How to Buy a Used Honda Motorcycle

Buying a used Honda motorcycle requires insight and a keen eye. The power of close inspection is important. Used motorcycles could contain plenty of defective parts - some invisible from a cursory glance. In addition to checking its overall appearance, savvy buyers check each and every component from its clutch and level effort capability to brakes and tires. Given the costs of replacement parts coupled with the fact many sellers may fail to mention important information on the used Honda motorcycle's condition, it is important for all of us to gather the knowledge needed to defend ourselves.

Tearing the asphalt on your used Honda motorcycle will never happen if you do not conduct a thorough tire inspection. Tires are the bread and butter of a used Honda motorcycle and should be thoroughly examined. First and foremost, ask the dealer or owner how many miles the tires have. No answer or a hesitant pause is grounds for concern. Also, check its features. Ideal signs of durable tires include 1/8" or more of tread left. In addition, check for dry rot (fine cracks along it surface) and tires with worn down knobs. As your only source of traction, this is important.

Asking the right questions is also critical when buying a used Honda motorcycle. A trick of the trade is to ask the owner how old the tires are. When receiving his answer, test for honesty by checking the dating code stamped on the mold on the rubber sidewall of the used Honda motorcycle's tire. This is called the DOT code where the last four digits on the date code signify the week of manufacture (first two digits of the last four numbers) and the last two digits representing the last two digits of the year. So, if your used Honda motorcycle shows DOTJD29283H1104, it was manufactured in the 11 ^th week of 2004.

When buying a used Honda motorcycle, you want to make sure it hasn't suffered from crashes in the past. Checking for off balance color on the bike is one way to tell, as this is a sign of a poor paint job. Deep parallel scratches in the engines case and on its plastic frame are also a sign of abuse. Check the front forks to check for twisted ness as well. Although liability issues may come into play, ask your used Honda motorcycle dealer if you could test ride the bike. A test ride can reveal problems your Honda dealer didn't elaborate on earlier.