I’ve been lurking for a while and have already gleened a great deal of useful information from the site - so thanks guys and gals for that. Figured it was time to introduce myself… I’m 23 and living in SW London (for my sins, near Sutton). A chance conversation with a mate a few months ago put a seed in my mind about learning to ride a bike, and here I am now, about to take Mod 1 and 2 of the full test at the end of my DAS course. Both modules booked for Monday, so fingers crossed I’ll soon be out on the road and meeting some of you.
Now, a question. I’ll soon be looking at buying a first bike (looking for a CBR600F ideally) but have very, very little knowledge about what to look out for when buying second-hand. If anyone could give some advice on the sort of stuff I should be looking out for to avoid getting stung and buying a donkey, that would be fantastic. Even better, if any kind soul would be willing to accompany me to a dealership to cast a more experienced and critical eye over potential bikes, then there would certainly be a few drinks and/or a steak dinner in it for that individual!
A few months back when I was buying a second hand bike I found a good checklist of things to look for on google. I don’t think this is the one I used, but have had a quick look and it seems to point out most of the bits… http://www.clarity.net/~adam/buying-bike.html
Also, have you considered buying from a private seller?
Thanks for the welcome everyone, and cheers for the link SJ - much appreciated. I had considered going to a private seller to find a bargain, but guess that the added impression of security of going via a dealer seems comforting given my lack of knowledge in this field.
if you’re buying the bike from someone in london then why not arrange to take it to the OMC. £20 for an hour should see the guys show you how to give it the once over to check that all is good
Great idea, cheers. I was going to head over to the OMC once I’m up and riding to learn how to maintain a bike anyway, so that sounds like a sensible first step.
Thought I’d revive the thread to say that I passed my full licence test (at the… ahem… third time of asking) and bagged myself a 2002 CBR600F from Bill Bunn Motorcycles in Ealing earlier today. Looking forward to getting out on the road and meeting you all soon!
