Buying Gen 1- What should I be looking out for?

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NoCal

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:nerd: As I continue my hunt for an FZ 1 (Gen 1) I have a few questions I am hoping y'all can help me with. When I go check out the bikes:

I am fairly mechanically inclined but what should I be specifically looking for, looking out for? such as....

Mileage, Sprocket/chain wear, oil leaks I think will be obvious. But how do you check more subtle things (suspension wear, trans, carb probs, less obvious abuse etc)? Other stuff?.....

What questions should I be asking the owner?

If I take it to a shop for an inspection what should I ask them to look at? What is reasonable to pay the shop?

If this is in an inappropriate type of post for this forum lemme know and I will happily pull it off. BTW I am about 5'10" 190lbs:nerd:
 
I'd start with a discovery of all the mods that were done to the bike. See if the owner has any/all of the stock parts in the event that a mod or three aren't what you like. See if the owner has any receipts to back his maintenance claims?

The shops here charge $35 to $50 for a pre-purchase inspection.

As for GEN I specific, I'll defer to the actual owners here. Guys?
 
You buying form dealer or individual?

if you pay for the inpspection....look at the front and rear sprocket -- if it is different from 16/44 stock can get interesting.

If it is other than stock, there is a possibility that you have an innaccurate mileage shown on the odometer. As an example, when I purchased my bike, the sales add said the bike had 22522 miles on it. Yet, the odometer showed 25522. Rough guess, but based on the repair history of the bike, I was able to calculate that the excess mileage was around the 3k (after verifying speed with GPS and then making adjustment with Speedo-healer to verify corrections) so the mileage is around 3k less that what is indicated....so great for buying, not so great for resale.

Look at the plastics -- fairing -- anything on the inside showing repairs. Broken tabs.
Look at the engine -- outside of surface, hidden areas with build up of crap
Suspension -- do you see any visible wear (oil around the rubber -- indicating leak) Is there a service history of when things were changed (oil/fork oil/antifreeze/etc.)
tires -- good condition or cracked?

Obvious -- look at the model year vs the mileage traveled. Age of the owner. How many times has it changed hands....general things that you can only get a feel for when you bring cash in hand.

If you get a bad vibe, choice is yours as far as wheter you complete the transaction. I was fortunate and have been nothing but ear to ear grin since day one. Hope it holds true for you...

Adam
 
You buying form dealer or individual?

if you pay for the inpspection....look at the front and rear sprocket -- if it is different from 16/44 stock can get interesting.

If it is other than stock, there is a possibility that you have an innaccurate mileage shown on the odometer. As an example, when I purchased my bike, the sales add said the bike had 22522 miles on it. Yet, the odometer showed 25522. Rough guess, but based on the repair history of the bike, I was able to calculate that the excess mileage was around the 3k (after verifying speed with GPS and then making adjustment with Speedo-healer to verify corrections) so the mileage is around 3k less that what is indicated....so great for buying, not so great for resale.

Look at the plastics -- fairing -- anything on the inside showing repairs. Broken tabs.
Look at the engine -- outside of surface, hidden areas with build up of crap
Suspension -- do you see any visible wear (oil around the rubber -- indicating leak) Is there a service history of when things were changed (oil/fork oil/antifreeze/etc.)
tires -- good condition or cracked?

Obvious -- look at the model year vs the mileage traveled. Age of the owner. How many times has it changed hands....general things that you can only get a feel for when you bring cash in hand.

If you get a bad vibe, choice is yours as far as wheter you complete the transaction. I was fortunate and have been nothing but ear to ear grin since day one. Hope it holds true for you...

Adam
 
Thanks for all the good tips! I have been looking mostly at the private individuals since my thought is the dealer has their own mark-up (yes/no?) I am trying to be patient (and find a job) plus my feeling is that when the weather turns crummy in most of the country the prices might drop a bit more (yes/no?). I ride in AZ and CA so I can ride most year-round. It was 114 on the road the other day on a ride, a bit hot even for a desert rat like me, even with a mesh riding jacket.
 
