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Hi All,
Anyone have any experience of these people, i have read a few reviews, some good, some bad as reviews of any kind tend to be. it's just that i have a hankering for a second bike and they have a few that have caught my eye.
i know they are a sell cheap, high turnover company so apart from the bike being roadworthy...............MOT's, Servicing etc is down to the buyer but that's not to much of a problem
For the age/mileage bikes they have listed for sale I'd never consider anything but a private sale. I don't think the extra you pay a dealer is worth it.
Also from their eBay store I'm scared
GSXR 750Y asking absolute top dollar (I paid less private for a pristine 1000 K1) https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2000-W-SU...cAAOSwvx5bUm8V
Mot History says there is a drop of 6000 miles on the clocks between last 2 MOT's (rider must have reversed for 6k miles). It has spent 9 years without an MOT (so I'd guess track bike). From the amount of non standard tat (those extras are cheap eBay stuff), paint and fairings I'd also assume its been thrown down the tarmac more than a truck stop hooker.
I didn't go hunting through everything they sell to find that, looked them up on eBay and it was the first bike I clicked on. Based on that bike alone I'd never go anywhere near them.
I can't help myself I had to look at a few more
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1996-SUZU...QAAOSwowBbWlqw ...... asking almost £1700!
What they are not telling us is the last time it was presented for MOT was June 2016 and it failed. It's had no valid MOT since.Quote:
This bike comes with its owners manual, previous MOT's, service book and receipts.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1997-P-KA...8AAOSwZrdbP~m8 ..... ZX7R asking top price. Just look at the poor thing :(
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2000-W-AP...8AAOSwGNxbJEl4 ..... a Lovely little RS125? Last MOT'd in May 2008...
Some happy customers, but generally avoided by the cogniscenti
P.S. I've got a Blackbird going cheep (in the right colour too). New tyres, new MoT
Quote:
Originally Posted by WR6133
After reading the above i think i would avoid for sure. What about Blade motorcycles, they have a trade centre as well. Personally i have not bought from them but am sure there must be reviews out there.
https://www.bladetradecentre.co.uk
Trev is this what you have been looking at Budget Bikes....
https://www.budgetbikesuk.co.uk/used...tshire-1647192
Iv viewed a couple of their bikes but can't say I was impressed, with the bikes or the staff to be honest. Final straw was them offering me £800 trade in on my low mileage mint Yamaha thundercat against a £3000 R1 (I later sold the cat privately for £2150). I know you get less on trade ins but that's taking the pi$$. For that alone I wouldn't go back personally.
id swap both my testicals for that.Quote:
Originally Posted by Dazr
not looking for anything to "modern" thought about a bike from my past, a kawasaki zzr600 1997 on.
thanks all for your thoughts it reinforced my first impressions about them, will scan through fleabay and mcn. the issues with a lot of older bikes as said is a lot have been thrown heavily down the road and have stickers and paint jobs to hide it
so Budget Bikes = Avoid
Not so much avoid, more if you do see a bike there you want then go into the sale with your eyes wide open knowing your paying premium prices for non-premium bikes and that their not renowned for standing by their responsibilities as a trader regarding warrantys ETC if something fails on the bike.Quote:
Originally Posted by Trev_P
Our old mate Mikkie86, who was a stalwart of WB, used to run the Blade Trade Centre, and Budget Bikes would take the bikes that he wouldn't touch. 'Nuff said.
I would definitely go for private seller for this type/age of bike, you won't be looking at huge amount of cash and there's a chance of getting a real gem. Bear in mind that some of the earlier Jap sportsbikes are getting more popular so you may actually get a newer bike for the same money if you set the ebay filters right, the trick is to get something before the motorcycle journalists get all dewey eyed about them.
Burblers Blackbird would be worth a look if in the right price bracket for you
now why would i want 2 Blackbirds in the garage :)
gonna scour the private and dealer ads, i've got about 6 months so no hurry
Quote:
Originally Posted by Trev
Out of curiosity why '97? E model was '93, adjustable forks (only worthwhile change on the entire production run) was '95.Quote:
Originally Posted by Trev_P
Here's mine (2004 E12), I used to have a '91 400K as well with a 600D motor shoved in it.
https://farm1.staticflickr.com/937/4...f5eaf4e2_b.jpg
i assumed that '97 on had the adjustable forks, fuel gauge, digi clock with new dash layout. and you know what they say about assuming :)
Quote:
Originally Posted by WR6133
Far as I knowQuote:
Originally Posted by Trev_P
'93 E model
'95 Adjustable forks
Unsure on Digital clock maybe that was '97.
