New (old) Bike Contemplation

Hi There Everyone,
I'm new here and, well- if all goes well tonight, might start coming back often. Here's the skinny:
Going to see a 1980 KZ550. Dude says it's well used BUT well loved. 39K mi. on it and he wants $500. My Q: If I get it, when I take it to the local garage for a overall tune-up/checkout (as I do w/ any used vehicle I buy), where should I have them concentrate? On a bike this old, what's gonna go first (avgeragely speaking)...?
ThanX.
Afab
Anything For A Buck

I don't believe anything in particular goes out on a bike motor as compared to a car motor. You can have compression checked to see if you have a sound motor or not, if good motor you would want to have valve adjustment checked and then maybe a good old fashioned tune up, oil change. If it has been sitting for a while you should have carbs cleaned and checked, take a look at the brakes and tires for safetys sake. Basically a good overall check just as you would have a used car checked. Post pic's...

ThanX...Yeah, Dude says he was riding up until a week ago and that it's not the prettiest, but it runs strong. For $500- it's EZ 'nuf to get into and drop a few more here and there.
When I get it, I'll post up the pix for scrutinization.
Have a good weekend.
:blink:

Afab Matty wrote:

Hi There Everyone,
I'm new here and, well- if all goes well tonight, might start coming back often.

Greetings - welcome to the asylum.

Here's the skinny: Going to see a 1980 KZ550. Dude says it's well used BUT well loved. 39K mi. on it and he wants $500.

Not at all out of line price wise nor mileage wise.

Photos. Detailed photos. Microscopic photos give us a much better idea of what "well loved" means. It can either mean well loved, or rode hard and put away foaming at the air cleaner(s) and resurrected with a spray bottle of Armor All and a rag 10 minutes before you get there. An experienced eye can tell.

My Q: If I get it, when I take it to the local garage for a overall tune-up/checkout (as I do w/ any used vehicle I buy), where should I have them concentrate?

If they're a "garage" worthy of the name, they'll know where to check.

Cosmetic issues aside, the big things to watch for are mechanical - does it run, and how well - does it smoke a little, or a lot - and what color is the smoke? Those details speak volumes about the internals of the motor.

On a bike this old, what's gonna go first (avgeragely speaking)...?
ThanX.

Any number of things, depending on the machine's service history - we need details to narrow down the possible answers...

EDIT:

If you're satisfied with the looks of the bike, the single most important questions to ask are mechanical - what - if any motor work has been done? Top end? Lower end? Any mechanical mods betond stock. Take careful note of the answers you get, take photos and we'll be a lot better able to give you reliable answers.

Post edited by: Pterosaur, at: 2007/04/06 18:14

it varies in pts case it was his sanity,for me it was my hair!oh wait,youre talking about the bike! id say depending on your mrchanical abilities to first take it to the local carwash and scrub it from one end to the other which makes it much easier to find oil leaks and worn out stuff and it makes it a lot more fun to work on if you arent having to scrape gook off as you are checking things.then i would basically start at one end and check every nut and bolt and screw as you go,concentrate on the safety related stuff first like tires and brakes you can always fix the cosmetic stuff as time and money allow.buy yourself a manual and if you have access to some tools learn to use them nothing takes the fun out of a $500.00 bike like getting a bill from the shop for $499.99 for an oil change and a set of spark plugs:S goodluck,happy wrenching!

wireman wrote:

it varies in pts case it was his sanity,for me it was my hair!

:huh: :blink: :dry: :laugh:

Oh - and he needs new glasses...

:woohoo: :silly: :woohoo: :silly: :woohoo: :silly: :woohoo: :silly: :woohoo: :silly: :pinch:

I think that in wireDOOD's case, the first thing to go was his ability to choose who to trust!

:blink: :ohmy: :woohoo: :woohoo: :woohoo: :woohoo: :woohoo: :woohoo: :woohoo: :woohoo:

Hilarious!:laugh:

But seriously: met a local parts manager today in my quest for a new front tire who's still riding his Kawi concours over 300,000 miles later...(!?!) Speaks volumes for the indestructibility of the basic engine design!

He also informed me that our bikes don't tend to build oil pressure well at under approx. 2.5K rpm's ... so to rev it to about 3K for a bit upon startup...

I wouldn't reccommend anyone to rev the bike above 3000 when starting any vehicle. Oil most likely hasn't reached the head as yet and seeing the bike is at lean before you start it, the oil runs down from 3 and 4 side of the engine to the oil pan and there isn't enough oil there to withstand that amount of rpm

That would have been precisely my logic, as well... but in the face of a 300,000+ mile bike, one tends to question original conclusions. Unless, of course, it was all total BS... (?!?) Dunno, I can't tell anymore, half the time...

I came to the conclusion years ago that it behooved me to *always* do (cold) starts in an upright position, so as to encourage even oiling. I think I might have had a previous bike that suffered a bit from being warmed up on the side stand often...