People willing to check out bikes.

[Monorail]

Hi guys,

I was thinking maybe we should have a stickied thread about people who can check out bikes, what area they can look at a bike in and what they are capable of looking at (i.e. check the fairings are pretty and will get its next wof, to listening to cam chains etc).

I think this could be a good idea cos recently I have missed out on two bikes, just because it took to long for me to find someone to view them (a 1992 CBR250 for $1500 that was missing the side fairings and a FZR250 for $800, both of which were wof'd and reg'd).

Therefore I will start.

I am Matt. I can check out anything in the Kapiti Coast give or take. Unfortunately my skills ain't the greatest. I can check out a bikes physical condition, look for rust and probably tell you whether it will pass or fail its next wof.

I hope people contribute to this as it will make buying a bike a lot safer and stress free, especially for newbie riders and riders at the other end of the country which only have auction details to go by,

Cheers,
Matt

[howdamnhard]

Sounds like a good idea,unfortuneately I personally don't know much about bikes.Would be a real help to newbies.

[Monorail]

Sounds like a good idea,unfortuneately I personally don't know much about bikes.Would be a real help to newbies.

cheers, always good when someone else thinks an idea is good, kinda confirms it.
And yeah it really should help the newbs.

[Mikkel]

Good idea!

My name is Mikkel and I live at Mt. Pleasant in Christchurch and shall be happy to tag along and play knowledgeable at any bike deal - I know fuck all about bikes but a lot of stuff about theoretical science (mechanics(newtonian and quantum), thermo dynamoics, electronics, physical chemistry, you get the point)... Atm I have a good grasp of the 250cc market - but that's not gonna last for long though.

[Monorail]

Good idea!

My name is Mikkel and I live at Mt. Pleasant in Christchurch and shall be happy to tag along and play knowledgeable at any bike deal - I know fuck all about bikes but a lot of stuff about theoretical science (mechanics(newtonian and quantum), thermo dynamoics, electronics, physical chemistry, you get the point)... Atm I have a good grasp of the 250cc market - but that's not gonna last for long though.

cool thanks for that.

[Mikkel]

cool thanks for that.

No worries mate - all things considered it's always harder to bullshit two people than to bullshit one!

[The Lone Rider]

I don't mind looking at bikes in CHCH for people, although you are best off having me look at cruisers as the sports bike all look the same to me (for the most part).

I'm not mechanically inclined, but I can tell ya pretty easy if it looks like its been well looked after, all the finishes are good, any rust, how the tires are etc..

[Monorail]

I don't mind looking at bikes in CHCH for people, although you are best off having me look at cruisers as the sports bike all look the same to me (for the most part).

I'm not mechanically inclined, but I can tell ya pretty easy if it looks like its been well looked after, all the finishes are good, any rust, how the tires are etc..

cool. that is great

[marty]

Good idea!

My name is Mikkel and I live at Mt. Pleasant in Christchurch and shall be happy to tag along and play knowledgeable at any bike deal - I know fuck all about bikes but a lot of stuff about theoretical science (mechanics(newtonian and quantum), thermo dynamoics, electronics, physical chemistry, you get the point)... Atm I have a good grasp of the 250cc market - but that's not gonna last for long though.

i'll be sure to call you next time i need a galactial transporter checked over....

[Monorail]

would be keen on not just having a bike checked out for looks
but also for performance, stability handling and braking as magazine
reviews are written aimed at experienced riders who are more easily
able to interperate reviews/specifications.

that is a good point. but someone testing out a cheap motorcycle compared to their 10k baby is sure to find handling quite poor. also people like me probs wont be able to test a bike considering age and l plate

[The Lone Rider]

that is a good point. but someone testing out a cheap motorcycle compared to their 10k baby is sure to find handling quite poor. also people like me probs wont be able to test a bike considering age and l plate

Well there is a difference between how a bike itself performs, and how a bike of that particular type performs.

It wouldn't be worth having someone check out a bike for you to see if XYZ feels nice to ride or corners tightly, when you could google for a review and theres a bit of subjectivity involved. However getting someone to check out a bike to see if the brakes actually work on it, or if the ignition has trouble getting going is a different matter.

[Monorail]

making a test comparison with their own bike but with so many
Korean and Chinese bikes on the market for beginners an experienced
motorcyclist would be able to make a safety/performance comparison with the
Jap bikes of the same cc rating for example.

gotcha. my bad.

[Crisis management]

So, how much are you lot prepared to pay for this time and effort?

How much liability are you expecting the "tester" to carry when some fault is found with your new bike a week after you've bought it?

If you're expecting some sort of tangible result, ie; "this bike is in good mechanical order and I have checked it thoroughly", then do what the rest of us do, pay a motorcycle shop to check it.

Asking someone whom you don't know to do this sort of inspection is simply insane.....what sort of a result are you expecting!

[Conquiztador]

If you have something in mind in HB. I would expect a bottle of JD for my efforts (and it might pay to send it after I have done the check, as if I get it beforehand my judgement might be affected...) or whatever we agree upon.

Thou I will not be held responsible for something I missed. I will do my best and tell you if the chain needs replacing, the tyres are worn or the suspension is suspect. Also if there is dents in the tank etc. And you will get an honest opinion what I think about her (But don't expect me to tell you what I would pay for her as I am known to pay phuck all for bikes and whatever the price is I would probably only pay less then 1/2 my self for her...)

[Wannabiker]

Well I would be qite happy to do this in the hutt valley. Mechanic by trade and have full licence. I would be happy to check basic mechanical and cosmetic condition. ...you know, the stuff you cant see in the photos on trade me. Have done this for cars for friens in the past. Certainly wouldnt be held responsible though!