Calling all motorcycle gurus

[NJ346]

I'm going to look at a sportbike tomorrow and was wondering if there's anything in particular to look for when looking at a bike. Btw, the bike I'm looking at is a 06 Kawasaki 600ZZR

[ar0ck]

Chain/Sprokets for rust, fluid leaks, clutch, brake lines, oil, coolant, unusual marks or scores in the frame/swing arm. scratches on the body work, lowering links in the wishbone, tire condition. Its just like looking at a used car. They will swear up and down that it was never raced or stunted, don't buy it and dont get hung up on the first bike you look at. Chances are theres a better deal down the block.

[TaKid455]

Get a good feel for the owner. That will tell you how the bike was ridden. Service receipts or log helps. A ZZR is just below the sport bike line and is less likely to have a hot rodding owner. Check tires, chain play, engine sounds, smoke from exhaust, ect. You may not get to ride it before purchase depending on seller. See if the oil is full and if it is clean. Most jap bikes hold together pretty well, if it is junky looking, perhaps it did not have the best caring owner. See if the serial # on engine is missing. Typical of swapped engines. I doubt an 06 would have that.

If the seller kept up on basic maintence and rode it as a bike should be ridden, you should be fine.

[sweetbmxrider]

Buy it from an old guy, like 40+. They don't ride all fast and furious and probably maintain it better. Less likely it was dropped too.

[maroman88]

i bought mine from a girl, without seeing it, off ebay. ninja 500R

[WayFast84]

I got my bike and it was obvious It was down before..It didn't scare me because I figured it was my first bike and I figured I would go down.. I don't recommend getting a bike you will not be happy with and get rid of soon anyway.

The only other advise I have for you is to check the fork seals! Good luck..

[JerzLT1]

no matter who the owner is, someone, at some point in time, beat the living hell out of that bike. its just what happens to sport bikes. theyre kinda built for it. just make sure it was maintained.

[S.J.SLEEPER]

out of all the brands..... Suzuki has the best oiling system and has less engine failures & problems,
Suzuki:best oiling system,most desired stunt bike,parts availabilit great, no common problems that I know of.
Kawasaki: noisy valves, swingarm issues,oe parts availibilty isn't the best
Yamaha: strong running bikes, very very light in the front, proven deltabox,have seen many motors blown though
Honda: all round excellant bike, reliable,some models a lil heavier than they should be

IMO (I used to own a motorcycle shop) I would buy a Honda or a Suzuki.

when you been selling and repairing bikes for 10yrs you tend to see which bikes are always breaking down and which ones you rarely see.

Good Luck w/ your purchase.

p.s. I have stil have some friends in the business that I could call if you would like to buy a brand new bike. let me know, I could get you a sweet deal.

[NJ346]

Thanks for all the input. Now that I'm back at school the bike hunt has taken a backseat, but I'm still checking craigslist every couple of days. I'm looking at anything 03 and up with atleast a 600 cc motor. Budget is $3500 max. And I don't want miles over 10k. So if any1 knows a friend or finds a good deal on craigslist, feel free to pass it along lol

[HeadlessNorseman]

Honestly, from riding a few 600 sport bikes, and a z1000, R1, etc and a few others, for 99% of riding you do(which is NOT stunts, full throttle, knee down turns, etc) they are all the same. Its really just looks/style/ergo unless you are going to be doing track days or ripping wheelies. I know people are going to disagree with me here, but its still true. For your first bike just get whatever is in good shape and whatever you can afford. I would take others advice on the maintenance costs becuase ive never owned a newish bike though.

[BigAls87Z28]

Hey, my brother just picked up an 2003 (i think?) CBR600 F4i. Any advice? What to look for?

[JerzLT1]

make sure the cam chain tensioner was changed (if not itll sound like a loud rattle while its running). other than that just the normal. brakes, tires, chain, sprockets, clutch

[BigAls87Z28]

Its an 06, not 03. No noise when running.