Hi folks, there are a number of good guides on here, but here are a few things to look for that haven't been mentioned. But first, this HAS been said many times but really cannot be over-emphasized... (I'll get to my main topic in a minute)

DO  NOT buy a Super-sport bike if you are a new or inexperienced rider! They usually have letters like X, Z, Y, RR or some combination in the model name. The "average" 600 supersport bike out there right now weighs about 400 lbs,  makes approx 100 horsepower at the rear wheel, and will accelerate, decelerate, and make direction-changes quicker than a cat can lick it's butt! ...And Open-Class? (1000cc and up) you're way out of line.

        Ok, so you've chosen the type and size of bike to fit your ability and needs. You read about it on ebay or in the newspaper. Check with NADA or Kelley Blue Book to see that the price the owner wants is reasonably in line with what the bike is worth. The best thing to do is to go to where the bike actually is and look at it in person.

Some things to be wary about in the text of the add are... the bike has less than 7500 miles and has new tires, or a new clutch, brakes, chain/sprockets, paint, etc.  These items (exc. paint) are pretty durable. If they've already been replaced, either the bike has been ridden really hard/abused, or the stated mileage isn't accurate. Ridden sanely, a back tire should last at least 10 or 12000 miles, a front tire 15000 miles. A clutch can last well in excess of 50,000 miles. New paint often indicates a wrecked bike.

Look at the odometer. All the numbers should line up precisely with the exception of the "ones" position, and the tenth. If the tenth mile number is at 8 or 9 or is about to roll over to 0, the number in the "ones" column may be rolling with it. If the rest of the numbers aren't in alignment together, mileage has almost certainly been rolled back. (I had one bike have a tree branch fall on it and break the speedo. I replaced it with a unit from another bike. I opened it up and added miles to it to equal what I actually had on the bike. The numbers never quite lined up after that.)

Walk around the bike... take your time. Look for bent or broken pieces. Look at the pieces that stick out from the bike like handle bars, mirrors, the tips of the clutch and brake levers, blinkers, etc..  You're looking for scrape marks. Look on the muffler tips, the underside of the foot pegs, shifter, center stand etc.  Things that look like they've been "ground down" have been. Round items that have been ground flat are not what happens when a bike tips over. The bigger the flat area on a round item, the faster it was going and the further it went on it's side.

If it's a chain drive bike, look closely at the rear sprocket. The teeth should point straight out from center. If they are curved in one direction (like a circular-saw blade), they are worn out. Also, a new chain on worn sprockets will ruin the new chain in short order. Since you're on your knees, is the chain dry? Any rust at all? At about the middle of the chain, raise it with your finger, (best done with the bike on center stand), is their more than 1 1/2" of slack? Pull and push sideways on the chain. It shouldn't move very far... maybe 1/2 to 3/4". More, and it's wearing/worn out. If the chain has any rust on it at all, or is dry, you have to figure that if the guy paid so little attention to the chain, how much attention was paid to all the other important things on the bike?

Look for oil leaks. Look on the front forks. On the engine, look where the valve cover meets the head, with a flashlight, look at the same joint, but under the tank where it's hard to get at to clean off. Look under the engine; is there a bunch of gunk under there? Unless you're looking at a 30 yr old Harley or Brit bike, you shouldn't see oil. Check the engine oil... especially look at any oil-level inspection window. If there has ever been water in the oil, you should be able see traces of it in the little window. It'll look "milky".

Look at the side covers on the engine. Any ground-off places? Look at the Phillips or Allen screws that hold them on. If they don't look pristine, especially the Phillips head screws, the engine has been opened up. "Buggered" screws indicate that an amateur did any work. Also, all covers should be put on with the same type of fastener; not some covers with Phillips, and one with Allen or Torx heads.

Wheels... there are basicly two types, cast and spoked. Put the bike up on it's centerstand. Have someone sit on the seat and lean back to lift the front wheel. Spin it, looking to see that it rotates smoothly and dosen't wobble side to side. Back wheel too. If the wheels are spoked, "pluck" each spoke with a key. All the spokes should "ring" approximately the same note.

Bodywork and gas tank: since I'm not talking about race-bikes or replicas, bodywork will consist of plastic side-covers and a rear cowl. The gas tank will probably be steel. Scratched or cracked plastic indicates undue force. Broken mounting tabs on side covers is often just a fact of life. Most covers have 3 mounting tabs. One broken tab isn't usually a problem, but 2 broken tabs generally means that you'll probably lose that cover at highway speeds. On the gas tank, tap your fingernail firmly all arount the tank... especially if the bike has been repainted. It should have a coffee-can sound pretty uniformly. Naturally, it will sound harder at any sharp bend or curve. What you're listening for is a dead sound that might indicate Bondo or other post-wreck body filler. If one side of the tank doesn't sound like the coresponding place on the other side, it's probably been "filled".

This applies to all bikes. Honda, Suzuki, Kawa, Yamaha, Harley, etc, have each spent an incredible amount of money researching, developing, manufacturing and marketing their bikes. But every bike made is still a compromise to some extent. Production bikes have to meet sound requirements, have to have street tires that will work well on dry streets as well as wet. etc.   If the guy who's selling the bike you're looking at has equipped it with every performance-enhancing accoutrement on the aftermarket, count on the fact that he didn't do so merely to go to and from work, or church, at the posted speed limit: he did it to go FAST. He did it because he thought 30 Bajillion in R&D wasn't nearly enough; that the hundreds of Corporate decisions designed to make that bike perform as well as possible within it's class, and therefore sell better than their competitors bikes;  and that he needed a bike with an even more narrowly focused capability. Great, this bike has all the modifications you'd do to it if   A) you knew it needed them, B) you had the skills necessary to begin to be able to make use of them.

I know that it's easy to go look at a potentially new ride and let your heart go "Pittypat". Resist that. This is a "business decision", and as much as is possible, should be looked at coldly and dispassionately, because any problem with the used bike you buy, is going to happen, probably at speed, and may well affect your body and possibly the rest of your life. Remember, "low cost" isn't necessarily a deal, and high cost doesn't necessarily mean top quality. Engage your brain. If you're not sure about yours, engage your more knowledgable friend's brain.

Bikes, nearly all of them, are an incredible amount of fun (especially when you also have a car for the crappy days).

I hope this "guide" helps. Most sellers are good as gold and want you to be happy with their bike. But some aren't, and it really is up to you to get what you pay for.

Robb