I was lucky, my buddy is a bike mechanic and went with me to check the bike before i bought it but i have learned a few things since then, by working on bikes, check: -Sprocket teeth(square top is good, sharp is bad) -Check tires(look for flat spots, cracks, and check tread by using a digital caliper) -Check for obvious scratches/dents/damaged turn signals(all signs of crash) -Check front and rear brake pads, see how much life is left on them(Thinner = need replacement) -Check discs where the brakes are, make sure they are straight, and not bent or warped -Check to see if the brakes even work, see how they feel(do you feel pressure as you press down)(can do this without even riding) - COLD START THE BIKE!(arrive before the ETA) -See if there are any leaking fluids as bike warms up -Is the chain clean? Is there too much slack?(more than 1" is too much, it hasnt been maintained properly, or needs new one) -What color is engine oil?(You can check the little window, if its dark/dirty, it hasnt been maintained/changed, OR its been sitting for a long time which is bad too) -What color is the brake fluid?(It should be clear, if its dark, like coca cola, or even coffee, you have a problem, CHECK MASTER CYLINDERS-little container on handle bar)
Supernova12034 good list. Just missing front a rear wheel bearings, head bearings, leaks around gaskets, fork and seals and stanchions for pitting, coolant fluid condition and look for rust around swing arm brace (especially susceptible area)
It's always hard to get arround to buy a decent 1st bike when on a tight budget. We want a specific model but its beyond our budget, so the used market starts to sound good. But then we (I atleast) get afraid cause we know so little and can't afford to be fooled buying a used bike just to spend more than its worth on maintenance. This video is a sure help, having clear images plus guidance of what to search from an experienced rider is invaluable. Thank you Chase.
Great video, very helpful. With how many sketchy sellers i've seen for used bikes, having a quick guide to reference like this could save people a ton of hassle.
Thanks for this, I'm looking a getting my first bike atm and this is the only guide about what to look for on a second hand bike I've been able to find. I've had no problems doing the prior research, just never knew what I need to look for when inspecting the bike.
Thanks for a gGreat video, just added it to the favorites. Will come in handy if I buy a used bike again. High quality of picture, sound and editing, keep up the good work.
Good job chase. I used just about every one of those tips when I bought my zrx. Only thing I would add is check to see the condition of the fluids and make sure there is enough brake/clutch fluid
I already have a bike but this video was excellent. I have a friend who is looking for a bike and even though I can tell him what to look for, it's hard to show him when he's 180 miles away. So I'm definitely passing along your video.
Great guide dude, awesome for the people who don't know much about purchasing a second hand bike or "Used" bike. I learnt loads from my first bike which has had 13 owners, It was is so much of a bad condition I spent half of my time working on the bike which sucked but it was good because I now have a more of a mechanical mind. First bike was a Honda Cm125 1985, I had to buy new spark plugs, new coil, new carb and spent to much time working on it but the next own will have a blast =) ride safe
Amazing, I was just going to see if you could make a guide to buying a used bike because my bike was recently stolen lol. Looks like a great guide, now I just have to start the hunt to find something I like. As always, great video and looking forward to the next. Ride safe.
Damn man this was way helpful, i'm looking for a first bike and there was a couple of things that you mentioned that I never thought to check. Great vid.
Glad you mention that. I've been looking around and researching for the last year or so before I buy a bike (will be my first). Looking at getting one in time for spring hopefully and I actually have noticed that in Canada, many bikes (Mainly Yamaha, Kawasaki, or Suzuki..the ones im most interested in) are model years 2005-2009 and they all have like 8-16k km's on them. Almost all are in the 4k-7k price range. I don't know a lot about bikes and normal mileage but these are deals it seems to me!
great video, very professional approach reminds me of when I purchased my own bike, i went through several different bikes before i found my lil green ninja, one of which I confirmed to be stolen from some poor soul by the seller's story having numerous and massive flaws as well as slight damage on the bike caused from loading it into a trailer and sucking at loading it into said trailer
I did buy the first I bike I saw for $500. It's a 83 Yamaha xv500 virago, it wasn't running when I bought it (bad petcock), and I did a cafe conversion to it. It's been running strong for over a year.
