Buying a bike in the UK - what to check for?

colm_c

I'm looking at a few bikes in the UK at the moment and there's one or two that look great and I'm very tempted by. :rolleyes:

What should I be checking for? So far I have:

- start engine and check for smooth idling
- check frame is true and straight
- check wheels are true and straight
- check front and rear brakes
- check brake pads for wear
- check all lights and indicators
- check exhaust for any holes/wear
- check for scratches on the bodywork/engine
- ensure framenumber and the number on the V5 match
- test gearing (cycle through all the gears while stopped)
- test ride
- run HPI check
- service history

Anything I should add?

I'm looking at 2007 models at the moment with low mileage so hopefully there shouldn't be any problems with them.

Pigeon Reaper

Bring a multimeter and check that the bike is charging and electrics are good. In England I'd expect all the service history and receipts and old mot. HPI is a must as well as the full V5. The back page can be sent to Wales. Check the tyres for strange wear. Apart from the above there's not much else I can think of.

colm_c

Pigeon Reaper wrote: »

Bring a multimeter and check that the bike is charging and electrics are good. In England I'd expect all the service history and receipts and old mot. HPI is a must as well as the full V5. The back page can be sent to Wales. Check the tyres for strange wear. Apart from the above there's not much else I can think of.

How would you check the bike is charging?

I'll add tire-wear to the list.

BigCon

You probably have in on the list, but make sure to check the underside of the bike (frame/swingarm) etc for rust as the stuff they use on the roads over there in the winter is much more corrosive than what we use here...

colm_c

BigCon wrote: »

You probably have in on the list, but make sure to check the underside of the bike (frame/swingarm) etc for rust as the stuff they use on the roads over there in the winter is much more corrosive than what we use here...

Nice one Con, although the one I was really interested has only 440 miles on the clock, and apparently has never been out in the wet let alone the cold

Pigeon Reaper

put a multimeter across the terminals on the battery when the meter is reading DC and ranged to 20V. it should read around 12-13V. Starting the bike this shouldn't drop too much otherwise the battery is knackered. Once the bike is running the voltage should rise a little bit more than when the bike is off. If it doesn't rise the alternator might be damaged or there might be other electrical problems. On new bikes this shouldn't be important as they're normally good for a few years.

Also since it's from England check for corrosion all over the bike as the roads are salted and will eat away paint quickly. Bring a torch to look at things like the swingarm pivot.

Steffano2002

BigCon wrote: »

You probably have in on the list, but make sure to check the underside of the bike (frame/swingarm) etc for rust as the stuff they use on the roads over there in the winter is much more corrosive than what we use here...

Do we use anything over here?!?!?

colm_c

Steffano2002 wrote: »

Do we use anything over here?!?!?

Yeah but generally only on fast roads in the middle the country, but it's few and far between for them!

Pigeon Reaper

yes we use the seat of our pants.

Over here the roads are gritted not salted. At least around Dublin they're not salted. Seemingly in England one spin on a salted road is enough to start rusting. A bike a few months old will be good otherwise walk away.

Dr4gul4

import tax could be heavy enough on a 07 i'd say ,

Let us know what you bring in now Colm, or if you need a hand bringing then back

colm_c

Dr4gul4 wrote: »

import tax could be heavy enough on a 07 i'd say ,

Let us know what you bring in now Colm, or if you need a hand bringing then back

Checked all that out, it's not bad - 1,500 euro for VRT. Still working out 3/4k cheap than the same bike over here.

Half the fun will be bringing it back ;0)

Put a deposit on it today and going to collect it in 3 weeks. It's an '07 BMW 1200GS btw

Steffano2002

colm_c wrote: »

It's an '07 BMW 1200GS btw

One more switching to the dark side... Won't be getting waves from me anymore then!

colm_c

Steffano2002 wrote: »

One more switching to the dark side... Won't be getting waves from me anymore then!

I switched to the dark side a while back :rolleyes: there's no going back...

murphaph

If it's a private sale make sure you buy it from the house where the V5 says the registered keeper lives!

Dub13

Are you aware that you will have to pay VAT on the bike aswell...?

colm_c

Dub13 wrote: »

Are you aware that you will have to pay VAT on the bike aswell...?

Only if it's <6 months old or less than 6,000 miles. The one with 440 miles fell through so I picked up one with just over 6,500 miles on it.

Dub13

colm_c wrote: »

Only if it's <6 months old or less than 6,000 miles. The one with 440 miles fell through so I picked up one with just over 6,500 miles on it.

I see....I taught you were still going for the one with 440 miles.

I bought my current bike in London and I will never buy in Ireland again.

cubix

Which route did you go down Colm C for buying, Ebay?

colm_c

cubix wrote: »

Which route did you go down Colm C for buying, Ebay?

Looked in autotrader first for prices, then I found a specialist website for bm owners with a for sale section.