What to look for in a used 3rd gen?

Hi all,

I am a current 5th gen owner, but am looking at a 3rd gen bike for my son. Other than the obvious reg/rect issues, is there anything special I should be aware of when looking for a 3rd gen? Any typical carb issues, known faults, etc? Here is the craigslist ad in case you are curious.

http://eastidaho.craigslist.org/mcy/4940295952.html

Thanks for your time.

 

Wow, it looks great. I just bought one about 6 weeks ago for $1000 but it had it's share of damage from being dropped about 3 times, nothing that I can't fix. If the bike starts I would offer $1700 and see what happens. I don't see a center stand (you could cry about that). Check to see that the seat comes off without a problem. From the pictures it looks like it has been well taken care of.

 

Have the previous owner show you how to remove the fairings if possible because the 3rd gen has interlocking tabs that connect the mid fairings to the uppers and they are a real pain in the ass to remove and if you don't know what you are doing you can easily break them. The bodywork on a bike that old is guaranteed to be brittle and it will easily crack or break just by looking at it the wrong way. Replacement body parts are nearly impossible for find and aftermarket bodywork is expensive and of mediocre quality at best so be extra careful with it.

In addition to what I said above check all the visible hoses and the fork seals since they may also be original and showing excessive dryness/cracking and in need of replacement. Make sure the key works for both the ignition as well as the seat lock. It wouldn't hurt to take a multimeter to check the voltage of the battery at idle and while revving the engine. Also keep in mind that the suspension on 3rd Gens sucks to begin with and considering the age of that bike you may need to look into servicing the forks / shocks or even upgrading them.

Rollin

 

Good call about the center stand. Mine has the center stand and that is so nice when doing maintenance. I was not aware that 3rd gens had issues with seat removal. My 5th gen is pretty straightforward. Thanks for the tip about the shocks also. Bike does have a voltmeter gauge on the fairing, but I would plan on checking with my multimeter also.

Any other things to check?

 

look inside the tank, check for rust debris gas that's 20 years old. I would also I'd least try to check the thickness of the brake pads unless the owner told you he has replace them recently.

 

I had to deal with the rust issue on a 1997 Ninja 500 my son and I brought back to life after it sat idle for a couple of years. What a pain. Thanks for the reminder. Will definitely check for that.