I'm actually looking to buy an FZ1, but I can't post on those forums for some reason so I figured this would be the next best place (besides.. the community here has always been really nice/helpful).
The bike I'm going to be checking out soon is a 2009 FZ1 with under 1700 miles on it, and the price seems like a steal. It may be just a good deal, or there may be something wrong with it. I got a red flag when bargaining with him because I offered a little below his asking, and he countered slightly below my offer.. which makes me really suspicious. Perhaps he just likes to round down to a nice even number, but I don't want to automatically assume that.
So my two biggest worries are that it is stolen or some major mechanical problem. I am thinking the stolen possibility could be determined by checking the VIN, and comparing the title/registration to his ID would clear this up. I've already checked the VIN he provided and it seems clear, but I will need to make sure that VIN matches what is on the bike. The other issue is more of a problem for me, I do all of the routine maintenance on my FZ6R, so I can do most of the preventative stuff that is tells me to do in the owner's manual.. but I've never had to deal with anything that broke so I'm not really sure what to look for. He says the oil + filter were changed once, which worries me a bit since it is 3 years old, but the miles are very low so it might be okay. I was thinking about bringing all the stuff I need to do an oil change on the bike before I hand over the money, just to make sure it hasn't turned to jelly or anything weird. Also I was planning to ride it home (which isn't right around the corner), and I'd feel more comfortable with fresh oil. I'll obviously be checking for damage, and hoping to get a test ride in (or if he isn't okay with that, I'll insist he needs to ride it around in a parking lot with me nearby so I can hopefully tell if anything is off).
Does anyone have any suggestions of other things I could check for, or any input for that matter? I'm hoping checking if it is stolen will be pretty straightforward, I'm more concerned about a mechanical problem since I'm not a mechanic.
Thanks in advance!
The bike I'm going to be checking out soon is a 2009 FZ1 with under 1700 miles on it, and the price seems like a steal. It may be just a good deal, or there may be something wrong with it. I got a red flag when bargaining with him because I offered a little below his asking, and he countered slightly below my offer.. which makes me really suspicious. Perhaps he just likes to round down to a nice even number, but I don't want to automatically assume that.
So my two biggest worries are that it is stolen or some major mechanical problem. I am thinking the stolen possibility could be determined by checking the VIN, and comparing the title/registration to his ID would clear this up. I've already checked the VIN he provided and it seems clear, but I will need to make sure that VIN matches what is on the bike. The other issue is more of a problem for me, I do all of the routine maintenance on my FZ6R, so I can do most of the preventative stuff that is tells me to do in the owner's manual.. but I've never had to deal with anything that broke so I'm not really sure what to look for. He says the oil + filter were changed once, which worries me a bit since it is 3 years old, but the miles are very low so it might be okay. I was thinking about bringing all the stuff I need to do an oil change on the bike before I hand over the money, just to make sure it hasn't turned to jelly or anything weird. Also I was planning to ride it home (which isn't right around the corner), and I'd feel more comfortable with fresh oil. I'll obviously be checking for damage, and hoping to get a test ride in (or if he isn't okay with that, I'll insist he needs to ride it around in a parking lot with me nearby so I can hopefully tell if anything is off).
Does anyone have any suggestions of other things I could check for, or any input for that matter? I'm hoping checking if it is stolen will be pretty straightforward, I'm more concerned about a mechanical problem since I'm not a mechanic.
Thanks in advance!