Explore the world of bicycles


Buying a Used Dirt Bike

When buying a used dirt bike there are manythat the forks are on their way out which
things which you must look out for. Firstly,means  money  will  need to be spent on them.
find out where the bike is coming from. Many
competition bikes are never registered soHead bearings - check the handlebars move
therefore proving somebody is the owner cansmoothly and the wheel has no play when off
often be difficult. Ideally the current ownerthe floor. These are indicators that head
will have receipts for the bike but this isbearings  could  have  had  it.
unlikely if you are purchasing an older bike.
Rear swing arm - Check for movement in the
Ask questions about the bike, see if theback wheel, if it can be moved around and is
person selling it to you knows anything aboutloose, then this is an indicator that it may
it or whether he is just trying to shift aneed new bearings or a problem with the swing
stolen bike. If you are sure that the bikearm.
you are buying is not stolen then give the
bike  a  good  check  over.Rear shocks - push down on the back of the
bike, if it does not come back up in a smooth
Off road bikes obviously have to withstand aand controlled manner then the bike has lost
lot of hard use, whether they've been takenits dampening properties. Also check the
off huge jumps or ridden aggressively offcondition of the shocks, you can tell if they
road they are bound to have some wear andlook healthy or not by taking a good look. If
tear. There are many checks you can do to thethey are not looking too good then you may
bike in order to make sure you are buying ahave to shell out on new shocks, which can
dream bike rather than a costly trip to thecost between £200-£400 depending on the
garage.type of shock you have. (Twin shocks are
usually cheaper and you may find one at
Obviously check the overall condition of thearound  Â£80.
bike. What are the panels like? If they are
cracked or marked badly then this could showEngine - Obviously the engine must be
signs of misuse. Check what oil the bike haschecked, make sure you test ride the bike to
been run on, if it is the cheaper oil then itsee if you think it is running well. Also
is likely that the person you are buying themake sure you get to try to start the bike,
bike off doesn't care about the bike, oroften signs of a tired bike are shown when
doesn't have a clue about them. Try to get asstarting. Also go through the gears and make
much information as you can about the currentsure the bike has a maintained engine rev to
owner as this could give you a great insightensure  the  clutch  is  not  slipping.
as to how the bike has been treated and
whether  it  is  likely  to continue running.Exhaust - These are important, especially
for two stroke bikes, check there are no
There are also a few other checks to performdents or holes in them as this will greatly
before you jump into buying a used dirt bike.affect  the  bikes  ride  and  performance.
Check the main wear and tear spots. These
are:Any other stuff such as paperwork if the bike
is registered. In the UK if the bike is
Forks - Check the movement of the frontregistered then you will need a V5
forks. Push them up and down to see if they(registration document), and also an MOT
move smoothly and do not jerk. Check forcertificate if the bike is to be ridden on
leaks on the forks, these could be indicatorsthe road.



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