How to inspect a used bike b4 buying?

[Detrich]

update: so, i also emailed one of my good friends who's both an auto & bike mechanic, and i told him about the bike and emailed him some pictures. (he also happens to ride a red 08 R6, which he's taken completely apart to the frame, modified, and re-assembled multiple times...) anyhow. he's very knowledgeable about fixing cars & bikes. and, he got back to me today, but he actually advised me -against- buying that bike. =(

his reasoning wasn't because it wasn't a good deal or anything else- but more just that he knows my personality and he said that even if that is a great deal- it'll still likely have some lingering issues to resolve. and, for any money saved, i'd still have to spend money & time getting it up to running specs etc. and, knowing me- he said i'd get frustrated and be unhappy dealing with all the hassles- since i'm mechanically challenged... (kinda true)

he said that "bargain hunters" usually are motivated 'do-it-yourself people' who aren't afraid of a little trouble/ hassel, taking risks, and spending time fixing things up at a bargain- which truth be told i am not- since i'd prolly rather play starcraft on saturday pm than spendall afternoon wrenching in the garage... so, why would i want to stress myself out buying a bike that's (a) obviously been neglected, (b) comes with questionable history, and (c) that very well may not have even been properly broken in- based on the state it's in?

he thinks i'm better off waiting & saving up an extra $2k and buying a new one from the dealer that comse with the warranty, and leaving this one to the folks who (a) know how to fix/ service things and (b) don't mind the risk, and (c) would have fun getting their hands dirty bringing it up to specs.

sigh. the truth hurts sometimes, but he's totally right. and, his arguments convinced me... Hahahaha.

ok, back to square one, dammit =(

 

[MikeN02]

Ouch, sorry to hear. I forgot to factor that in.

Fortunately for me my passion for motorcycles goes further than riding them. I love to take them apart, put them back together and look back at how everything works etc. I'm excited for my next service (8k miles.) and switching it up to amsoil oil at 9k miles.

Also work on my friend's bikes as well as they neglect it and take it in to the dealer for a simple oil change so I save them the money. I pretty much gave up on video games (SCII and MVC3 included) though I'm still waiting for D3.

Point is, I'd rather sit on the forums all day looking at mods and How-To's to save and do it later (such as a coolant flush).
I'm also stripping my bike down tomorrow so I can get some stuff powder coated etc. Should be fun!

Now my advice is if you DO plan to buy a brand new bike off the dealership, it should be a bike that lasts you for a while. Sit on different bikes, CBR 600 RR, ZX6-R, R1, Gixxer, etc etc and finally decide which one you'll be happy with for a couple of years. I had my R6 for almost half a year now and she still surprises me with all that power again and again. Not to mention I still have about 20 mods to do to it on my list.

 

[Detrich]

tnx. definitely true. ^_^

Well, sitting on the R6 yesterday at the used car dealer just made me love it even more. Honestly, its the bike i always wanted. And, I dunno y before it used to feel so tall & uncomfortable. but maybe its bcuz bike dealers have it on carpet? lol. on solid ground it actually didn't feel that bad at all... And, it was stock height and not lowered cuz I was on my toes in sneakers... Maybe I'm just gaining more confidence slowly and feel less scared by it now compared to b4? =\

 

[bjs045]

Man that looks like a really good deal...omw to buy right now.....





LOL no j/k bro! :rof:

 

[Detrich]

I'm happy to share the info with u if ur interested BJ. I'm passing, but it's because I'm so risk averse- not cuz its a bad deal. Pm me if u want the link. =)

 

[MikeN02]

Lol

tnx. definitely true. ^_^

Well, sitting on the R6 yesterday at the used car dealer just made me love it even more. Honestly, its the bike i always wanted. And, I dunno y before it used to feel so tall & uncomfortable. but maybe its bcuz bike dealers have it on carpet? lol. on solid ground it actually didn't feel that bad at all... And, it was stock height and not lowered cuz I was on my toes in sneakers... Maybe I'm just gaining more confidence slowly and feel less scared by it now compared to b4? =\

It's an aggressive riding style. My friend had a CBR F4i and got on my R6. Said he loved how the clip-ons are. The F4i has the clip on's on top so it's more upright, unlike the R6 where the clip-on's are below the top triple tree.