I'm not trying to say this isn't a good guide, man it's an excellent one, I guess it's just a matter of how much work do owners want to put into their own bikes. I firmly believe if you ride something that often you need to know how to work on it and do so, it's the only way you can be truly in touch with your bike. If you don't believe me try it, you'd be surprised. So many riders just drop their bikes off at shops, when they could have done the work themselves and gotten closer to their machne
You might notice a lot of people selling will also request that they have cash in hand, this is usually in the event that someone interested in the bike lowsides it during the test, but also prevents people coming around to joyride.
and to see how good the chain is grab it on the back of the back sprocket and pull backwards, if it moves so that you gan see between the chain and sprocket it is worn out :) btw great video! :D
Depending on the style of bike you are buying check the color of the exhaust pipe. In my case i am looking for a cruiser/standard bike so an exhaust pipe that is blue can indicate hard riding due to overheating, or a hot running engine due to a lean mixture.
great vid. I bought all three brand new, But im looking for a small bike to have fun on. Thinking about a ninja 300, i had one for 6 months and had a blast. The gixxer is fun, but for a joy ride with friends. The 300 has it beat by far.
I bought my bike (a 125cc GY6 scooter) left outside because of a bad starter clutch and had mud dauber wasps living in it's bodywork. But I knew it was a GY6 and parts are available all over ebay and from a local dealer who sells the same bike in 150cc form. They even helped me with tuning it, which made it quicker and more powerful than any of us had dreamed of (it burns out in the rain, which can be scary shit!) If you want a damn good scooter get an ARN 150, they are damn good little bikes.
A lot of guy's like the look of older R6 models, but the perks of the newer ones. I believe there are conversion kits to older fairing styles and guys put them on newer bikes. I recall when I was looking at bikes like Chase's, I was on Craigslist nightly and found several bike's that had been converted. Hopefully my amateur knowledge can help. :)
The brand name they sell these under now is Keeway, their ARN 150 model is an awesome learner bike. And I do NOT work for keeway, I have a 2003 ARN 125 with a 125 head and 150cc piston, which turned it into a high compression monster thing (had to try a few clutches before I found one that wouldn't burn up!) in stock form an ARN 150 is a great, light automatic learner bike that is very reliable and with tuning can be made very fast (but keeping the same reliability) QJ's are damn good bikes.
Another thing to remember when checking the tires, is to verify the manufacture month and year, as its not recommended to ride on tires older than 7 years.
The R6S was produced through 08 which has a different front end and well, everything. It was the former R6 that yamaha cont. through 06-08 as a lower end R6 bike. :)
My first bike is gonna be a Honda XL600R. I think it will be a great dual sport starter bike. Nothing fancy, not high mileage, clean title, and lightweight for a 600.
ha i was up there for basic and also you sound just like me lol... I always said why do i need the course i used to motocross but street bikes are a whole new world my friend. not only do they ride different but riding and paying attention to thousands of cars and signs. I was nervous as hell to especially my first highway ride. and this is a good topic for my vlog lol
it might also be worth mentioning that it is a good idea to replace the major fluids on the bike after the purchase, if you could not get any information on the last service. Had a friend whose brakes started to feel weak/not function on an '07 gsxr 600, turned out his brake fluids had not been changed in over 3 years
Thanks man! Though if I could suggest something. Next time, explain what some of the parts are since most of the people that are looking up these types of guides won't actually know most of these things, like I got a little confused on the safety wire part, where would that be located? Anyway it was still a very informative video and I will look for these things when I buy my used bike!!
Awesome guideline. Now my only problem is finding a good used bike. The market is extremely limited here in mid-missouri. When a good used 250 does show up, they usually want way to much for it. Been in the market for a beginner bike for a year now and still no luck. :(
Great info Chase. I wish I could make it down to the meet up. I would love to ride with you guys. I don't think my GS500 would make the trip though. Ride Safe
Thanks for the video ill follow what you said to look for since i found a 06 ZX6R 636 for 4650 it has 15K miles fender eliminator kit and a Yoshi slip on im gonna look at it today and see if this will be my next bike
haha THATS WHY!!!! it had such low miles and the guy probably never rode it but took real good care of it. Not all older bikes are like that.....you got REALLY lucky finding that bike
Awesome video, if you do another vid like this can you get into the "politics," of buying a bike, such as: "what is lowballing," "how to set up an appointment so you test ride." Some people will not let you test ride if you have cash in hand. Can you make a video about things like that?
