ADVICE

1. Buying a Bike

• Have a professional mechanic do a full tune-up on the machine.
  • Why? Well, since you're probably not a professional, trained mechanic, there are probably people out there more qualified than you to make sure the bike is in top condition and safe to ride. Don't be offended; the author isn't a professional mechanic either. Spend a little money and let a professional certify that the bike is safe to ride.
• Get the bike insured and registered. Never ride without health insurance and vehicle insurance.
• Take it easy as you get used to a new machine. Respect your bike's power and abilities and get used to it

Back to the Top

QUIZZING THE SELLER

• When the seller is going over the bike, giving you his sales pitch:

1.      Try to ascertain whether or not this person really cares about the bike's condition. When you come across something wrong -- say, a handlebar that got slightly bent in a parking lot tip-over, does the owner seem to think that it's no big deal and doesn't need to be replaced, or did the owner point it out himself, and acknowledge the fact that it needs fixing?

2.      Try to figure out if the owner seems like the kind of bike knowledgeable person who maintains his bikes well or someone that doesn't keep up with scheduled maintenance and just gets a different bike when he's worn one out. You can often tell a lot about someone through insight alone.

Ask the owner:

• Has the bike ever been down?
• If the seller says, "No," but you see evidence of crash damage, ask the seller to explain.

• When was the oil last changed?
• 4 stroke scooter oil should be changed at least every 1000 km or six months, whichever comes first.
  
• What is the maintenance history of the bike?
• Is the bike overdue for regular servicing, like a valve adjustment, a carb sync, etc? (If the owner hasn't lost the bike's owner's manual, open it up and look at the maintenance schedule to see if it was followed properly.)
  
• How old (years & miles) are the tires? Ask the seller if he thinks the tires are good.
• See the section on above to evaluate their condition for yourself.
  
• What modifications were made to the bike? 
  
• Off-road two-strokes: When's the last time the bike got a fresh top end?
  
• Come right out and ask the seller:
• Why are you selling the bike?
• Is there anything wrong with this bike?
• Is there anything wrong with it that you haven't pointed out?
• Are there any maintenance/safety issues that I should be aware of if I buy this bike?
• What work would you do on the bike if you were going to keep it for another year or two?
• Is there any reason I shouldn't buy this bike?

Sometimes the simple act of asking these questions in a very blunt manner will get the seller to reveal things that they didn't think of, or didn't plan on mentioning.

• Warning sign: if the seller's main selling point is that the bike is "really fast", there's a better-than-average chance that you're talking to someone who abused the bike. Beware.
• Paranoia department: How do you know that the bike actually parts that the seller claims it has? Be careful, especially if the seller seems dodgy. Just because the seller claims that the bike has MegaSuperBlast cams (or some other internal part that you're not going to see) doesn't mean that it does. Ask to see a sales receipt. (Putting an aftermarket manufacturer's sticker on a stock component is a lot cheaper than buying the aftermarket upgrade.)

Back to the Top

4. Engine

CLUTCH (Motorcycles)

• Ask the owner how many miles since clutch cable was changed?. Owners who keep close tabs on bike maintenance will know. That's generally a great sign. Most owners probably don't know.
• If there's a little slack in the clutch cable and you can move the lever 5/8" or an inch or so before the cable goes tight that probably just means that the cable adjuster needs a turn or two.

Steps

1. Put the bike in first gear 
2. Squeeze the clutch all the way in 
3. Roll it forward. It should feel like neutral, with possibly a little more resistance. 
4. Slowly let the clutch out and feel for the friction zone. Clutch engagement should be fairly smooth, not abrupt. 
5. Put the bike back in neutral. 

Back to the Top

SPEEDOMETER

• Spin the front wheel QUICKLY , see if the speedometer registers anything. If the Speedo needle doesn't rise
• Check to see if the trip odometer's 1/10th mile digit has moved after the wheel has spun for a while. If it hasn't, the Speedo is probably disconnected or just doesn't work
• If your bike doesn't have one of these cables off the front axle, the bike's speedometer/odometer is probably keyed off the countershaft (transmission output)...
• Get the rear wheel in the air,
• start the engine,
• Get the bike into second gear
• let it idle..................

RESULTS:

1.      Speedo needle should rise a bit.

2.      Odometer digits should scroll slowly . (If it doesn't, the speedo/odo is disconnected or just doesn't work )

If the speedo/odo doesn't work, it's hard to know BIKE MILAGE since you don't know how long it hasn't been counting off miles. Run away QUICKLY!

Back to the Top

9.  Article April/2006

You didn't take care of your wheels?

Spend small money now, save a lot later.

"The preachy part" 

I assume that most of you already know most of this following advice and tips and it is usually just common sense, but as visitors here in Taiwan.

1. cultural differences

2. new laws

3. values

4. new modes of transportation

It’s the small things, sometimes, that we tend to forget. Even at times we seek advice and get misled, misinformed or the all too common “language barrier” gives us a fresh kick in the rear for an eye opening experience. We tend to take it for granted and then it costs us later with a whopping, unexpected repair bill, an avoidable accident or being late for that special date or for school (when you just called in sick the day before with a terrible hangover). Now, you’re going to phone in sick again? WHY? BECAUSE….. YOU DIDN’T take care of your wheels?! Being proactive can be a money saver.  Pay a little now, save a lot later, a wise man once said. Preventive maintenance and safety checks can give you  

• better piece of mind  

• higher resell value

• fewer no pain staking breakdowns

Darryl Mackie - F.A.S.T.  

Back to the Top

11.  TIPS

GAS

Rental  |  Sales  |  Repairs  |  Advice  |  Location  |   Home