Any good review sites for older bikes?

Oh la de dah!

And how did they cook her?


Kevin Gleeson
Imagine It
West Hobart
Tasmania Australia
www.imagine-it.com.au

 

How do your legs feel now?

Hammo

 

You've got to watch out for "lady owner" bikes, you know what them
there women drivers are like for not changing gears, dragging the
brakes, not checking the oil... ;-)


BTH

 

Sounds like good advice. Going to have a look at a couple of GPX's this
afternoon - I'll definitely be asking you nicely for the service manual if I
end up with one!

Thanks for your help.

 

I put a deposit down on this '91 GPX this afternoon. Going in tomorrow
morning to further inspect and if everything is in order then I'll be taking
you up on that service manual offer

Basic details: Its done 22,000kays, looks really clean for an old bike, its
at a honda dealer ($3000aus), it has new Dunlop tires and comes with 11
months reg.
Any hints for what we should look out for tomorrow morning?

Hopefully this attached image works! Thanks.

 

dead sexxxxxxy

 

Not for me it didn't, and you're better off putting the image on a
website and posting a link to it anyway.

Standard things to check would be that all of the lights work, chain
is properly adjusted and lubed[1], brake pads in good shape, brake
disks don't have a "lip" at the edge[2], Forks don't "click" when you
hold the front brake on and compress them, clutch isn't slipping[3],
smoke from exhaust, oil or coolant leaks, white gunge on the battery
terminals, etc.

$3000 is a tad high for a 13-year-old 250cc bike in my opinion, but it
IS from a dealer and you're getting a full 12 months rego, so it's not
too bad. Try to get a free helmet or jacket or something with it,
you're more likely to get that than money off the price.


BTH
[1] It doesn't necessarily mean it's a well-maintained bike if it IS,
but it's a good indication of a neglected one if it ISN'T.
[2] Meaning that the outer edge of the disk is substantially thicker
than the inner bit witht he holes drilled in it.
[3] Start up, engage first gear, give it some revs then hold the rear
brake on and release the clutch. The engine should stall immediately.

 

Ok, let me try that again, heres a link to the pic...
http://www.farkin.net/forums/album_pic.php?pic_id=9688

Dad was busy today so we're going over tomorrow (saturday) morning to look
at it.

I did notice a click in the forks (on compression only) when I took it for a
test ride. It was more like a dull thud from memory and happened especially
on speed bumps. I will try the standing test like you explained tomorrow
morning. What are the implications of this click? If the bike looks in
otherwise healthy shape is it going to make or break whether to get the
bike? If its just a matter of worn seals they can just change them for me
before I pick it up I guess, but it sounds like it could be something worse
like a broken damping rod or similar?

Chain is definitely well lubed, but you'd expect nothing less from a
dealership I guess.

Is it easy to tell pad wear without removing the wheel? Thats something I
didnt think to check, but I'll add it to our list for tomorrow.

" $3000 is a tad high for a 13-year-old 250cc bike in my opinion, but it IS
from a dealer and you're getting a full 12 months rego, so it's not too bad.
Try to get a free helmet or jacket or something with it, you're more likely
to get that than money off the price."

I have all my gear except for pants so I might try to get them to throw in
some Draggin's. They dont seem at all flexible with the price, as you said.
Might get them to put some Metzelers on it for me - the GPX comes with 16"
wheels front and rear and apparently there are only limited tires I can get
for it?

Thanks again.

 

But they still look chickenshit

 

Most likely: Steering head bearings are misadjusted or damaged.
They can be readjusted or replaced. Really rooted steering
head bearings can cause pretty weird handling though.

Prop the bike up on center, get someone to hold it with the
front wheel in the air and pull the front wheel back and
forth, looking/feeling for play at the top and bottom of the
steering head.

You could not possibly expect less from a dealership than I do.

-----sharks

 

Har har har chortle chortle *cough* *cough* splutter choke...

Do you have _any_ idea just how little you can expect from a dealer and
_still_ be disappointed?

Ask me about Frasers or Northside sometime (or google it)...

Ask Mike O about Peter Stevens...

Ask for opinions about A1...

_Some_ dealers act professionally _some_ of the time to _some_ of their
customers, but in general you ought to expect them to be half-trained
inept lying theiving bastards, ready to overcharge you at any
opportunity, and to make up excuses and blame you for anything that goes
wrong no matter how obvious it is that was their fault, nor how
impossible it is that you could have caused it...

And they're just the _good_ ones, unfortunately, like most things, about
half of them will not manage to live up to expectations...

cynical-big