Hi,

I'm new to this forum, but I already have a question. So, I live in Europe, in Luxembourg, close to the German border. I'll be 21 in September 2008 (you have to be 21 at least to drive a bike with more than 25hp here), an I want to buy a bike, so what I've found till here is the Kawasaki Ninja.

I've been checking some German websites where people can post ads for their used cars and bikes, where I found this ZX 9R :

LINK

It costs 3'780€ (about 5'500$), has a mileage of 51'000km (about 32'000 miles), 899cm^3, and 141hp, and its initial registration dates from 2000. (I took all those infos from the ad).

So my question now is not if I should buy this bike (because in 9 months it won't be advertised anymore), but rather to tell me what I should look for in a Ninja, but its maximum mileage should be, what the general pricing is, etc. You can take this bike as a reference to tell me what's good about it and what's bad.

Thanks in advance!

 

First of all, welcome to the madness that is KF!!!


and we hope you stick around especially after pickin up a ride.


good luck

 

Welcome to the forums. I have a '95 zx9. The price of $5500 (US) seems just a little high, given the amount of miles on the bike. HOWEVER, having said that, if the bike has been extremely well cared for, that price may be reasonable. Things to check, would include the steering stops on the headstock (to see if the steering has been slammed to one side or the other as in an accident), and many of the replace-ables, including the condition of the oil, coolant, chain (condition, tension, sprockets, uneven wear, etc.), levers and pegs (to see if it's been down and scraped on the ground/asphalt), wiring (pull the seat and look for crapped-up wiring for alarms, accessory lighting, etc.), look in the tank with a light to see if there's rust or other gunk, cracks/chips/misaligned fairing pieces, re-paint, leaking fork seals, condition of brake fluid/brake pads, functional turn signals, hacked-up plastic in the rear-end, uneven wear on the tires (to one side versus down the middle), pull the tank and look at the top of the engine for general cleanliness and any things which don't belong (wiring, etc.)
Start the bike and LISTEN. Do you hear any cam chain whine? Valves been adjusted? What receipts does the guy have, and how/when was the bike serviced? Does the oil filter look like it's been on the bike since he bought it? Any oil or fluid leaks? Are the forks straight? Look at the rear subframe. Any cracks or bends? Does the battery look reasonably fresh? Does the bike start right up or does it grind and grind? Do/does the lighting remain constant or does it get brighter when you rev the motor? (voltage regulator issues, alternator issues?)
If nearly all of the above is acceptable or in good shape, you may be ok to pay the asking price, but ALWAYS haggle a little, just to get a feel for the guy. Is he a jerk or will he haggle, too? What does his garage/shop look like? Most responsible people (in bike terms) also live responsibly and take care of other aspects of their lives. If you don't like what you see, ask yourself why.
Good luck!!

 

Mudkip, I just clicked the link and looked at the pictures. Several things stand out: The paint looks very attractive and the bike generally looks well cared for, at least in the pictures. However, 2 words: due diligence!! Do your homework and inspect as many of the areas I suggested as possible, without crossing line of insult. You may not need to take the tank off if the bike looks as nice as the pictures. However, I'd still check the fluids and filter and most of the things i've suggested. It's your money. Most guys who take care of their bikes actually enjoy someone trying to find something amiss. Tell him to consider it a compliment that you have to search so hard.