I had searched and came up with nothing that was to informative.
Now i have some motorcycle knowledge, but when people say check tires, check forks, ect. ect.... To someone who has limited knowledge, all they might do is look at the tread, not knowing what to look for when actually looking at the tread.

I plan on buying a used bike shortly and i just want to know and for others future ref.. What to check for, and if its a procedure or know how, how to understand/perform the check...

-From what I was told, checking the outside of the tire, the larger the "flat" part is (chicken somthing) will tell you if the bike was leaned/driven hard..

 

Honestly...find a local shop and pay them to check it out. My bike has no chicken strips cause i lean the bike to the end of the tire, but i treat it nice and dont abuse it, i simply ride well.

 

Well for those of us who just want to know, without always needing a shop..

Any info is good to know before you buy, or while you own..

 

Well, im sure this has been covered better elsehwere, but things id look for:

Push down on the shocks, see if they go down or get stuck too easily (well they should never get stuck). Check for leaking fluid from them. CHeck for rubber spit up on the hugger or undertailf or burnouts, check the chain for wear and slack, check rear wheel alignment, ask when maintinece is done, by who...receipts. Check the rear sprocket...worn teeth? Start the bike cold, watch it warm up, ride it for a bit or at leats run and rev it, does it miss, power spots and bogs? Smoke?

 

First post of first thread....

http://www.clarity.net/adam/buying-bike.html

 

Awesome thread, keep it going.