Inspecting a potential purchase:
• Ensure that the chassis and engine numbers tally with the RC book.
• Google is your friend. Study the bike you plan on seeing. Note down the differences with each model year, the factory paint jobs (these vary from country to country) and small differences in bodywork. These will tell you the correct year of manufacture. Be advised that different bikes have different characteristics; Honda engines are butter smooth while Kawasaki engines sound as if there are a dozen loose parts inside. An educated buyer is a good buyer and one that the seller will take more seriously.
• Check the date printed on items like the fairings (inners) and brake lines (if OE). The date of manufacturing will be mentioned and should correspond to the date stated by the seller. If the seller says that the bike is a 1997 model and the brake lines read 1994, something is obviously not right.
• Check the front fork for pitting. This can lead to torn fork seals and costs quite a bit to fix.
• Check the rear shock. Chances are the OE rear shock would be worn out. Thats normal as most OE shocks don’t last very long. New ones are expensive to buy though, and many OE shocks cannot be rebuilt.
• Check the chain & sprockets. If they are knackered, that will drop the price you pay as a new high quality chain and sprockets can easily cost you a few thousand rupees.
• Brake pads should have enough material left.
• Brake discs or rotors should be within the minimum required limits.
• Tyres, if worn to the minimum, will cost a packet and should be budgeted for.
• Start the bike and let it warm up. A properly heated up engine will tell you its inner-most secrets.
• Insist on a proper test-ride. Ideally try and make it when the roads are crowded, as the stop/go traffic puts the bike to the ultimate test (parts get heated up). Any electrical problem will show up at this stage.
• If the owner says
“it’s just a small problem and is cheap to fix”, be extra cautious. If it was a small inexpensive problem, why didn’t he rectify it himself?
• How much to pay? There is no real organised market for these bikes in India. You just have to use a bit of common sense here. There are bikes that sell for a pittance and others of the same make that sell for a lot more. A lot depends on the paperwork. Honda, and to a lesser extent, Yamaha usually commands a premium over the others due to the brand following they have in India. Dealers will usually quote you absurd figures, but will come back down to earth once they realise you are a serious buyer. Also, beware of the urban legend of the 2 year old 1000cc bike in mint condition that
just sold for 2 lakhs. Everyone has heard this story, but the buyer in question is always the grandson of a friends, cousins, neighbors son who has now migrated to Zimbabwe and hence not reachable now to verify this.
• Once you decide on the superbike, its best to make the full payment by cheque or demand draft. This is only for your own security. If possible, avoid handing over the full payment until the superbike has been transferred to your name.