Quiz the seller
What do they know? How long have they had it? What’s the best way to start it? Why are they selling? Find out if you trust them, but also, they should be a great fount of knowledge, which will help. What have they replaced recently? Keep questioning them to find any holes in a story. “It was my late father’s” – that’s fine, but where are the photos, the stories... and why can’t they find the paperwork? I bet they found the will.
Does it start?
If it doesn’t, ask ‘why not?’ “Just needs a carb clean” is not a suitable excuse when selling a motorcycle costing many thousands of pounds. You’d much rather hear: “I don’t know what I’m doing and would rather somebody else sorts it. I’ve priced it accordingly.”
Is the engine hot or cold?
