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Buying a used offroad bike is very similar to buying any
used bike. The only real difference is where the wear and
tear occurs. Before thinking about anything else, realise
that many competition bikes are never registered and therefore
their provenance is very difficult to prove. Always be wary
of bikes that look too good to be true, they usually are.
Buying a stolen bike does nobody any favours and you should
seek to find out as much about the seller as possible. The
ideal situation is that the seller has the original receipt
for the bike, but at the cheaper end of the market this
is unlikely. Next, use your common sense - if the guy wants
to meet in a lay-by on the A1 be wary. Ask questions about
the bike, it should be obvious if the guy knows anything
about the bike or has just acquired it with a pair of bolt-shears.
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| Checklist |
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is it nicked?
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is it knackered? |
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can you fix
it? |
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how much will
it cost? |
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Offroad bikes have a hard time. Landing an MX bike of
a 30ft jump or throwing a trials bike up a ten foot boulder
is bound to lead to some wear and tear. The advantage of
offroad bikes is that they are relatively simple and there
are a few basic checks you can make to avoid an expensive
purchase:
| Obvious stuff first... |
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Before moving on to detailed stuff just look
over the general condition of the bike. What
is the paintwork like - if there are huge chips
out of the frame paint then suspect either a
cack-handed mechanic or a mental pilot. Take
a look round the guy's garage - if his toolkit
is just a big hammer then suspect a bodger.
What sort of oil has been used?
How many other bikes has the guy got - is he
a trader? The best trick is when you ring up
say "I've rung about the bike", if
he asks which one then chances are the guy is
a trader.
Checking for outstanding finance can be difficult
for non-registered bikes, but if the bike is
newish and registered it may be worth a HPI
check before shelling out.
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| Forks and head bearings |
| A bike's steering
is influenced by many factors but if the bearings
that hold the forks in the frame at the headstock
are knackered then you'll be struggling to get
round the first bend. To check the bearings put
the bike on a stand so that the front wheel is
off the ground and try to move the forks along
the centre of the bike (back and forward). There
should be no movement, other than suspension travel
(up and down). |
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| Also check that
the handle bars move smoothly through their arc,
if it feels notchy then chances are that either
the cables aren't routed correctly or the head
bearings are worn and will need replacing. |
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To check the forks hold on the front brake
and compress the forks, the action should be
smooth and when you release the pressure the
forks should extend in a controlled way - not
pogo up and down. Look for a "tide mark"
on the fork leg where fork oil has squeezed
past the seal and is left on the stanchion.
Also check that the stanchions are straight
and that there are no chips in their surface
that will destroy the fork seals.
DIY cost: new head bearings (tapered) cost
between £20-30. A set of fork seals can
run from £20 to £40. Forks can be
straightened and rechromed for around £100
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| Rear wheel and swing
arm |
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To check for play in the swing arm bearings
get the back wheel off the ground and try to
move the swing arm from side to side. The swing
arm should only move up and down, any sideways
play means that the swing arm bearings are shot.
These are difficult to replace and if the play
has gone untreated for too long can actually
damage the swing arm, so that even new bearing
won't fix the problem. To check the wheel bearing
grab the outside of the rim and try to rock
the wheel from side to side, any movement means
new bearings - not too much hassle
.DIY cost: needle bearings for the swing arm
vary widely in price up to £50, wheel
bearings are usually under £10 each.
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| Rear Shocks |
| Checking the rear
shocks will tell you whether your backside is
going to get a pummeling out on the trail. To
check that the shock is working push down on the
back of the bike and check that when you release
the pressure that the back end comes up in a controlled
fashion, i.e. if the back end pogos up and down
the shock has lost its dampening properties. |
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On mono shock bikes also check the condition
of the linkage under the swingarm (excluding
recent KTMs). These hang down in the clag and
need greasing regularly to avoid seizing and
are expensive to replace. Visually you should
check the shock to ensure that the main shaft
is in good condition. Any corrosion on the shock
shaft will mean that the shock won't last too
long.
DIY cost: new twinshocks can be had from around
£80 to £200 for competition shocks.