It's still one of the tallest 600cc bikes. I'm working my way up to stock height right now it's an inch below stock before it was 3 inches, before I used to drop bikes if I wasn't half footed on both. Now As long as I can touch the ground at all I'm good (On my tippy toes now with a shaved seat). Eventually I'll just need to one foot it like everyone else (already practicing that).

Looking into my reflection off mirrored buildings while riding helps too. Love how hight he rear tail sits up and I want it even higher.

 

[Detrich]

yah... totally agree.

i've met other riders that are my height that were riding the r6 as comfortably as we ride our 6r's... and, it was perplexing. so, i asked them if they ever felt it was too high, and most of them said u just get used to controlling the weight with your toes and don't really need to flat foot. and, these guys haven't been riding any longer than i have. >_<

so, knowing that i'm inherently a slow learner to begin with, i've been hoping that if i keep practicing, i'll eventually get to a point where i won't be as scared. and, i see that point slowing showing itself on the horizon finally... =D

the nice thing about yesterday was that even tho i wasn't allowed to test ride it, i was still able to sit on the bike with the engine running and put my feet up. and, that sorta gave me a feel. and, it felt great. love the aggressive position. and, that 50 lb weight difference is VERY noticeable when i tilted it back and forth. the r6 is SO much lighter than the 6r... =)

i'm even more determined now to try to reach my goal. going to keep practicing practicing... and saving up for a new 09... ^_^

p.s. here's some food for thought. i kinda see what you're saying about the rossi- it's a very busy pattern and too raced out. but, honestly if u see it in person that thing looks a million times better. for some reason pictures just don't capture how cool it actually is. but, it's just so pricey. plus, it's more of a target for theft, i'd imagine...

 

[MikeN02]

yah... totally agree.

i've met other riders that are my height that were riding the r6 as comfortably as we ride our 6r's... and, it was perplexing. so, i asked them if they ever felt it was too high, and most of them said u just get used to controlling the weight with your toes and don't really need to flat foot. and, these guys haven't been riding any longer than i have. >_<

so, knowing that i'm inherently a slow learner to begin with, i've been hoping that if i keep practicing, i'll eventually get to a point where i won't be as scared. and, i see that point slowing showing itself on the horizon finally... =D

the nice thing about yesterday was that even tho i wasn't allowed to test ride it, i was still able to sit on the bike with the engine running and put my feet up. and, that sorta gave me a feel. and, it felt great. love the aggressive position. and, that 50 lb weight difference is VERY noticeable when i tilted it back and forth. the r6 is SO much lighter than the 6r... =)

i'm even more determined now to try to reach my goal. going to keep practicing practicing... and saving up for a new 09... ^_^

p.s. here's some food for thought. i kinda see what you're saying about the rossi- it's a very busy pattern and too raced out. but, honestly if u see it in person that thing looks a million times better. for some reason pictures just don't capture how cool it actually is. but, it's just so pricey. plus, it's more of a target for theft, i'd imagine...

I'm so tempted to raise it back to stock but I know I need to practice first. Agree with you on the FZ6-R's weight, I moved it while in neutral and then moved a ninja 250R and I used too much power and was about to drop the 250 . R6's weight is okay, but I wonder why the 6R's so heavy?

I bought my R6 with Q2 tires installed and let me tell you I won't ever go back to stock. The "new" bike + after-market tires let me lean so far over I was so excited even though I'm not a twisties guy since the majority of roads in FL are straights.

I saw some Fiat's/Rossi's on the show-room floor. It IS too busy and another thing I don't like it that because it's a "rossi" edition you can't really edit it to make it into your own bike to show your own personality. Some guy liked it a lot when he had a raven and did a whole Fiat edition switch-out.

 

[Detrich]

Agree with pretty much everything you said...

I think you'll be able to handle stock height without problems. Just raise it back when you feel comfortable. ^_^.

a friend damaged a fairing on his repsol CBR and has had trouble getting an oem replacement... I'd imagine the Rossi would be similar...

I think yamaha's winter sales incentives end 5.31.2011. So I have some time to prepare. I think id get a better deal tho while it's still cold and raining a lot tho. lol

 

[Detrich]

Hey Mike/ Jay/ Guys...