All E models have the fuel gauge.
I think it was 2001 or 2002 the exhaust went stainless
Looked at Budget bikes ZZR listings. They are asking too much, what they want for a mid '90's E model is a lot more than I paid for the one above. It's not a rare bike, good ones come up frequently.
happy to wait for a good'n as i have only mentally made room in the garage, physically making room starts autumn unless a ZZR comes up lol. my old ZZR was a 90/91 pre ram air model a "D" i think and fuel lights instead of a guage. the lights used to come on as soon as you used a sniff of fuel, i used to find it damn annoying. heres the old girl
Attachment 1341
Quote:
Originally Posted by WR6133
My 400K was the same colour schemeQuote:
Originally Posted by Trev_P
https://farm1.staticflickr.com/848/4...4301fa3c_b.jpg
After multiple crashes (you can't kill a ZZR) & rebuilds, a 600D motor, new fairings, nissin calipers and a new shock.
https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1799/...0f2ff79b_b.jpg
Whatever you end up getting I'd then budget a rear shock in to it, even in good condition the stock shock was crap (the 14k mile shock on my 04 I literally threw in the bin), £240 on a YSS rear shock totally transforms the bikes handling.
any zzr 600 pre 2000 will probably need carb diaphragms as well, Ive worked on 3 and all the same ,also the small filters in the carbs get blocked.
my youngest had his eye on a budget bikes item, we made sure owner was there to take his up to trade in, the owner wasn't there and away. made another appointment he was at home. waited half hour and he turned up. then he found faults with our bike. we then asked to look at the one we were interested in, he then said it wasn't there, his mate was using it. had to wait another hour for his mate to turn up with said item. it was in a worse state than the one we wanted to trade in.
best to ask around, our local van rental owner had a very tidy ZZR1100 with panniers for sale at a reasonable price, as usual Caveat Emptor, buyer beware!!
sounds like your experience is in line with a lot of reviews, have discounted them permanently now. looking for a 600 to share the garage with my blackbird, as my blackbird has a fat arse to get down through some tightish twisties that we encounter on the WB rideouts as Burbler can testify to with his one plus i'm not as light nimble and flexible as i was in my yoof :)
sounds like you know the ZZR pretty well, will have to bring it over to you for a tune and once over when i get it :p
Quote:
Originally Posted by wheelers
Update:
I found a 2003 1 owner from new ZZR600
FSH and all receipts, MOT's, parts etc just done shy of 17k, carbs cleaned, balanced and new innards etc at last service. new tyres and a scott oiler* oiler might be coming off if it fails to please
slight scrapes on fairing due to a slow off while stopping at a roundabout due to diesel.
just in the process of doing some fettling (sorting a few rusted screws and the remains of a luggage system etc which means fairing off hence the finding of rusty screws.) adjusting the rear shock to handle by manly physique.......lard,
should soon be ready for its first WB run :cool:
Result, good to hear
Sounds like a good buy.
I'd bin the stock shock. Best thing I did to both my zzr's was a YSS rear shock. It transforms the handling, the stock shocks even at low mileage are a bit naff.
twas 1500 of your english pounds :D which compared to the quality/prices of some I have looked at was defo a reasonable sumQuote:
Originally Posted by WR6133
When I rode it home it handled like a bedspread which the removed luggage system probably disguised before I bought it, when I adjusted the shock it was only set to position 1 !
the shock is well past is best before date and on the list for next year along with new front fork oil but at the moment my splurge spending on not inconsiderable items has the mrs frowning so baby steps ;)
Glad you got a good one and look forward to seeing it on one of the rideouts.
bit of an update, after resetting all the suspension back to factory spec the bike sat in the garage for a few weeks seeing as the good ol british weather turned a bit frumpy. took it out for a shake down today to find that it suffers from either fuel starvation or ignition issues which never showed itself on the short test ride or the ride home through town. at constant throttle its like a bucking bronco :( not good when on a roundabout or long bend
blade kawasaki wouldn't touch an older bike but they pointed me in the direction of gp bike and auto centre as the guy is ex blade, looks like its going for surgery over the next few weeks
I had similar symptoms on my previous ZZR, was a knackered ignition coil. Thing is there is no easy way to test the coil so you 1st need to check plugs and the HT leads if they are ok swap out the coils. For a coil you are looking at about £20 for a pattern part or similar for a used OEM the bike has 2 of them (I've got one on the shelf you can have but it came with a mixed box of old parts so I have no idea if it's good).Quote:
Originally Posted by Trev_P
Fuel starvation, usual check the breather is clear, check the fuel line is not kinked/split/etc. If the carbs have been fiddled with I'd check they are sat right and the ram air is plumbed properly, as the tank and airbox would have been off, they are fiddly to get back on properly and a lazy spanner monkey may have just wedged it all together badly. I'd check this stuff before the ignition system because it's easier, as you'd have the tank off to do this you can check the ignition stuff after.
