Compression test is always simple and inexpensive, run the bike and get a feel for it. Listen to the transmission, feel the gears as you shift. Make sure the forks aren't leaking oil and stuff. Check the general appearance such as the swing arm, chain, rotors and so forth...are they clean...pro'lly should be if he's trying to sell it, but if they're not, you know to stay away. The chain should not be filthy or overlubed/waxed. Check the sprockets. Are the teeth decent? What do the radiator fins look like...are they clogged all to heck. When you're checking the forks, look up under the cowl...are they bugs-nsh!it up in their stuck to the forks...you know what I mean. They're bound to bug juiced - but anal guys like I think most of us on this board, use elbow grease and crimp and cramp around to keep the Bus nice-n-clean...it just shows care of ownership. Also, if the dude gets most of his service work done at a shop, ask for reciepts and so forth. I do alot of my own light servicing and keep a log of my mileage, oil used and filter used, mileage when I clean my air element and stuff. Any joe can throw together a bullsh!t log when he's selling, but if you meet the guy a few times, converse with him, get a feel for him, you'll have a fairly decent idea of whether he's trust worthy or not. Of course, I have been screwed once, and it was a bad one...so, that doesn't ALWAYS hold true...be careful. If they are bragging about HP and torque and what the bike dyno'd...tell them to give you a copy of the log...if you go on their word you're bound to be disappointed. If they say they don't have the log, ask what shop, names, and so forth, and visit the shop if you want.
Don't be shy about a test ride. Give the guy something for collateral and ride the fuggin bike. When I say I got screwed?...I DIDN'T ride the bike first because I really trusted the guys I bought from...and I like to think of myself as a decent judge of character, too...I got fugged...hard. Ride the damn thing, get a feel for it, listen to it, feel it...and then you'll have 3/4 of an idea what you think. Visual inspection of not just the outer, but innners as well, is important. Get the compression test done, too. It's inexpensive and you can even do it yourself. Get on your hands and knees and look at stuff, look at the oil in the sight glass...is it underfull, overfull...that kind of stuff. You don't want to stuck for seven, eight grand. I got stuck for three grand and put another thousand into the fuggin thing before I could even ride it...didn't follow my own damn advice...
If the guy wants to sell, and if he's truly a motorcyclist, he'll understand.
