What should I look for when buying used?

[steph]

Hello everyone,

This is my first post. I have been looking at SOHC CB750s on craigslist to purchase.

Does anyone have suggestions on what to look for when I go to look at one?

What's a good price?

What questions should I ask the seller (besides has it been in a wreck/what's the mileage)?

How many miles are too many miles?

Lastly, what are the first things I need to take care of when I get the bike?

Thanks in advance for taking the time to answer any of my questions!!

 

[chopkickcb750]

I look for low miles around ten thousand or less also make sure the title is good. But that's just me. Also when I buy bikes I don't like to buy anything that isn't running even if your planning on fixing it up I like a reasonable start.

 

[motogtp]

Prices will vary a lot based on condition. A rusty wreck that runs good is probably worth $500-$1,000. An original in good shape may go $2000+. for If you go to look at a bike ask them start it up from cold. If the engine is warm when they start it they may be trying to hide something. Lower mileage may be good but bear in mind that a 30+ year old bike with 5,000 miles may have sat for long periods of time and built up a lot of schmutz. I think anything with less than 25,000 miles, and in good shape, is still a good buy. Have them pull the plugs to see what they look like. That will give you some indication of whether it is running rich, burning oil, etc. Brand new spark plugs may also be an indicator that the owner is trying to mask some engine issue. Shine a flashlight into the tank to look for rust or varnish issues. You could bring a simple multi-meter to see what the battery voltage is at 3,000 rpm. I think it should be around 14.5 volts. If not it could have rotor or stator problems or simply need to have the regulator adjusted.

 

[grepper]

Here's a thread on xs650.com, yeah it pertains to Yamaha xs650s, but a lot of the same logic applies.
http://www.xs650.com/forum/showthread.php?t=367