Tips when looking at a bike from private seller

[MayallRob]

Pretty good checklist; http://www.therevcounter.co.uk/threa...ying-Checklist

I normally do that, haggle price, give cash to owner on basis bike rides as described, if it does it's a sale, if not and i don't crash it, i get cash back and walk.

Hi Mitch, I've just checked out the checklist that you posted - thats a pretty comprehensive list! I'll probably print off a copy and take it with me to fill out.

[Julie_S]

whatever you do don't take the asking price with you for a test ride. The seller maybe honest but that is way too much to have about your person. Somebody must have caught out by now and mugged when taking a wad along to look over a bike, or had their car broken into

You haven't mentioned how many miles it has on it

Chances are at £10K for a secondhand bike you are talking about a 1 or 2 owner bike? If it's 1 owner and the seller is that original owner it takes a lot of worry out about it being the bike they say it is.

I bought my Street Triple under similar circumstances from the 1st owner via the Street Triple Forum, took some cash to show willing and paid the owner by direct bank transfer once I'd looked the bike over

I recently bought my Daytona from a chap up in Manchester via Ebay. To check him out I looked into his account, found a pic of him and his lad, he looked sound. I asked him to scan and send over the paperwork to me for the bike, with that I google earthed his house, which matched his photo on EBay. He was the first and only owner which made it easier, pretty unlikely the one and only owner is going to rebuild a wreck or stolen bike as that is normally done the other way around - i.e buy a legit frame or bike and built it back up with stolen parts...I really can't see much dodgyness going on with first owners