Buying a used bike: what our pre-purchase inspection checks

For $149 we put any bike you are about to buy on a lift and write down what we find, with numbers, before you hand over money.

Questions about your bike? Call (719) 555-0147 and a person answers.

See every bike

A private sale can be a great deal or someone else’s problem. An hour on a lift tells you which, and costs less than the first repair you would have missed.

On the lift

The frame and swingarm for cracks and crash damage, steering head bearings, wheel bearings, fork seals, the chain and sprockets, and brake pad thickness.

On the scan and the road

We read the stored fault codes, check the charging voltage and ride it for ten minutes to feel the clutch, the gearbox and the brakes.

On paper

A written sheet with every number, the parts that will be due soon and what they cost here. Take it to the seller, or walk away.

Want us to do it for you? A person answers, Tuesday to Saturday.

(719) 555-0147

Book a service

MORE NOTES

A motorcycle parked in tall grass at the end of the season

Winter storage: the six things we do to every bike

Fuel stabilized and run through, a fresh oil change, the battery on a tender, tires off the floor, plugged pipes and a cover. Here is why each one matters.

Read the note

A spoked motorcycle wheel and brake caliper in the dark

How old are your tires? Reading the DOT date code

The last four digits of the DOT code are the week and the year the tire was made. Past five years we replace it, whatever the tread says.

Read the note

An open cylinder head with the valve gear exposed

Valve checks: when the interval really matters

Most modern engines hold their clearances well, but a tight exhaust valve burns. Here is how we decide when to check, and what it costs.

Read the note