Is this motorcycle too old?
Was looking at a 2007 honda cbr600rr (8 years old!) It's in mint condition, no damage what-so-ever. Only has 5,800 miles. I got the price down to $5,200.
Is this bike too old? I'd like to keep it for at least 5 years.
What are some things to look at next time I go back to see the bike?
-This isn't my first bike, just as an fyi
Look at the tires, definitely. It may be time for new ones based on tread wear or the rubber having hardened and cracked. That is to be expected. Not a reason not to buy. Pull sideways on the front and rear tires. If the bearings are worn / dry you may feel a bit of looseness in the wheels. Same thing with the handlebars to check the bearings in the steering head. It is way too soon for those to be loose, but they are also super-easy to check. The gears should cycle by hand with the clutch pulled in… Maybe with a little help from rotating the rear wheel. If you can't get the bike to shift smoothly or it feels rough, that is a bad sign. Check the fluids. The brake fluid should be as marked and not milky. The engine oil should not be black, and between the marks. Ask the seller if he logged his oil / filter changes, and how recently that has been done. Ask how often the bike was ridden. Ask if / when the battery was replaced. If not replaced, seven years is way old for a battery. Ask to look at the battery and see if the cables are corroded. Ask where the bike was serviced… Which dealer, so you can get the service history. Ask the seller to remove the fairings around the engine. If they don't know how that is a bad sign. The fairings can be clean but the engine corroded. Check the chain for rust and the sprockets for wear.
Besides the other answers here, I d make sure to hear it run if it's been sitting for more than a month. I'm guessing it has carbs, not fuel injection, and float bowls are vented and the gas in them evaporates (preserved or not) and what is left is higher viscosity that modern lean burn engines will start with in many cases (small idle jets or air screws closed down).
So make sure it runs and idles ok, and the battery if original is due for replacement.
8 years is nothing. A guy at my work still rides a bike from 1974, my dad has 2 bikes that are 15+ yrs old and still running great, and I'm looking at a 20year old bike as my next toy. And only one of the bikes I've mentioned has anywhere near that low of mileage. Heck, my 2008 Honda Shadow has 35,000 miles, and my brand new 2013 bike it approaching 4,000 miles. The CBR600RRs are all fuel injected so don't have to worry about carbs, so long as the gas in it hasn't been sitting for months or years you shouldn't have any problem starting it right up and driving home. May want to go ahead and change the oil when you get it just as a cautionary thing. Check the tread on the tires. Might need to lube the chain. Shouldn't need much else for a good while.
No, it's not too old. I bought a 1985 Honda Magna with 16,000 miles on it and am quite happy with it. I've put some work into it, but that's to be expected. If it is in the shape you say it is, $5,200 is a fair price. You can look forward to putting 50,000+ miles on it, if you keep it that long. You are not getting a fantastic deal for the price, but neither are you getting ripped off. If you were to buy the same bike at a dealership, it would probably go for $6,995. Bluebook is at $5,400.
Midd 2000 'old'? A matter of perspective- I'm riding early 1980s or a bit earlier yet, road late 1950s BMW for few years and still see that vintage at the shafty rallies with over 100,000 mile pins. I started riding when Panhead Harleys were still current models and AMF was talking about buying Harley--and lots of Panheads still on the road. Teasing Alert!
It is definitely not too old and with only 5,800 miles it has thousands of miles left on it without any repairs. Honda motorcycles are bullet proof. The price is also around $1,000 under retail. If it is in great shape buy it.
Its fine if its been taken care of and just somebodys 'garage queen' and will probably run without any repair work for several years no problem. Things to look for are crash or other damage, scratches, ect. It should have no damage no corrosion and no problems for that price and look basically showroom if polished up, don't accept a cracked fairing, dinged tank, ect because deals like that for low mile bikes that hardly got ridden and are just 'old' are fairly common in almost perfect condition…
Sure hope it's not too old or my 15 year old Triumph Tiger with over 10X that much mileage is an antique and that make me a dinosaur, sure hope I'm not dead as today is a riding day.p
At first I didn't think it was too old, definitely doesn't look old. But people were telling me "oh 8 years old is way too old to spend $5000 on"
- You say do I need to keep the Bell helmet the renter wore when he slipped, and crashed my motorcycle? My motorcycle is the 2008? Honda CBR600RR super sport motorcycle. The Cofounder of Riders- Share.Com compensated me the full amount of the motorcycle repairer's written damage estimate. I was also fully compensated for the helmet, which the renter wore when he crashed my motorcycle and my helmet.
- Would this motorcycle be too big for me? A relative is giving me a 1978 Honda 550 four. I'm 17 years old, 5 foot 11 inches, and 145 pounds. Will this bike be too big for me?
- How many years from the year the motorcycle was built should you hold onto it before the parts become too expensive For example I was interested in buying a 2006 Honda CBR600f4i until I looked up the price of the fairing pieces. Just a small piece of the fairing was over $600. Of course they charge that price because they want you to buy a new motorcycle.
- Getting a motorcycle and a motorcycle license? I'm 15 years old. I love motorcycles. I know everything about bikes and shifting and stuff. I do have experience but i have only riden a Honda CG125. Nothing with more power. I'm going to turn 16 next summer and i want to purchase a Kawasaki ninja 300. I want to know how i'm going to buy it and how i'm gonna get the license. I live in New York City by the way. Thanks! i can get a motorcycle learners permit at age 16 in NY so yeah