[Newbie] Need help on buying 2nd hand bike

[ajahajah]

Hi all, i am planning to buy a 2nd hand bike and have seen many listings but i am very worried whether it is safe to get it. I just got my licence and am afraid i get into accident if i purchase a bike that is faulty. I seek the seniors' help to give some tips on buying a 2nd hand bike and what to loook out for. I also have some questions regarding 2nd hand bikes:

 

1) There are some listings have bikes that are at least more than 15 years old with very low mileage (e.g. 40k), how can the mileage be so low? Does it mean that the engine is a new one? how much mileage vs years is too much?

 

2) What to look out for when the bike has many changed parts? I'm not even sure what the parts are but seems like the bike had a huge makeover:

• New piston and block
  
• New Front Sprocket Hub
  
• Fork alignment
  
• New inlet manifold
  
• New clutch lever and cable
  

 

3) If it is mentioned that the speedometer is not working, is it still safe to ride?

 

4) How much would be the insurance estimate for a 2nd hand bike? So far based on my assumption, I am looking at 150cc and above bikes such as FZ-16, FZ150i, Honda NSR150SP, Kawasaki Krr, Bajaj Pulsar P200, r15 v2, etc. (am okay with 2stroke or 4stroke) with preferably not more than 8 years old and less than 60k mileage (assuming it it is easy to maintain). What i hope not to encounter is that the bike will suddenly stall or some parts malfunction while riding.

 

5) What would be a good bike workshop?

 

Please recommend~

 

Thanks bros

Edited January 31, 2017 by ajahajah

[faridhisham]

I'll only answer what i know.

 

For the mileage, if the seller gets a new speedometer the mileage will be reset to 0 so maybe thats why the mileage displayed is so low. I feel like the mileage isn't so important as he could have a lot of mileage on the speedometer but his engine could have been overhauled and all the internals could be relatively new.

 

The question should not be how much mileage or years is too much but how regularly does the bike get serviced and if it is well maintained.

 

 

2) You won't know what any of the parts mean until you get a bike of your own. For this you'll need to get a friend who knows what the parts mean.

 

3) For me it is still safe to ride but it's better to get it replaced so you won't get caught by speed cameras. The bike im riding also currently has a faulty speedometer.

 

 

4) insurance just standby 1k. It depends on age, when you pass and type of bike. 2 strokes and "sport" bikes have a higher insurance. Again, for me mileage isn't as important as to how regularly the bike gets serviced or whether the engine has been overhauled. The bike can have low mileage but if the owner doesnt even take care of the bike then you would have to spend a lot on replacement parts. Make sure you test ride the bike before purchasing.

 

 

 

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