New buyer questions

[Mokujin]

Hi everyone.

Now ive seen some threads with regards to reliability and it seems that the gen 2 is very reliable.

My question however would be the following.
I am in the market for a 08-10 since they are readily available at a good price.

Are there any tell tale signs that a model with some years behind it can have? Even the smallest bugs anyone has come across, please post it here as it will give me a good indicator on what to expect and what to prepare for repairs or maintenance wise.

Thanks in advance!

 

[Bumblebee]

Welcome,

How savvy are you with mechanics? I ask only so I don't insult your intelligence by responding with "niggly" things to look for.

 

[Mokujin]

Well i am a electrician by trade and my mechanical side isnt too bad either if that is a answer?

 

[HayaWakened]

You mean like an assessment overview?

It's often the mods that offer hints as to how the bike's been run. A strictly OEM model in that age range would be unique imho: the closer you get to OEM, the better. That is a generalization.

Aside from engine internals (which can be difficult to discern at tire-kick inspection), much of the peripheral stuff can be (and should be, on purchase) replaced: tires, levers, hoses, cables, grips, cowls, fluids, brake pads, even the rotors. I'd look at the current condition of sprockets, chain, obvious stuff like oil stains on metal, to determine how well the bike's been kept. Listen to the diff bet clutch in/out - that rattle... It's kinda hard with Busas, cuz many owners keep up on the maint and still run the bike aggressively. On the other hand, it's a Busa - it likes to be run hard. Maybe even prefers it.

Of course, if you can talk the seller into taking off both fairings, that'd be nice, give you a better look. And maybe if they were willing to let you pop the hood and look at the air filter. Reminds me of dating: it's a little easier to have a peek under the sweater to see if everything's real and if cuffs & collars match on the third date than it is on the first.

I'd also recommend researching the particular year of the bike in your crosshairs as there is a wealth of year/model specific data (things to look out for) right here on this site. (e.g., not ALL Gen 2's are ABS outfitted).

I was gonna say check the width of the chicken strips as an indicator, but I'm not sure that's good advice. Someone running the bike to its limit tends to take care of the other components (cuz, you know, they're related), but on the other hand, a squared off tire that looks unused at the edge might also be a sign of neglect.

You mean new (to me) maintenance?

All of that can be skipped along with the understanding that any of it could fail without notice. Which is why I service/replace a whole bunch of stuff on a new-to-me bike. I wanna see it for myself, wanna know EXACTLY how old the brake/clutch fluid is, what kind of oil is in the pan, blah, blah, blah.

Hope this helps

 

[Bumblebee]

/\ /\ /\ This works /\ /\ /\

 

[Dai.]

Fuel pump - Probably need to change the tea bag filter or change to the 2013 onwards design and eliminate the issue.

Clutch Bolts - Not all have issues but worth pulling out and adding locktite

Rectifier - Do some homework and see if the recall has been completed.

2013 onwards have ABS.

 

[Kiwi Rider]

Fuel pump - Probably need to change the tea bag filter or change to the 2013 onwards design and eliminate the issue.

Clutch Bolts - Not all have issues but worth pulling out and adding locktite

Rectifier - Do some homework and see if the recall has been completed.

2013 onwards have ABS.

Just to add to Dai's advice . . .
Call a Suzuki dealership and give them the vin number, they should tell you if that recall has been done or not.

 

[clean]

Good advice above. I also always like to have a good look at where the seller is keeping it. Is it outside in a carport with empty beer cans laying all over the place? or is it in a neat organized shop where the guy takes pride in his stuff?

bring a high powered flash light, check inside the tank for rust and/or other junk. shine the light on the oil sight glass, clean or dirty oil? low? full?

shine the light on the brake/clutch reservoir sight glasses - dark? light?

is the chain adjusted properly? dry or well oiled?

fork seals leaking? stanchion coating in good shape?

brake pads? good? worn out?

tires? how old? check the date codes on sidewall.

you can get a pretty good idea of how it has been treated. Ideally a look without the fairings on would be best, but seldom do you get that option.

if given the option I would do a compression test, have a look at the countershaft splines, check the valve clearance and on and on - but that's probably not going to happen.

you could also request to have it checked over at a shop - just make sure you get a good mechanic that knows the bike.

 

[HayaWakened]

Good advice above. I also always like to have a good look at where the seller is keeping it. Is it outside in a carport with empty beer cans laying all over the place? or is it in a neat organized shop where the guy takes pride in his stuff?

bring a high powered flash light, check inside the tank for rust and/or other junk. shine the light on the oil sight glass, clean or dirty oil? low? full?

shine the light on the brake/clutch reservoir sight glasses - dark? light?

is the chain adjusted properly? dry or well oiled?

fork seals leaking? stanchion coating in good shape?

brake pads? good? worn out?

tires? how old? check the date codes on sidewall.

you can get a pretty good idea of how it has been treated. Ideally a look without the fairings on would be best, but seldom do you get that option.

if given the option I would do a compression test, have a look at the countershaft splines, check the valve clearance and on and on - but that's probably not going to happen.

you could also request to have it checked over at a shop - just make sure you get a good mechanic that knows the bike.

+1
but those are my beer cans