Dealer told me that the 2009 R6 FIAT comes with 2 complete set of plastics- ie the FIAT ones ($3k) and the original bike plastics. The dealer buys the FIAT plastics and installs them on any R6 that they have.

So, what do you do if you damage them and need to replace them? <lol> I guess I should ask them...

How difficult is it to completely swap out all the plastics on an R6 anyways? Have you or Jay ever tried this or have any idea?

Also, when you guys were shopping, did you notice a big price variance amongst colors? It seems in LA that White and Black are the most expensive, Blue in the middle, and Orange is the cheapest (color no one wants).

I've talked to several dealers, and they're all playing hard ball on pricing- except for the FIAT model, which they're really motivated to get rid of cuz it's more expensive and isn't selling...

Thanks for your feedback/ help.

 

[JSP]

Hey Mike/ Jay/ Guys...

Dealer told me that the 2009 R6 FIAT comes with 2 complete set of plastics- ie the FIAT ones ($3k) and the original bike plastics. The dealer buys the FIAT plastics and installs them on any R6 that they have.

So, what do you do if you damage them and need to replace them? <lol> I guess I should ask them...

How difficult is it to completely swap out all the plastics on an R6 anyways? Have you or Jay ever tried this or have any idea?

Also, when you guys were shopping, did you notice a big price variance amongst colors? It seems in LA that White and Black are the most expensive, Blue in the middle, and Orange is the cheapest (color no one wants).

I've talked to several dealers, and they're all playing hard ball on pricing- except for the FIAT model, which they're really motivated to get rid of cuz it's more expensive and isn't selling...

Thanks for your feedback/ help.

I can tell you that the fairings are 5x more of a pain in the ass on the R6 to remove/replace than they are on the FZ6R. The FZ is SUPER easy. The R6 is a bit more complicated but doable of course. You just really have to pay attention to what bolt goes where. Lots more "hidden" bolts and pop rivets.

Pricing all depends on what they paid for it and what is moving. I wanted the white/red and they wouldnt budge on the price a penny. Got the black one with tons of upgrades for over $1k cheaper than the stock white one.

 

[Detrich]

ah, i see... so, selling the extra set is prolly easier than trying to swap it out... <lol> sigh

yah, the lowest priced r6 i've seen is the orange. but, i'm not sure if i would get sick of that color- not to mention none of my gear would match. orange is more visible on the road tho, which is not nec a bad thing.

arg, i hate vehicle shopping. i wish there was a motorcyle buying service like Cars for Sale - Buy a New or Used Car Online - CarsDirect for motorcycles, because it literally takes all the work out of shopping. u just call them, tell them what you want, they locate it, and deliver it to your door if you accept the price. the price usually ends up being around $500 over dealer invoice, which is very fair imo...

 

[JSP]

Honestly, I cant stand the orange one... :surrender: I'm just not an orange person. (sorry Beavers )

But its up to you what you want.. Dont buy it just because it is the cheapest if it will make you sick every time you look at your rotten orange

I personally like the FIAT one a lot. Doesnt matter if Rossi is with Yamaha or not... Just makes it more nostalgic IMO. Somewhat of a "collectors" piece ya know?

Just be patient and you will get what you truly want. Dont rush yourself

 

[MikeN02]

Hey Mike/ Jay/ Guys...

Dealer told me that the 2009 R6 FIAT comes with 2 complete set of plastics- ie the FIAT ones ($3k) and the original bike plastics. The dealer buys the FIAT plastics and installs them on any R6 that they have.

So, what do you do if you damage them and need to replace them? <lol> I guess I should ask them...

How difficult is it to completely swap out all the plastics on an R6 anyways? Have you or Jay ever tried this or have any idea?

Also, when you guys were shopping, did you notice a big price variance amongst colors? It seems in LA that White and Black are the most expensive, Blue in the middle, and Orange is the cheapest (color no one wants).

I've talked to several dealers, and they're all playing hard ball on pricing- except for the FIAT model, which they're really motivated to get rid of cuz it's more expensive and isn't selling...

Thanks for your feedback/ help.