NoCal said:
Thanks for all the good tips! I have been looking mostly at the private individuals since my thought is the dealer has their own mark-up (yes/no?) I am trying to be patient (and find a job) plus my feeling is that when the weather turns crummy in most of the country the prices might drop a bit more (yes/no?). I ride in AZ and CA so I can ride most year-round. It was 114 on the road the other day on a ride, a bit hot even for a desert rat like me, even with a mesh riding jacket.
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114! Good God Man! Thats like living on the Sun! And don't give me that "No Humidity" nonsense cause I ain't buying it. I went to visit my mother in Vegas two years back on Easter and it was in the upper 90's right off the plane. Me, I'm a mid 70's kind of guy. Anything over 79 degrees I can do without.
 
Yea it IS HOT...Oh and did I mention that the humidity is up in the 40% range! Come on Monsoon rains!!! Not sure I could handle 20 days of rain though. Going riding in the mountains Friday should be a bit cooler....
 
definitely get a black one. they are the fastest!:woot:

i would stay away from the dealers. around here, they usually sell beat up, laid down bikes. try to find a seller that is a little older, and wiser. its less likely their bike has been abused. you can almost guarantee that if the seller is under 30, the bike has been abused... at least a little. i would also look to get a bike that is totally stock. that way you can make it your own.
 
Slim Johnson said:
definitely get a black one. they are the fastest!:woot:

i would stay away from the dealers. around here, they usually sell beat up, laid down bikes. try to find a seller that is a little older, and wiser. its less likely their bike has been abused. you can almost guarantee that if the seller is under 30, the bike has been abused... at least a little. i would also look to get a bike that is totally stock. that way you can make it your own.
Click to expand...

Unfortunately thats often the case with younger riders. Not all, but many abuse the heck out of their bikes. I just love those guys who sit at each stop light and rev the bike to the limiter. I still haven't figured out what they are trying to accomplish. I don't see girls ooohing and ahhing over it. I was fortunate to get my FZ from a guy who was over 30 who had a wife and kid and treated the bike right. Believe it or not, you can ride a bike hard and not kill the motor in the process. I will have to side with Slim on this one. Find an older more mature seller and you'll be happier later. Dealers?? The problem is you can't talk to the previous owner so you only know what the dealer tells you. Go private, Go mature, go home happy!
 
New bike

Hi I'm a new 2003 FZ1 owner and new, today, to the FZ1 forum. I read this topic before buying my bike.... thanks for all the good info on what to look for when buying.
The seller was 35 y/o and had an immaculate frond yard. Everything was in it's neat little place in his garage and very clean too. The bike is pristine and bone stock. I think I got a great deal. Thanks again.

Planned upgrades:
Better tires (hopefully Michelin Pilot Power)
Fender eliminator
possibly a slip on
 
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cedillon said:
Hi I'm a new 2003 FZ1 owner and new, today, to the FZ1 forum. I read this topic before buying my bike.... thanks for all the good info on what to look for when buying.
The seller was 35 y/o and had an immaculate frond yard. Everything was in it's neat little place in his garage and very clean too. The bike was pristine and bone stock. I think I got a great deal. Thanks again.
Click to expand...

Congratulations on your new purchase!, and welcome aboard. Your first order of business is to post some pics of your new baby! Have fun and take it slow. Your gonna love your GenI. Give us your impressions after you put a few miles on her.
 
Low miles, not always a red flag

Good to hear! I'm mid 40s and have had my 2005 FZ1 for 2 years now. Bought it from a dealer who was selling it on consignment for a customer who bought it new but already had 3 other bikes and didn't put on many miles. I have yet to cross 3,000 miles (I know, it's a crime to not be riding more...).

I keep thinking about selling it but then decide it's too fun and will ride it more when the weather in VA cooperates. Anyway, low miles are not always a red flag. There are a probably more than a few of these garaged bikes out there that have not been ridden like they deserve. You just have to do your homework.
 
Most of the things have been covered allready but can I suggest that you check the exup valve is working okay as they have a habit of sticking and are very often neglected due to not being part of a service.

Make sure that the securing bolts are not seized because if they are there is a good chance of them braking off when removal is attempted.
Not a reason for not buying the bike but worth checking and worth some money off if it needs sorting out.:tup:
 
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