So you managed to get your new (to you) used bike home. Now what? Sure, you can just hop on it, ride it and hope that nothing falls off, nothing breaks and you survive. The previous owner did say that his 30 year old and still "original" bike was still in good shape, right? RIGHT!
Well, from my own experience I can tell that old bikes always have some sort of issues - whether the PO (previous owner) knew about it or not. Read any forum and you will see that pretty much everyone agrees. Also, check out the pics below to see what I found on some bikes that were disasters waiting to happen.
Personally, I don't ride a new to me motorcycle until I fully inspected it. Most of the time, I actually strip the entire bike. this will give me access to sections that are normally hidden from view. Yes, it will take some time and prevent you from enjoying your new ride, but better safe than sorry. Here is a checklist of things you should definitely check and look out for. Ideally you have done most of it before you purchased the bike, but it is normal that you got excited and forgot.. Make sure you have your manual at hand. Also remember, the below is to find any issues first - fixing them is a different chapter... Wash the bike to make the following checks easier.
Visual inspection:
- Check for anything that just doesn't look right
- Are there bolts that look newer/different from others?
- Any fluid leaks (tip: put paper towels under the bike for a night and check for stains)
- Exposed wires
- Rust that might weaken your frame or mounts
- Signs of Bondo, JB weld, silicone, etc
- Brake pads
- chain
- tires and rims
- Fluid levels (oil, brake and clutch reservoir fluids)
- Kinked cables, old and tired looking rubber hoses
- Gasoline smell
- Bent handlebars?
- Any holes in the frame that look out of place?
- Cotter pins: they keep nuts in place and should be found on most axle nuts and brake mounts
Now it's time to actually wiggle, push and pull a few things...
- With rear wheel off the ground and bike in 4th or 5th gear, turn it. If the engine is not seized it should move.
- Pull clutch and brake levers. They should be on the firm side, not soft
- Lift the wheels off the ground and spin them, listen for noise
- Wiggle the wheels to check wheel bearings (movement or play might be an indicator that something is wrong)
- Lift the chain and check adjustment (see manual for that)
- Push down on handlebars to check fork springs
- Do the same for the rear
- Test all lights, turns, horn
- With front wheel in air, move handlebars side to side to check for notchiness (steering bearings)
- Pull the fuse cover and inspect fuses
Now let's have a look at some bolts to make sure they are tight. You can't really tell by looking at them, so get a wrench. For starters, you can use a regular wrench and check if bolts and nuts are tight. if there is doubt, use a torque wrench and your manual.
Are bolts and nuts tight on the following:
- handlebars
- forks
- axle nuts
- engine mounts
- shocks
By now you should have a good idea of what you have in front of you. Remember: If you touch/fix something, you might as well do it right at that point in time. Don't hand tighten something that you can torque down correctly right then. You may forget to come back to it later...
Before you start modifying and/or customizing your bike:
- make it run perfectly first
- it might be a good idea to actually register the bike and make sure it is actually yours before spending time and money
And last but not least - the wife:
Practice saying the following, until even you believe it; "Oh that thing. I bought it years ago. I'm surprised that you haven't noticed it before honey."(quote K-Moe from xjbikes.com)