Have to agree with Jay on fairing removal. I've removed the whole fairings about 6 times just gotta get used to it. The FZ6-R had one giant piece for the fairing on the side. The R6 has the Ram air covers, side fairing, mid fairing, under fairing. That's what makes it sexy looking though, if you look closely another way you can tell the difference between the years. 06 - 07 has the bolts showing on the side of the bike while the 08+ doesn't have it to make it look cleaner.

I didn't really look at difference in pricing for colors. I saw a blue one and yellow one that had about 10k miles on them and my charcoal one with 3k miles on it. I had the blue FZ6-R and just fell in love with the "gun-metal" color of the charcoal.

Everyone gets sick of their colors one time or another. I know I did, then I got some more mods and stuff and looked at how I made a great choice in the color.

Personally I really like the Raven, Charcoal, and Pearl (white/red though not diggin the gray mid fairing on it). Then the Orange, yellow, and red.

 

[Detrich]

thanks guys... i shall be patient & keep looking then... part of it is i can't decide. i'll prolly have to take a 150 mile road trip to check out a dealer out in the boonies... <lol>

but yah, colors are completely subjective... i don't mind blue, cuz it's easy on the eyes & ages gracefully... the fiat is flashy/ busy & prolly badass on the street. but, it's pricey. and, in the canyons i'd prolly get laughed at on it, since i ride so conservatively... xP plus, i'm not sure if the fiat would look "dated" earlier than other paint schemes? i was originally thinking that with the extra set of plastics, i could always put the blue back on if i got bored- until u guys pointed out it's nowhere easy... xP

 

[Sparkxx1]

Damn reading this thread makes me sad. A friend of mine is selling his r6 for 6,500 and seeing the prices you're talking about just kills me. He kind of has to get rid of it because he lost his job + is scared of riding it. I would totally take it off his hands if I knew how to ride more but seeing as this is my first season and I don't really want a supersport bike >_<. I think he is selling it to some squid on the weekend it's hard to see that bike go. It's a 2009 r6 raven with like 50 miles on it. He bought it at the end of last season and just garaged it.

 

[Detrich]

Aww, that sux... I hope ur friend finds a job soon & gets back on his feet.

That said, riding is very subjective. Don't feel pressure to buy ur friends bike. You should definitely wait until u feel more ready and more confident... Honestly, I don't regret getting the 6R as my starter bike, as I still have a LOT to learn about riding. Theoretically, I ought to wait 1 more season too. But I'm impatient and want to start learning how to transition to a super sport sooner- which is why I will only ride the R6 on the street to start and only sell the 6r after I feel confident enough to do canyons on the R6... Hopefully within a years time...

The 6r is a great bike. It's powerful, yet forgiving. Fast, yet tame. Light, but heavy in the right places... If I had more time, more money, and a bigger garage I would definitely keep mine. Good riding techniques are easier to develop on a smaller, more forgiving bike like the 6R. Well, the way prices are I may just ride the 6r another season. Who knows. lol

 

[MikeN02]

Aww, that sux... I hope ur friend finds a job soon & gets back on his feet.

That said, riding is very subjective. Don't feel pressure to buy ur friends bike. You should definitely wait until u feel more ready and more confident... Honestly, I don't regret getting the 6R as my starter bike, as I still have a LOT to learn about riding. Theoretically, I ought to wait 1 more season too. But I'm impatient and want to start learning how to transition to a super sport sooner- which is why I will only ride the R6 on the street to start and only sell the 6r after I feel confident enough to do canyons on the R6... Hopefully within a years time...

The 6r is a great bike. It's powerful, yet forgiving. Fast, yet tame. Light, but heavy in the right places... If I had more time, more money, and a bigger garage I would definitely keep mine. Good riding techniques are easier to develop on a smaller, more forgiving bike like the 6R. Well, the way prices are I may just ride the 6r another season. Who knows. lol

Speaking of which. I'm taking my R6 to the drag strip against my buddy's R1, and ZX6-R.

Also against some members of the R6-Forum.

 

[Sparkxx1]

Thanks for the advice guys the only reason I would want to buy his r6 would be his price. He is willing to go to 6000 but I have my 6r And am very hAppy with it. Eventually I want a gsxr600 but that's at least a good 3-4 years fro
Now.

I hope you get a good deal and enjoy your R6