how to tell if bike has wear

[thatswasup]

im looking at getting around an 07 450 but im trying to determine if bikes have been takin care of or how much they have been ridden. once someone told me to judge it by how much boot rub is on the side. i know thats what just happens when you ride so everybike has it. please help me so i can make the purchase.

[LEMMON1]

if sumone takes care of it or at least put sum effort into selling it the bike will look clean...very clean. u wont see dirt in crevices most likely..

properly adjusted chain

no broken teeth on sprockets

not cupped teeth on sprockets

oil was hopefully changed and at a proper level

real important here : CHECK THE AIR FILTER...if dirty probably not taken care of real well

remove air filter and ck to see if any dirt in the air boot (use a flashlight if needed)

check for rusting everywhere..bolts, chain, etc

chunked tires (pieces missing)

badly loose spokes

ck for leaking fluid/overly soft) outta suspension (mite need rebuilt)

feel eng and exhaust to see if it was recently started before u got there( mite be sumthing wrong so they wanted it warm to be sure it will start)

should have sum good compression, and not nessarily notchy when kicking

shift through all gears to make sure no glitches

ck clutch engagement (mite be just an adjustment, mite be burned up if not acting rite)

all i can think of rite now, but should get ya started

[LEMMON1]

oh btw, being an 07 if taken care of it will start real easily...if not it wont.

i have 2 friends with 07s...one bought new and ive been doin the maintaince for his and it looks practically brand new and thats with me riding the hell outta it..

my other buddy just bought a used 07 and it looks older then my '00 yz426 and ran like crap and now, wont start(valves are prob effed) and is having clutch problems after owning it a month...he paid the "good deal" of 2300 and see what it got him

[CamP]

Clutch cover wear is the best indicator of hours on a used bike. By about 50-75 hours, half the paint is usually worn off. Low hour bikes usually still have the stock 48T Sunstar aluminum rear sprocket as well. The stock Nissin rear brake pads usually last about 40 hours and people often replace them with aftermarket pads, even though the OEM pads are usually better.

[LEMMON1]

true but at the same time, thats assuming that person was riding the way they should and gripping the bike...most newbies ride with their feet out and that could throw that off...i say general cleanliness and condition is a bigger factor then foot rubs...

sumone who barely rode it and didnt know how to take care of it could cause a bigger problem for it then sumone who rode it good decent amount and took very well care of it..but thats just my .02...but i do understand where ur coming from Cam, i just dont want him looking at that as his only tell tell sign

[CamP]

I've added a couple of other indicators of low hour use in my previous post. My philosophy with used bikes is find the lowest hour bike you can. As Lemmon stated, a well maintained bike with more hours may be better than a low hour bike that was poorly maintained, but in my experience, but good mechanics are few and far between so I suggest low hours to limit the damage.

Personally, I avoid used dirt bikes like the plague. The exception are bikes where the owner rode it once or twice, got scared or hurt, and stuck it in the garage.

[LEMMON1]

I've added a couple of other indicators of low hour use in my previous post. My philosophy with used bikes is find the lowest hour bike you can. As Lemmon stated, a well maintained bike with more hours may be better than a low hour bike that was poorly maintained, but in my experience, but good mechanics are few and far between so I suggest low hours to limit the damage.

Personally, I avoid used dirt bikes like the plague. The exception are bikes where the owner rode it once or twice, got scared or hurt, and stuck it in the garage.

very true

[psmith85]

If you get a chance to pull the seat and look at the filter, also look at the rear subframe to see if it is bent. If the fenders have been replaced, u might ask why and if u can have the old ones for spares. then u can look at them to see if there are a lot of scratches or they are bent.

[jspicket]

Excellent advice here.

I would make sure he has a service log and hour meter.

Size him up - if your at his house look around his garage to get a feel for his competence level. Ask him some technical questions about valve clearances, service intervals, carburetor jetting, etc..

A lot of people definitely don't want to hear, "I do all make own maintenance." But if he gives me the impression that he knows what the hell he's doing (and not just replacing parts because he couldn't resolve the problem) then I would feel much more confident that he has a solid machine.

I spend soo much time working on my bike (not because it's broken!) that I really don't care if it's dirty, or if the plastics are F'ed up. It's obvious that my bike has been ridden hard but I wouldn't hesitate to let a prospective buyer inspect the clutch basket, measure valve clearances, do a leak down test, etc.. Maybe the owner would let you do the same? Wouldn't hurt to ask.

[Solid State]

A well maintained bike rides like a well maintained bike. Ride it - its as simple as that.

Good luck.

[Jeremysdad]

Well the best thing I can tell you is be prepared to spend $800 as soon as you get it. I f you can buy it for "x" amount spend 800 on it and still be happy with the deal you got then go for it. You may not half to spend a dime on it, then it becomes a smokin deal.

[Santan9]

if sumone takes care of it or at least put sum effort into selling it the bike will look clean...very clean. u wont see dirt in crevices most likely..

properly adjusted chain

no broken teeth on sprockets

not cupped teeth on sprockets

oil was hopefully changed and at a proper level

real important here : CHECK THE AIR FILTER...if dirty probably not taken care of real well

remove air filter and ck to see if any dirt in the air boot (use a flashlight if needed)

check for rusting everywhere..bolts, chain, etc

chunked tires (pieces missing)

badly loose spokes

ck for leaking fluid/overly soft) outta suspension (mite need rebuilt)

feel eng and exhaust to see if it was recently started before u got there( mite be sumthing wrong so they wanted it warm to be sure it will start)

should have sum good compression, and not nessarily notchy when kicking

shift through all gears to make sure no glitches

ck clutch engagement (mite be just an adjustment, mite be burned up if not acting rite)

all i can think of rite now, but should get ya started

very good advice. especially the feeling the header and engine. dont touch the header too long though... they get VERY hot, just a quick touch, it should be cold.

also like KJ said, the clutch/stator covers will be worn out from lots of use.