fair deal for this Rev 3? looking for my first trials bike

[mjf6866]

https://pittsburgh.craigslist.org/mcy/d/2007-beta-revtrials-bike-dirt/6669114602.html

so after riding my buddies 2009 Sherco 290, i want to have a trials bike as a second bike to my XR400 to play around on and came across this.  from what i've read, Beta seems to be the easiest to get parts for?  prices are outrageous for the other few trials bikes in my area but this seemed fair.  maybe i can get him down to $2500 or below and i'd bite, but wanted some opinions from people that have been in the trials side of things longer than i've been to make sure i'm not getting a bad year or anything.  i rode a full day on my buddies Sherco and had an absolute blast so would this Beta be a good one for me?  I dont know the differences between Sherco and Beta...What would be things to look for on a trials bike thats 11 years old?  any tips that i can use to try and talk him down?

i'm a trials noob, please help ?

thank you!

Edited August 18, 2018 by mjf6866

[kxrob]

Same as any dirt bike , fork seals , rear shock seals , wheel bearings , tyres , rim condition, General condition of bike , how easy it starts dead cold and how it idles maybe even pull the plug and check bore with a borascope ?

[mjf6866]

thank you, but i guess what i was asking is $2900 too high for a trials bike thats 11 years old?  i dont know what a fair price is for one.  for a regular dirt bike i can gauge a little better, but since so few trials bikes are on the used market it tough to know.

Edited August 18, 2018 by mjf6866

[pat22043]

That price is a bit high, $2500 is probably an average, but like any bike, condition counts. How are the spokes, sprockets, brakes, tires, etc.?

I had a 270 Rev3 of that vintage. They are infamous for having carbs that leak. Beta went a bit crazy trying to make everything tiny and fit all together. The carb mounts at an angle, down into the case. If the float level is just a tiny bit off, it will leak gasoline every time you stop. Even with it setup perfectly, it often will dribble gas out the overflow if you park with the front wheel lower than the back.

I found my 270 a real challenge to start. Its very high compression. You don't just press down on the kickstart lever. I weigh 270 lbs and  I had to carefully stand with my full weight on it, and then kick hard. It wasn't difficult to start because of bad tuning, it was hard to start because it was hard to press the lever thru the whole travel. Being left side kick didn't help, my right leg is a lot stronger than my left one.

IMHO, having a kick stand is important. Mine didn't have one, and I could not buy one anywhere.

Trials bikes don't get real cheap. Any good one will cost $2500 to $3000.  I sold my 270 Rev3 for $2500 and bought a new Beta 200 Evo that I love. Got it for under $7K

[nobade]

If you're on Facebook I'd recommend joining the trials bike buy/sell USA group. There are lots of bikes available in your area, and some very knowledgeable and reputable sellers to deal with. And yes, I'd try to get an Evo over a rev 3. They are definitely improved. Oh, check out Ryan Young's web site, lots of bikes for sale there also.

[mjf6866]

thank you guys...very helpful...i'm actually going to look at this bike today.  i'll report back with what i see.

[motovita]

On 8/17/2018 at 10:26 PM, mjf6866 said:

https://pittsburgh.craigslist.org/mcy/d/2007-beta-revtrials-bike-dirt/6669114602.html

so after riding my buddies 2009 Sherco 290, i want to have a trials bike as a second bike to my XR400 to play around on and came across this.  from what i've read, Beta seems to be the easiest to get parts for?  prices are outrageous for the other few trials bikes in my area but this seemed fair.  maybe i can get him down to $2500 or below and i'd bite, but wanted some opinions from people that have been in the trials side of things longer than i've been to make sure i'm not getting a bad year or anything.  i rode a full day on my buddies Sherco and had an absolute blast so would this Beta be a good one for me?  I dont know the differences between Sherco and Beta...What would be things to look for on a trials bike thats 11 years old?  any tips that i can use to try and talk him down?

i'm a trials noob, please help

thank you!

 The ad says that Italian bikes don't require titles in NY. BS like that steers me away from a seller. Don't worry about the differences between brands, on a bike that old it's all about condition.

[mjf6866]

ok, so i got back from checking this bike out.  super nice seller, but unfortunately the bike is pretty beat and neglected.  lots of slop in the brake pedal to the point it was hitting the chain, the rear chain adjuster hex head was bent into the swing arm somehow, the thing was spitting fuel out through the muffler so something was definitely off with the carb.  I dont think it saw much maintenance.  he didnt want to go below $2500.  so i guess i gotta keep looking.  wish these things were easier to find or not so expensive for newer ones :(

thanks for the pointers everyone

[kxrob]

When I was looking for a bike, I almost bought a beta 270 , but the left side kick was a deal breaker for me 

[nobade]

Just keep looking, there are good ones out there.