Chase I loved this video but you should return to this topic some day and show some more of what not to look for in a bike. Granted that might be alittle hard to show up to a bunch of adds on kijiji and slander whats wrong with what they're selling.
I was lucky, my buddy is a bike mechanic and went with me to check the bike before i bought it but i have learned a few things since then, by working on bikes, check:
-Sprocket teeth(square top is good, sharp is bad)
-Check tires(look for flat spots, cracks, and check tread by using a digital caliper)
-Check for obvious scratches/dents/damaged turn signals(all signs of crash)
-Check front and rear brake pads, see how much life is left on them(Thinner = need replacement)
-Check discs where the brakes are, make sure they are straight, and not bent or warped
-Check to see if the brakes even work, see how they feel(do you feel pressure as you press down)(can do this without even riding)
- COLD START THE BIKE!(arrive before the ETA)
-See if there are any leaking fluids as bike warms up
-Is the chain clean? Is there too much slack?(more than 1" is too much, it hasnt been maintained properly, or needs new one)
-What color is engine oil?(You can check the little window, if its dark/dirty, it hasnt been maintained/changed, OR its been sitting for a long time which is bad too)
-What color is the brake fluid?(It should be clear, if its dark, like coca cola, or even coffee, you have a problem, CHECK MASTER CYLINDERS-little container on handle bar)
Supernova12034 good list. Just missing front a rear wheel bearings, head bearings, leaks around gaskets, fork and seals and stanchions for pitting, coolant fluid condition and look for rust around swing arm brace (especially susceptible area)
Nice film work bro, the DSLR really brings out the depth of field in the shots, and great info, thumbs up bro !
It's always hard to get arround to buy a decent 1st bike when on a tight budget.
We want a specific model but its beyond our budget, so the used market starts to sound good. But then we (I atleast) get afraid cause we know so little and can't afford to be fooled buying a used bike just to spend more than its worth on maintenance.
This video is a sure help, having clear images plus guidance of what to search from an experienced rider is invaluable. Thank you Chase.
Incredible acting on the helmet refusal scene
alexcrouch9 no he really did that, that wasn't acting
that made me so sad 😭😭😭 poor seller :(
Awesome work again Chase. You hit the nail on the head with this guide and your editing skills are shining buddy.
Impressive sir. Couldn't have said this better myself. If anyone asks me about how to buy a bike, I'll pass this video along to them for sure.
i really like the professional approach you pulled off here very well done
Great video, very helpful. With how many sketchy sellers i've seen for used bikes, having a quick guide to reference like this could save people a ton of hassle.
Thanks for this, I'm looking a getting my first bike atm and this is the only guide about what to look for on a second hand bike I've been able to find. I've had no problems doing the prior research, just never knew what I need to look for when inspecting the bike.
best guide iv seen yet
Thanks for a gGreat video, just added it to the favorites. Will come in handy if I buy a used bike again.
High quality of picture, sound and editing, keep up the good work.
Good job chase. I used just about every one of those tips when I bought my zrx. Only thing I would add is check to see the condition of the fluids and make sure there is enough brake/clutch fluid
Very useful! This should be the most watched video on C2W
Glad I came across this now and not later. Looking in to getting a used bike and this was very useful! Thanks!
I already have a bike but this video was excellent. I have a friend who is looking for a bike and even though I can tell him what to look for, it's hard to show him when he's 180 miles away. So I'm definitely passing along your video.
Great guide dude, awesome for the people who don't know much about purchasing a second hand bike or "Used" bike. I learnt loads from my first bike which has had 13 owners, It was is so much of a bad condition I spent half of my time working on the bike which sucked but it was good because I now have a more of a mechanical mind. First bike was a Honda Cm125 1985, I had to buy new spark plugs, new coil, new carb and spent to much time working on it but the next own will have a blast =) ride safe
Brief, crisp, short and great video... Best guide
Amazing, I was just going to see if you could make a guide to buying a used bike because my bike was recently stolen lol. Looks like a great guide, now I just have to start the hunt to find something I like. As always, great video and looking forward to the next. Ride safe.
Thanks man! You've been such a big help is this whole process, I cannot wait to get mine. This is a great guide tho; you're the best bro
Damn man this was way helpful, i'm looking for a first bike and there was a couple of things that you mentioned that I never thought to check. Great vid.
