MustangWorks.com : Ford Forums - View Single Post

Unit 5302 · 06-06-2002, 06:24 PM

A crusier is easier to handle in my opinion. On a cruiser, you're still riding the bike, you're not part of the bike like you are on a rocket.

30,000mi is a LOT of miles on a sportbike. That would equate to more like 100k on a car. If you're gonna put a lot of miles on something, make sure it's liquid cooled. The air cooled engines just don't last as long. My friend was rebuilding a ZX-11 with 55k on the original engine. EVERYTHING was shot. It was a few grand to rebuild. $1600 for the rockers alone.

You should look at the sprocket in the back, and if you can, in the front. Check them to see how rounded they are. Check the appearance of the tires. You can tell how hard he rides in a lot of cases by how far leaned over the bike has been. If there is no treadwear within an inch of the sides of the tire in the back, you know he's not exactly Evil Knievel, hehe. Check for scuffs, and for how straight the upper fairing support is. Handle bars should still have the weights too. Scuffs and bends on the levers is also another indicator or being down. He may have racer plastic on the bike, and it's usually not as smooth as factory stuff. Check the chain to see how much play there is in it, and see if the air filter is dirty. Watch out for extra switches and what not, in case you're buying a bike from a hack, hehe. Make sure the fluids are at the proper levels, the tires are inflated, and the color of the oil and what not. If he has receipts, consider it a bonus.

I disagree completely with the idea something major has to happen to total a bike. If you bust up some plastic, you're talking thousands for new stuff and paint on quite a few bikes. There doesn't have to be a whole lot more done. Couple little covers, maybe a bent rim and plastic will probably total a bike that's a few years old.

06-06-2002, 06:24 PM	#5
Unit 5302 Registered Member Join Date: May 1999 Posts: 5,246	A crusier is easier to handle in my opinion. On a cruiser, you're still riding the bike, you're not part of the bike like you are on a rocket. 30,000mi is a LOT of miles on a sportbike. That would equate to more like 100k on a car. If you're gonna put a lot of miles on something, make sure it's liquid cooled. The air cooled engines just don't last as long. My friend was rebuilding a ZX-11 with 55k on the original engine. EVERYTHING was shot. It was a few grand to rebuild. $1600 for the rockers alone. You should look at the sprocket in the back, and if you can, in the front. Check them to see how rounded they are. Check the appearance of the tires. You can tell how hard he rides in a lot of cases by how far leaned over the bike has been. If there is no treadwear within an inch of the sides of the tire in the back, you know he's not exactly Evil Knievel, hehe. Check for scuffs, and for how straight the upper fairing support is. Handle bars should still have the weights too. Scuffs and bends on the levers is also another indicator or being down. He may have racer plastic on the bike, and it's usually not as smooth as factory stuff. Check the chain to see how much play there is in it, and see if the air filter is dirty. Watch out for extra switches and what not, in case you're buying a bike from a hack, hehe. Make sure the fluids are at the proper levels, the tires are inflated, and the color of the oil and what not. If he has receipts, consider it a bonus. I disagree completely with the idea something major has to happen to total a bike. If you bust up some plastic, you're talking thousands for new stuff and paint on quite a few bikes. There doesn't have to be a whole lot more done. Couple little covers, maybe a bent rim and plastic will probably total a bike that's a few years old.