Buying a used performance bike

One of the advantages of having a healthy bike market at the moment is the huge range of choices out there, particularly when it comes to hunting around for a used performance bike.

Come up with a budget in the low teens and the world is your proverbial performance oyster. While there can be some traps for the unwary, all too often I reckon the biggest danger to your average used bike buyer is themselves - often caused by rushing in where angels really would fear to tread.

So lets have a look at some basic tips, shall we?

Be flexible and patient
There is a really strong argument for getting yourself sorted out in advance -- know what the potential models on your shopping list are, research them and have the money ready.

Have a couple of models on the list - this will greatly increase the pool of bikes available to you and means you are less likely to make a rash decision. Get hold of the relevant road tests and get to know their history, what they looked like new, and what their foibles are.

 Having the money lined up in advance means you can make a decision while others are dithering or scratching around for the cash -- you just might snap up a bargain.

Which model?
Oh dear - this really is a can of worms. But, particularly if resale or street cred is a concern, it can pay to get to know the cultures surrounding individual models. For example, Honda, Kawasaki and Suzuki have had ultra-high performance sports-tourers available for some time. On the used market they are the CBR1100XX Blackbird, ZX-12R Ninja and GSX1300R Hayabusa. All of them go like stink and handle well. Of the Hondas, the second model (first fuel injected) bike is the one to have - the most horsepower and best ride. The later ZX-12R you can afford, the better, because they were refined in minor ways on the run. The Hayabusa is a different argument. The original bronze bike with the 300km/h-plus speedo is the one for collectors, though the machines with the 32-bit processors (2004-onwards) actually have more power and fuel better.

Of the three series, the Suzuki is the one that captured the public imagination and has the greatest culture of clubs surrounding it - just go online some time and have a look.

If you're madly in love with something and always had to have one, just buy it and don't worry about what others say. However if you can be a little more dispassionate and want to think about resale, bikes which have a long-term market appeal are the way to go. Fortunately, a lot of second-hand bikes have been around long enough to make an educated guess on this.

For example, Ducati's iconic 916 series will always hold up well - partly because it's so beautiful - but the current 999 series, while a terrific bike, is a very different question.

 Suzuki's GSX-R series is generally a safe bet, though some of the early water-cooled models went backwards for a while, so getting to know individual years can pay off.

Models that have a strong focus and leave you in no doubt about their intentions should do okay - particularly if the brand has a reputation for doing that kind of bike well. A great example is BMW and its GS boxer series - it almost owns the adventure tourer class and these are (despite appearances) serious performance bikes. Similarly, the sport-oriented Buells are the ones which will do best long term, rather than the tourers.

For MV Agusta, it's the F4 series which is iconic.

Mechanicals
With some exceptions, the vast majority of modern powerplants will comfortably do 200,000km with a top-end rebuild (camchain, pistons, rings) at 100,000. However people seem to be overly cautious if a performance bike has more than about 20,000km on it. So long as it's been serviced regularly, it should be fine. The most reliable machines out there are the big fours from the Japanese factories, and the Euros, then its Japanese twins, Euro twins and American twins equal in a rough order of robustness.

Some marques can require highly specialised help and are intrinsically expensive to service. Ducati's desmodromic heads are the best example of this. That isn't to say they're prohibitive, but if running costs are an issue, ring a couple of workshops for a quote on a minor (oil and filter) and major service (oil, filter, valve lash etc) and make a judgement from there.

 Your owner may not have an up to date and stamped service book (though such a thing adds to the value), so be sure to ask where and when they get it done. If the answer seems reasonable, and their other machinery looks well-maintained, you're probably looking okay.

If in doubt arrange to have the bike taken to a workshop for a check-over.

Anything that does not start and run smoothly - even when the owner says, "That just needs a service/tune-up/whatever" - is going to be trouble.

If you are offered a test ride, can I suggest a relatively gentle slow ride will tell you more than an attempt to break the lap record around the block? Work all the gears, the brakes individually, try left and right corners, and accelerating from a few different engine speeds. Remember to not how the suspension is performing and whether there are any extraneous noises.

Should there be something you're unsure of, my advice is to walk away. A relatively light top-end rebuild on a modern four can set you back a few thousand dollars or more. Suspension rebuilds can be about half that for a thorough job.

Something that's worth doing is to sit down and work out what exactly you are going to have to spend. I always factor in an oil and filter change as a 'welcome' present, and because even the best-intentioned owner tends to lose interest in the bike once they've decided to sell. But the killers are chain and sprockets, brake pads and tyres - on many machines that lot can add $1500.

Ownership
By nature, performance bikes can be expensive to run. Tyres and insurance are where they will eat considerably more money than most. For example, a hard-used litre bike can comfortably eat a set of rubber in 30000km, at $500-plus a pop. Of course a more restrained throttle hand will reduce this, but it also makes no sense to have anything other than the most grippy (and therefore quickest to wear) tyres on a sports machine, if you ever intend to explore its potential.

Modifications
Ironically a stock bike will usually be worth more than a modified one. Unless -- and it's a big unless - the mods are something you would have done, are in top condition, and the original parts are available. By far the most common mod for performance machinery is exhaust and general breathing.

The things I look for in these cases are:

Final word
One of the annoying things about buying a performance bike is that it will almost inevitably be superseded in a very short space of time -- that's the nature of the beast. With that in mind, it's worth buying something you will genuinely enjoy riding, rather than something that might make you temporarily look cool, until next year's model turns up. It's a very fashion-conscious market segment, and only a few bikes will become truly desirable as collectibles.