When you?re buying yourself a motorbike, there are a handful of things that you really ought not to do. Buying bikes tends to involve dealing with people you don?t know, and have got no real reason to trust, so there are a lot of things that could go wrong. Things that could end up costing you money or meaning you end up with a bike that?s not as good as you?d hoped. So, in an effort to mitigate the chances of anything like that happening, it?s necessary to be quite careful. Necessary to be careful not to do these things, when you?re buying a bike.

DON?T: Take the sellers word as gospel.

It?s really easy to say things like ?never raced or trackday-ed? or ?maintained regardless of cost? in a sales advert. It doesn?t mean it?s true. If there?s no service history, you have to wonder whether it?s been serviced or not, at all. If the seller?s done it himself, that?s all good and well, but has he done it properly" Has he used the right parts" Unfortunately, you?ll just have to use your judgement; do they look like the sort of person who has the skills and the facilities to service a bike properly"
If you?re about to put a load of money into something by buying a bike, it?s best not to leave too much to chance. If it was me, and I was unsure, I?d be sticking fresh oil and filters on it when I got it home anyway; that way you know it?s been done.

DON?T: Pay a bloke of the internet that you?ve never met £500 to collect it for you.

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