Monoshocks start at £200 and rise to £400
for a pukka Ohlins shock.
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| Engines |
| An in-depth discussion of what to
look for in an engine is beyond the scope of this piece,
but here are a few pointers.
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| Exhausts |
| Exhausts are
crucial to Two stroke engines. Make sure that
there aren't any big dents or cracks in the pipe.
If the pipe is non standard then ask if the bike
has been re-jetted for the pipe. I once saw a
Husky 125 with a CR80 pipe welded on to the cylinder
and new pipe isn't cheap. |
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Four Strokes are less dependent on pipes for
power, but the key point here is to make sure
it is legal - for on or off road use. Many enduro
riders are dismayed that their magnesium silencer
fails scrutineering on noise. Unless you have
a noise meter this is difficult to check, but
look for any e markings on the pipe that indicate
road legality.
DIY cost: A new pipe for a two stroke can be
£140 - £200 plus £60 - £80
for the tail-pipe. A four stroke silencer can
run from £200 - £250, plus add around
£80 - £100 for a new down-pipe
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| Controls |
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It may sound obvious but check that all the
controls work smoothly. New cables are cheap
but make sure that all of them are OK. Look
for stuff that has been bodged back on - particular
problems are welded on gear levers (see our
RM project).
Make sure that all lights work if they are fitted.
Remember that you don't need lights for a daytime
only MOT, but if they are fitted then they must
work.
DIY cost: new cables cost between £8-£15,
a set of levers around £15 each (including
perches). New bars might start at £20
rising to £35 for a decent set of Renthals
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| Other stuff |
| Remember that
some off-road bikes are also road registered so
you need the paperwork: A V5 (registration document)
and a current MOT are always useful. For competition
machines there is no recognised paperwork, but
any receipts etc. are useful. |
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| So, there you have it - buy a new
bike! If you want a used bike where should you look?
Well Trials and
Motocross News always has a well stocked classified
section, but these tend to be priced at the upper end
of the scale as the sellers tend to be racers with recent
kit. If you are after a real bargain try your local
paper or better still Loot.co.uk
where you may get lucky and find a well intentioned
mother selling little Johnny's CR125 for £300
as she needs the space in the shed... |
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| When you go to buy a bike take
a mate, a cynical mate. One who isn't blinded by the
wad of notes burning a hole in your pocket. It's amazing
how much you will miss when you are about to blow all
your hard earned on a bike. |
| Consumables |
| OK, the nitty-gritty stuff all adds
up when you need to shell out for new tyres, chain,
sprocket and pads. These are a good negotiating point,
but be reasonable... |
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| Check the chain and sprocket to see
what condition they are in, in the sprockets are hooked
over then also check the engine cases for damage as
a chain can easily fly off and smash the cases - watch
out for a bodged araldite repair. |
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| A competition bike will need this
stuff on a regular basis anyway. But its worth checking
the pads and discs - any deep scoring on the discs may
mean they need replacing, particularly if the thing
needs to be MOT'd. Pads wear quickly on a dirt bike,
just check the pad depth to make sure there is some
left and that they haven't damaged the disks |
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| Tyres also wear out quickly, particularly
motocross tires where you are looking at the sharpness
of the knobs - not the length. A bunch of rounded knobblies
will spin like a bald tyre on a road bike. Don't worry
to much as you may need to buy different tyres for the
conditions you intend to use the bike in. Check that
the sidewalls aren't splitting, particularly if the
bike has been stood on its wheels for a long time. While
your checking the tyres makes sure all the spokes are
tight and the wheels run true - a set of wheels can
cost up to £400! |
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| Other stuff to check includes the
air-filter. This is a good indication of the care and
attention lavished on the machine. If the filter is
in good nick and looks like its been oiled regularly
you can assume that the guy has looked after the bike.
If it is pitch black then assume that the bike has been
trashed and the oil has never been changed. |
| DIY cost: |
| A new chain and sprocket for about
£60 |
| A realistic budget for tyres is £40
per wheel |
| A new set of pads will be around
£15 |
| A new filter will set you back about
£10 |
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Getting
started
