A golden winter tip: buy a classic

Well, summer is over its peak and now you can think about how you are going to get through the winter. That could well be with the further acquaintance of your newly purchased classic.

The first step is realizing that this is a great idea. The second important point is that the supply is quite large, while the money on the purchase side has been spent during the holiday. Add to that the sensible remark from partners: "What are you driving on that thing now, and soon the insurance will have to be paid too..." In short: now is the ideal time to buy!

The purchase:
Make it easy for yourself. Think about what you really want and in what condition you are looking for something like that. The idea of ​​buying something abandoned for the famous 'Little' is very recognizable. Only do that if you are quite technical, have the space for all those boxes, and if you realize that the purchase price will usually go up a few times (or a few times) before you drive it.

Buying a copy that is as complete, as original and as good as possible usually offers enough challenge to get through the coming winter constructively. Because even in a lot of detail work and small, but necessary and often overdue maintenance, enough time is spent to keep you busy until spring.

Remember that all prices are asking prices. But bidding 500 euros on a machine asking 2.500 euros is pretty pointless.

First walk around your future dream bike, then get down on your knees. Has the motorcycle been cleaned quickly, or are the corners and holes also nice and clean? Look in the tank to see if there is a lot of rust. Tap the lowest part of the tank with something hard. If you immediately pierce the metal there, that is not good. Also feel the block. If it is warm, it could be because the engine has cold starting problems. If the secondary chain and sprockets are worn, this indicates overdue maintenance. If the chain can be pulled up half a tooth height from the sprocket, it is time for a new chain set. And that can cost quite a bit. Cheap AliExpress chains are usually only suitable for beating up the selling party.

From that perspective, also check the air filter. As for overdue maintenance, assume that the fork legs have never been flushed and provided with fresh oil. 'Pitting' in the chrome of those fork legs makes fitting new fork seals as pointless as trimming your nails with an angle grinder.

If there is a centre stand, it is easy. If not, then some improvisation is required. Wheel bearings are wear parts. You should not hear them grinding. Brake discs with 'raised edges' are usually below their minimum thickness. Handy if the brake pads still have some 'meat'. Do not buy the cheapest brake pads on the internet, if you value your life. But something is better than nothing. Steel on steel brakes poorly and sounds terrible. With the front wheel in the air, the front fork should not have a heavy point in the turning. The rear fork should not be able to wag. In monoshock classics, the lever system tends to have seen better days. Rear suspension elements should not be leaky or 'rebound'.

Brake hoses don't last forever either, but most of them stay in place until after their (or your) death. The inner lining can come loose and cause a heart attack.

Back to the appearance. Good spraying costs money. As a factory original spraying it costs quite a lot of money. This can be pointed out during the negotiations. This also draws the attention of the selling party to the fact that you are a Real Enthusiast. The colored parts that are not made of metal must be checked for cracks. Sometimes/often they are made of thermoplastic material. There are special repair kits for this, but you can also get a long way with a soldering iron.

Invest in a can of brake cleaner when searching. Spray it on the rubbers between the carburetors and the head(s) while the engine is running. If the block suddenly starts to turn faster, the rubbers are leaking/decomposed.

Before the test drive, check whether the headlight, any indicators and the brake light are working. Take the test drive on a road with speed bumps, and – with a warm block – sensibly rev the engine. If you suddenly turn off the gas, check the mirrors: a blue cloud of smoke indicates worn valve caps at the very least. They are not expensive, but fitting a four-cylinder DOHC block is quite a lot of work, often requiring special tools. Fortunately, our advertisers supply all kinds of special tools at reasonable prices. And tools are always nice to have, if only because they look so cool on the wall shelf.

At the moment that you have checked and tried everything, you have certainly forgotten something, such as checking the oil. If the engine oil is cheerfully black, then that also indicates overdue maintenance. Be careful when buying oil at the Action, because it is usually not suitable for motorcycles where the clutch turns in the engine oil. Do not buy oil filters from Ali, but buy original ones from the dealer. Also do not buy vague air filters and NEVER imitation K&Ns via the internet. With motorcycles with experience it is often not necessary to adjust the jetting, because wear of the needles and the jets have already done the work for you.

All in all, you can then discuss the price within reasonable limits. Never criticize the bike in question. Praise the seller and the bike. You can then apologetically say that you would like to have the bike, but - not that the bike is a bit too expensive - that you actually have just a bit too little money for the asking price...

Two more things:

• These tips are the valuable result of 50+ years of motorcycling with more than 100 motorcycles. And when I recently saw the bike of my dreams advertised, I made an appointment. And within 48 seconds I had decided that I wanted it. For the asking price.
• As an optimal lubricant in negotiations, one thing has proven itself. To keep it a bit exclusive, we will not mention that secret here. But if you respond to this text, you will receive our Golden Tip on your email address!