Glad you mention that. I've been looking around and researching for the last year or so before I buy a bike (will be my first). Looking at getting one in time for spring hopefully and I actually have noticed that in Canada, many bikes (Mainly Yamaha, Kawasaki, or Suzuki..the ones im most interested in) are model years 2005-2009 and they all have like 8-16k km's on them. Almost all are in the 4k-7k price range. I don't know a lot about bikes and normal mileage but these are deals it seems to me!
pretty good stuff man. I'm a register HondaTech and these are the things i tell people to look for, great guideline.
Thanks for the heads up, will keep this in mind when its time to purchase!
Nice guide chase. I've bought a few bikes in my day but you added a few things I overlooked. Keep it up
great, professional video. this should get a lot of views since it is so general
well done. Good list of things to look at. Thanks man!
Great video Chase. Plus nice footage of Dahlonega!
Im looking to buy my first bike soon and this was a big help, thanks C2W
Chase, your bike is SO beautiful
Absolutely outstanding video chase :) great info and awesome camera work!
Nice Work Chase. Very informative & much appreciated. Keep it up bro
GREAT video chase. Its going to be really helpful for when I buy my first bike. Thanks
great video, very professional approach
reminds me of when I purchased my own bike, i went through several different bikes before i found my lil green ninja, one of which I confirmed to be stolen from some poor soul by the seller's story having numerous and massive flaws as well as slight damage on the bike caused from loading it into a trailer and sucking at loading it into said trailer
best vid on the internet on how to do this
Well done, This is something a lot of people will appreciate, Thank you very much. I am still learning myself :)
You have an awesome teaching ability about you! Brilliant video!
I did buy the first I bike I saw for $500. It's a 83 Yamaha xv500 virago, it wasn't running when I bought it (bad petcock), and I did a cafe conversion to it. It's been running strong for over a year.
I'm not trying to say this isn't a good guide, man it's an excellent one, I guess it's just a matter of how much work do owners want to put into their own bikes. I firmly believe if you ride something that often you need to know how to work on it and do so, it's the only way you can be truly in touch with your bike. If you don't believe me try it, you'd be surprised. So many riders just drop their bikes off at shops, when they could have done the work themselves and gotten closer to their machne
Dude, epic vid. So much info. I wish there'd been something like this when I started riding...
I'm going to view an sv650s on sunday, so this has helped lots.
Thank you :)
Nicely put Chase !
Thanks Chase! Awesome video, I'm upgrading to a zx6r this riding season and I'll use this video in order to find a good one :)
You might notice a lot of people selling will also request that they have cash in hand, this is usually in the event that someone interested in the bike lowsides it during the test, but also prevents people coming around to joyride.
Thanks! I've been looking for bikes and some tipes weren't new to me. But some were so thanks!
Nicely done... And plus 1 on what DerExFarmer said...
Awesome. Once the weather gets better I'll get in touch and maybe we can arrange something.
Great info for someone looking to buy.
and to see how good the chain is grab it on the back of the back sprocket and pull backwards, if it moves so that you gan see between the chain and sprocket it is worn out :) btw great video! :D
Very, very solid advice. Great video.
Thanks chase I know a little I just don't want to miss anything and and than financially screw we over
thanks man, i can use almost all of this to help me look for a ped, then a bike when i'm 17 :)
On craigslist I found a yamaha sr 250 for 400. I don't know the year, but I'm told it needs a new ignition system. Is it worth it?
Depending on the style of bike you are buying check the color of the exhaust pipe. In my case i am looking for a cruiser/standard bike so an exhaust pipe that is blue can indicate hard riding due to overheating, or a hot running engine due to a lean mixture.
great vid. I bought all three brand new, But im looking for a small bike to have fun on. Thinking about a ninja 300, i had one for 6 months and had a blast. The gixxer is fun, but for a joy ride with friends. The 300 has it beat by far.
I bought my bike (a 125cc GY6 scooter) left outside because of a bad starter clutch and had mud dauber wasps living in it's bodywork. But I knew it was a GY6 and parts are available all over ebay and from a local dealer who sells the same bike in 150cc form. They even helped me with tuning it, which made it quicker and more powerful than any of us had dreamed of (it burns out in the rain, which can be scary shit!) If you want a damn good scooter get an ARN 150, they are damn good little bikes.
