feels so much lighter now.

for safety reasons, i recommend budgeting to spend about $650 per year on tires- ie 2 tire changes per year. and, changing them every 4k to 5k miles. bald or uneven tread are not worth the risk to me. but, everyone has their own comfort levels.

gl & keep us posted
Click to expand...
I'll email the user and try to get some pics and ask specifically for some of the tires.
 
Parcho

Parcho

New Member
Scuff marks on frame sliders and him never saying it has been down makes it sorta suspicious. But just trust your gut since you can see the scuff mark. Other than that, look up how to gauge tire wear with a coin and do it.

Something I always do when buying used vehicles is take it to a mechanic I go to regularly or trust and have him check it over.
 
C

Churry

New Member
Parcho said:
Scuff marks on frame sliders and him never saying it has been down makes it sorta suspicious. But just trust your gut since you can see the scuff mark. Other than that, look up how to gauge tire wear with a coin and do it.

Something I always do when buying used vehicles is take it to a mechanic I go to regularly or trust and have him check it over.
Click to expand...
Oh, as soon as I asked him if there was any dmg, he pointed out the frame sliders.
 
C

CrazyCawi

New Member
is he a member here?
 
M

MiltonDorkenhoff

Search, THEN post.
Elite Member
I'm with the others about the scuffed frame sliders. The bar ends would've hit the ground too (or the side of the U-Haul). What do they look like?
 
D

Detrich

New Member
I think a lot of us have tipped over b4 either parking or going really slow. and honestly it's not a big deal and won't do much damage at all- if any. The FZ-6R with frame sliders is actually very tip resilient, if there's such a thing. lol A crash, tho, is completely different. As long as it hasn't been crashed u sb ok...
 

R

raybob

New Member
you might consider checking the chain adjustment. if the chain is at the end of its life, the adjusters will be screwed way out, the rear sprocket teeth will be worn as well. a very quick glance will answer this.

budget $300 for tires and $200 for chain and a steel sprocket set (for 5000 miles, this is not too bad).

$4700 is not bad for a 2009 without any visible or audible problems.

if you want to try to beat them down a few more bucks on the tires/chain/sprocket and succeed, you'll be ahead for sure. OTOH, they could just get tired of you and tell you to go away.

Bob
 
You must log in or register to reply here.


Top