The secondhand bike market's a bit of a mess, with punters being ripped off every which way. The only way to buy a bike is privately. The only time when a dealer should be used is when new bikes are offered at a massive discount. These discounts are rarely advertised, usually apply to old models that've been superseded and are worth 15 to 25% off the RRP. The only way to find them is to keep on pestering dealers, either in person or on the telephone.
Be aware, that you'll probably have to cross the country to find the bike at the price you want and the guarantee won't be worth much, but the same applies to year old machines on the private market at similar prices to the new discounted machine.
Many dealers won't give a discount for cash because they make even more money on the HP deal in commission. A recent spate of low or zero HP deals turned out to be accompanied by dealers putting the prices of their used bikes up by 20% to compensate. Of course, this lets them give a big discount or trade-in allowance for a cash purchase, but it's a complete con. Even before they put the prices up that same allowance was there.
Dealer prices have become so sublime that the best bet is to offer half what they are demanding, if circumstances, such as the need for an immediate purchase, force you to use them. Do it subtly, though, for there are very sensitive chaps who have to save face in their largely illusory world. Say something like you love the machine but only have half the amount to spend.
The private market is not free of its perils. Although there are in theory some safeguards against being ripped off, in practice it's all buyer beware and sold as seen. An engine can blow five minutes after purchase and the only comeback you really have is a spate of threatened violence.
So, you have to know what you're doing. If you don't find someone who does. You could even join the local motorcycle club, look totally lost until someone takes pity on you. Motorcyclists like nothing more than to show off their expertise. If you have one particular machine in mind, buy a Haynes manual to learn the intricacies of the bike.
There are many places that used bikes are advertised. MCN's the most famous with thousands for sale. Local papers have been usurped by free advertising tabloids which have lots of interesting stuff, especially at the lower end of the market. Autotrader magazines, and the like, vary according to area - in some place there's hardly any bikes, in others pages of good stuff. I've always found postcards in motorcycle spares shops useful and even those in newsagent's windows turn up the odd bargain.
Back street dealers are more likely to use the specialist press than the local papers. Back street dealers are not heroes but big trouble. They specialize in a line of dubious machinery, either crash repaired or quick fixes to heavy mechanical problems. The former can have frames, wheels or brakes break up on you. The latter can result in a seized or broken engine when the fix, as it usually does, fails. Quick fixes included plastic metal in the crankcases, ultra thick oil in the engine, bodged camchain tensioners, odd pistons and rings, etc - you get the general idea.
Back street dealers can usually be sniffed out by using some very vague opening remarks over the telephone. Don't mention any machine details, don't mention where the bike was advertised and demand to know how long's the machine's been owned, checking that the owner's name is actually in the logbook. These dealers are usually trying to sell several different bikes at the same time, so if they don't know which bike you're talking about they won't know what to say. This simple trick will save you lots of time and, ultimately, piles of dosh.
Even in a private sale refuse to buy unless the owner's name is in the logbook. Because there are some fake registration doc's floating around it's very important that you should visit the vendor's home and check it's the same as in the logbook. This, along with the receipt, should protect you from the police if the bike turns out to be stolen, although they will take the motorcycle off you - if this prospect worries you check with the police to see if the bike's stolen before handing over any cash. In any event, frame and engine numbers should be checked against the logbook.
In an ideal world all used bikes would be low mileage, one owners. In reality, very few are. Even relatively recent motorcycles seem to be turned over with a remarkable frequency, devices like CBR600's having three or four owners in the first few years. Some bikes survive abuse and mileage much better than others. The Used Guide reveals all, but remember that in the strange world of used motorcycles there are always exceptions. So don't blame me if it all goes wrong.
There are some general rules on four strokes. Valves or piston wear in the form of smoke will often turn up in the breather pipe before the exhausts, so it's worth pulling it off the airfilter to check. This smoke, in the early stages, will also turn up on the overrun. Some bikes normally rattle a lot, other are naturally quiet, so check out a few examples to see what's what. All bikes will eventually rattle their camchains but most can be replaced without a complete engine strip. Knocking noises, indicating the demise of bearings, are big trouble. Don't confuse clutch noises at tickover with serious trouble, the sound should go when the motor's revved.
Special attention should be applied to Honda camchains and gearboxes, Suzuki rectifiers, alternators and clutches, Kawasaki CDI's, camchains (once past 20 thou) and transmission, and Yamaha camchains, pistons and electrics. Despite all this, many motors can run to 75000 miles with minimal trouble or attention (frequent oil changes are necessary, though). If you know little about bikes, four stroke are a better bet than strokers.
Two stroke problems centre around lubrication failures under the stress of their operation. Pistons, rings and crankshaft bearings are most likely to go after the first 20,000 miles. Watercooling helps, the constant temperature allowing better operating clearances. Excess smoke, rattles and knocks are the signs of trouble but some bikes make all that noise as a matter of course. Crank seals are another irritant, especially if they dry out during storage and can lead to a dry gearbox. Exhaust valves can seize up, due to poor oil or ingress of road dirt. The small, aircooled commuters are much simpler and easier to check. Apart from the latter, avoid unless you know what you're doing.
Rolling chassis faults are easier to gauge. Push, pull everything that's supposed to move to see if there's any looseness. The brakes shouldn't squeak or squeal and there should be plenty of pad or shoe life left. If you don't want to get your hands dirty insist on a new MOT. Passing only means something on the day the bike's tested but that's all you want at this point. Check the electrics by riding around with the lights on - they should remain bright. And make sure that there's no obvious bodging on the wiring under the seat or panels.
After all that, see how you feel about the bike and the owner. Make a silly offer with the cash to hand. Cash offers a great incentive to deal there and then; prices often take a tumble. The reality of the private market offers some great deals. Once you've found your first bargain you won't want to bother with dealers. Good luck and good hunting!
Dick Lewis