A lot of guy's like the look of older R6 models, but the perks of the newer ones. I believe there are conversion kits to older fairing styles and guys put them on newer bikes. I recall when I was looking at bikes like Chase's, I was on Craigslist nightly and found several bike's that had been converted. Hopefully my amateur knowledge can help. :)
Good Video Chase!
The brand name they sell these under now is Keeway, their ARN 150 model is an awesome learner bike. And I do NOT work for keeway, I have a 2003 ARN 125 with a 125 head and 150cc piston, which turned it into a high compression monster thing (had to try a few clutches before I found one that wouldn't burn up!) in stock form an ARN 150 is a great, light automatic learner bike that is very reliable and with tuning can be made very fast (but keeping the same reliability) QJ's are damn good bikes.
Another thing to remember when checking the tires, is to verify the manufacture month and year, as its not recommended to ride on tires older than 7 years.
The R6S was produced through 08 which has a different front end and well, everything. It was the former R6 that yamaha cont. through 06-08 as a lower end R6 bike. :)
you need to hit up some of these roads in western nc! they are EVERYWHERE!!
This is great that you made this. I'm going to buy one wedensday! Haha
Ironically, I went to look at a bike the same day as this video. I took it for a test ride, ran good, looks good.
Ive seen alot of videos about that tonight and thats one of the best.
Good Job and Thumb Up from me : ]
great tips thank you , very helpful
Great advice, thank you.
that was a professional video. good work
My first bike is gonna be a Honda XL600R. I think it will be a great dual sport starter bike. Nothing fancy, not high mileage, clean title, and lightweight for a 600.
Amazing video, this was very helpful
Thank you!!! Very helpful! Ride safe.
Very good vid. This will help millions.
Dam I've been wanting to make one of these but seeing yours I def need to step my game up lol great video.
ha i was up there for basic and also you sound just like me lol... I always said why do i need the course i used to motocross but street bikes are a whole new world my friend. not only do they ride different but riding and paying attention to thousands of cars and signs. I was nervous as hell to especially my first highway ride. and this is a good topic for my vlog lol
Awesome, thanks for the advice!
look at the DOT number of the tires. example. 2213. 22 is the 22nd week and year 13 is the year it was made
it might also be worth mentioning that it is a good idea to replace the major fluids on the bike after the purchase, if you could not get any information on the last service. Had a friend whose brakes started to feel weak/not function on an '07 gsxr 600, turned out his brake fluids had not been changed in over 3 years
thank you i been waiting for this video
Thanks man!
Though if I could suggest something.
Next time, explain what some of the parts are since most of the people that are looking up these types of guides won't actually know most of these things, like I got a little confused on the safety wire part, where would that be located? Anyway it was still a very informative video and I will look for these things when I buy my used bike!!
Awesome guideline. Now my only problem is finding a good used bike. The market is extremely limited here in mid-missouri. When a good used 250 does show up, they usually want way to much for it. Been in the market for a beginner bike for a year now and still no luck. :(
great video! very well done!
Thanks for the tips!
Great info Chase. I wish I could make it down to the meet up. I would love to ride with you guys. I don't think my GS500 would make the trip though.
Ride Safe
God damn, the R6 is beautiful!
Thanks for the video ill follow what you said to look for since i found a 06 ZX6R 636 for 4650 it has 15K miles fender eliminator kit and a Yoshi slip on im gonna look at it today and see if this will be my next bike
I've always wanted to check out Vortex. How about a motovlogger meet up/lunch when the weather gets better?
because he likes the style and a lotto other people like his style as well
Great vid!! Very helpful
theres always that one hater that dislikes the video , good video man
That last scene was right by my college
Great tips!
Thanks a ton for this video!
nice vid, short and sweet
Great vid!!
Awesome,thanks !
haha THATS WHY!!!! it had such low miles and the guy probably never rode it but took real good care of it. Not all older bikes are like that.....you got REALLY lucky finding that bike
Awesome video, if you do another vid like this can you get into the "politics," of buying a bike, such as: "what is lowballing," "how to set up an appointment so you test ride." Some people will not let you test ride if you have cash in hand. Can you make a video about things like that?
That was a really good a useful vid! *thumbs up*
Great tips.
Chase I loved this video but you should return to this topic some day and show some more of what not to look for in a bike. Granted that might be alittle hard to show up to a bunch of adds on kijiji and slander whats wrong with what they're selling.
There's an tnt 899 which is used for racing should I buy it..will it be worth it......