Fuel pump relay and pump can also be checked. Relay is easy it's a little box behind the LHS tail piece and you just need to see if the resistance is in spec (multimeter job). Fuel pump is a bit more of a task and unless you have a pressure gauge to attach to it you can't get an accurate test. If you do, you put the pressure guage inline to the outlet. Connect the pump directly to the battery and when fuel starts pissing out block the outlet hose, the pump will then eventually stop and the reading on the gauge is what you want to compare to the spec. If you don't have a gauge then all you can really do is disconnect it at the carb end and with the bike on the centre stand and in first gear (don't pull the clutch we don't want to spin the starter) hold the starter down. As the line is not connected so not pressurised if the pump is alive you'll be shooting fuel through the line (so aim it in a receptacle). This is easy to do when the tank is lifted to do all the other stuff but it'll only tell you if the pump is working or not, you won't know if it's working but out of spec.
The above sounds daunting but in reality you can get most of it done in half a day. If you do fancy doing any of that yourself shoot me a message with an email address and I'll send you the kwak workshop manual, it has all the specifications for testing and also gives far better, clearer and more accurate instruction than the Haynes for this bike.
Despite it being a great day for being out on the bike, the blackbird had to watch be perform surgery on its garage mate lol. Changed the plugs as a default, checked all the pipes etc as you suggested they seem to be ok.......Quote:
Originally Posted by WR6133
fuel pump - stops and starts when you block and unblock the outlet although it "knocks" when it runs ( same as when engine is running) can feel it with a finger. as for the pressure, dont have a gauge so cant check it.
i will pm you my email as i would love the kwack manual i can at least then check the relay for spec.
failing my efforts it is provisionally book at gp autos in cricklade :D
Mine makes a bit of a dull pulse when running so probably a case of "they all do that".Quote:
Originally Posted by Trev_P
If I had to bet £'s I'd put it on a dodgy coil but annoyingly the only way to really test that at home is to swap around with known good ones.
Manuals sent, hope they prove useful.
fuel problems, gone off maybe needs a carb clean as ....well, plenty of write ups about ethanol.
ZZR6's Ive had needed to change filter in fuel cut off valves on each carb comes with new orings to stop overfuelling.
ZZR Update:
After going through all the components that WR6133 suggested nothing stood out so in it went to GP Auto's in Cricklade. now bear in mind when I bought it, it had Service paperwork stating the Carbs had been cleaned etc.
faults found:
Pilot Jets and Pilot fuelways blocked, mixtures were lean and Carbs out of balance also float bowls and carbs were green with fuel residue
So they cleaned everything including the carb slides and diaphrams, sorted the jets etc balanced carbs and checked everything for leaks.
Bike now runs like new so it will make an appearance on a rideout. :D
Glad you got it sorted out.Quote:
Originally Posted by Trev_P
To be honest I take service history with a pinch of salt as just about anything can be printed of online,
I go more on what it sounds and rides like on the day I view it.
The way I look at it I'd rather buy a bike with no history that rides well than a bike with full history that don't.
At the end of the day a bike could have full service history but could have spent its life being thrashed around a track in which case the history means jack.
Result, so very good to hear :cool:Quote:
Originally Posted by Trev_P
Quite agree fella, when i test rode it and on the ride home through town it never showed any problems until i took it out for a proper shakedown a week later but when they actually supply paperwork, not the service book, stating they have done something but obviously didn't that's telling fibs :pQuote:
Originally Posted by Badger-Roy
Cheers matey, I can honestly recommend the guys at GP Auto's they nailed it within a day. They are all ex main dealer lads who had enough of main dealers so branched out on their own :cool:Quote:
Originally Posted by BB
:cool:
Glad to hear it's sorted, sorry for sending you on a wild goose chase fault finding, I took the stated carb service at face value. Still now you also know your fuel system and ignition system is spot on!
it was a valid call Chris, it could of turned out to any one of the things on the fault finding trail :)Quote:
Originally Posted by WR6133
Glad you have it sorted.