What to look for when you buy your bike?

[bigzuMER]

I am going to be buying for my first bike this weekend. I wanted to know what are some stuff i should look for when buying it? My friend told me that you move the wheel back and fourth to see if the pistons need replacing? He also said to start it and if it starts first kick the compression might be messed up? He said to check the engine and see if it is warm and if it is then it probably has a starting issue and they started it earlier???? Does anyone know if these are true? and if they are right?

Thanks,

jon

 

[rmc_olderthandirt]

My friend told me that you move the wheel back and fourth to see if the pistons need replacing? He also said to start it and if it starts first kick the compression might be messed up?

I would not put much faith in your friend.

There is no way that you can move the wheel and tell anything about the piston. The chain will have considerable amount of slack in it, and the transmission will have a little so the bike will roll a few inches without the engine turning at all.

Likewise on the first kick start. Most people consider a first kick start as being a good sign that the engine is in good shape. If it doesn't start first kick it doesn't mean that the engine is bad, but the plug might be a little fouled or the jetting not quite right.

Without tearing the engine down the best indication of its health is the compression. If you can measure it, great, but that is not a common thing to do when you go looking at a bike. You should be able to feel it, however.

As for the engine being warm when you go to look at it: If I was selling my bike and knew someone was coming to look at it I would fire it up ahead of time to be sure. A lot of engines are "cold blooded" and don't start easily when cold. I wouldn't worry too much about that, as long as they start easily when warm.

What I would look for:

Buy a bike that is complete and ready to ride. Unless you are really into projects you should avoid bikes that "only need a new shifter" or "fork rebuild and its ready to go!". These bikes can become money pits and you will want to get out and ride ASAP.

Look at the general condition of the bike, at least what you can see. Dirt bikes suffer a lot of abuse and things break or wear out. A bike that has been well maintained will have all the broken parts properly replaced/repaired. If you see bolts missing, the pipe being held on with hose clamps, duct tape holding a fender on, etc. it is a clear indication that the bike was not maintained. If the obvious stuff wasn't maintained it is a good bet that the hidden stuff was not maintained either.

Tires are normal wear and tear items and can be in any shape. If the knobbies are mostly worn off you will need to replace them soon, so factor that into the cost. It can be $125 to $200 to get a new set of tires on the bike.

If you live in a state that requires dirt bikes to be registered (such as California) then the bike will be worth a lot more if it has the proper papers/stickers/title.

As for what type of bike you should buy: Fill ou the form in "sticky" post at the top of this forum and post it back here. This will give all of us a better idea of what would be right for you.

Good luck.

Rod