After a cheap scrambler. Pitfalls?
Discussion
You get what you pay for. Scramblers produce scary power and you wanna keep your testes attached so I would look for the following...
A cheap two stroke will be cheaper to rebuild than an ageing four stroke. Most scramblers have been abused as that is what they are designed to do.
The more you spend the cleaner and better maintained the bike your looking for should be... although that is not always the case
If you are looking to see your money back then pick a bike that looks like it has been looked after i.e. the balls are still on the end of the levers, the pegs are straight and not mashed in the up position, the frame is not all rusty, the sprocket does not resemble that of a chainsaw, the bike is kept under a cover and not out in the pouring rain etc.
Steel tubular framed? Do a visual alignment and look from the back wheel down the line to the front and see if you can see the wheels lining up. Bent frames do happen. Check out the yokes and the fork seals for wear and oil smear - remember on an old nail you will have to replace these if you wanna stay on the thing when travelling over the rough stuff.
Finally if a 4-stroke, check the oil level and 'feel' the oil. Is it up to the mark and clean; or black and sludgy? If a 2-stroke, is it auto-lube, does the auto-lube actually work or has the owner just mixed it up in the tank? If the latter I would walk as if he can't be arsed to fix something as crucial as oil mix, I doubt he gives a shit about anything else. Travelling along on full power and going through the gears only to find bodged brakes will cost you a lot more than a few £££'s.
If the bike is a piece of shite tell him so and offer him dosh accordingly. If you end up paying top buck and consequently end up in eating hospital food, at least you know you didn't pay over the odds
Let us know what your looking for and what price and I am sure some PH expert can advise of that model.
Knowledge is everything
A cheap two stroke will be cheaper to rebuild than an ageing four stroke. Most scramblers have been abused as that is what they are designed to do.
The more you spend the cleaner and better maintained the bike your looking for should be... although that is not always the case
If you are looking to see your money back then pick a bike that looks like it has been looked after i.e. the balls are still on the end of the levers, the pegs are straight and not mashed in the up position, the frame is not all rusty, the sprocket does not resemble that of a chainsaw, the bike is kept under a cover and not out in the pouring rain etc.
Steel tubular framed? Do a visual alignment and look from the back wheel down the line to the front and see if you can see the wheels lining up. Bent frames do happen. Check out the yokes and the fork seals for wear and oil smear - remember on an old nail you will have to replace these if you wanna stay on the thing when travelling over the rough stuff.
Finally if a 4-stroke, check the oil level and 'feel' the oil. Is it up to the mark and clean; or black and sludgy? If a 2-stroke, is it auto-lube, does the auto-lube actually work or has the owner just mixed it up in the tank? If the latter I would walk as if he can't be arsed to fix something as crucial as oil mix, I doubt he gives a shit about anything else. Travelling along on full power and going through the gears only to find bodged brakes will cost you a lot more than a few £££'s.
If the bike is a piece of shite tell him so and offer him dosh accordingly. If you end up paying top buck and consequently end up in eating hospital food, at least you know you didn't pay over the odds
Let us know what your looking for and what price and I am sure some PH expert can advise of that model.
Knowledge is everything
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