Whenever we go out looking for a two wheeler in the second hand market, we have to keep certain things in mind so that we can make the correct decision. May it be any model, variant or brand. Certain inspections and document verification are very important to ensure that we put our money on the correct vehicle to get a hassle – free experience in the future.
Welcome to MotorBhai, A one stop place for selling and buying used two wheelers. We hope you are riding safe and are in great health while we discuss today what are the key- points which we should keep in mind while checking the ownership of a second hand scooter/bike, So let’s get started.
We would be divided the inspection into 3 parts which would be:
Physical and Exterior Inspection
Riding Inspection
Document Verification
Physical and Exterior Inspection
Starting with the physical and exterior inspections, we first need to take a complete overlook of the vehicle and look for major damages on the body panels and enquire if there are minor damages or scratches on the body. Moving towards the Silencer, we need to check if there is any oil leakage inside it , by inserting our index finger inside and check if there is oil or not. If there is oil leakage, engine work has to be done and further maintenance is required. We also need to confirm that there is no white or black smoke is coming from the silencer when we accelerate the bike in neutral. Engine Belt/Chain should be checked too if it is properly oiled or not.
Moving on to the tyres, we need to see if the grooves of the tires are in good condition or not. They tell us how the vehicle has been driven and how old the tyre is. A flat tyre should be avoided. Both the front and rear tyre should be checked and if they are of different brands, that means the tyres have been changed and should be enquired from the owner. Moving on to the engine, we need to ensure that there is no oil leakage from the head and we need to see the mounting of the bolts to check if, it has been replaced or no. Then we have to start the engine and check if there is any sort of external sound of knocking or the sound of piston crashing into each other. If there is any of these, we must know that further maintenance is required.
Next we need to check the handlebar of the bike, and see if it is moving freely in all directions and if there is any unwanted creaking sound. Side View mirrors should be checked. The stand of the vehicle should also be checked while we check the handlebar of the vehicle, both the types of stand should be observed carefully. Moving on to the instrumental cluster of the vehicle we need to check if the all the warning lights and analogs are working perfectly. Now one of the most important components which we now need to check is the battery of the vehicle, to which all the electricals components of the vehicle are connected. The battery should be from an authorized maker. We now need to check if all the lights, including the main headlamp, the tail lamps & the side turn indicators are working perfectly or not. High and low beam functions should also be checked on the front headlamp. Now we need to check the Ignition switches and check if the engine start/stop switch is working perfectly and we should try this two to three times. Horn, turn signal indicators switches, front headlight low and high beam switches and other switches should be checked thoroughly. Lock sets on the fuel lid and handle bar should also be checked.
Riding Inspection
Moving on to the riding inspection part, we need to test the vehicle on two types of road condition which are:
Smooth Open Highways to test the high speed stability of the bike and performance and vibrations from the Engine at high speeds and on
Rough city roads, during these test conditions we must check the breaks, clutch lever, and also if the gears are shifting properly. Moreover the vehicle should be ridden on speed breakers so that if there is any oil leakage from the shockers we can get to know of it. In city conditions we must check if the engine is able to work in low gears and lower RPMs.
Document Verification
There are some very important documents which we should remember to ask from the seller while finalizing the deal for the vehicle which are:
Valid Registration Certificate (RC)
Form 35 and NOC from the bank.
Insurance Certificate.
Pollution Under Contol Certificate. (PUC)
Sales Reciept.
Road Tax Certificate.
Transfer Deed.
Some Forms are need to be filled to, which are forms 28,29,30 and need to be submitted to the RTO office.
With this, we hope we have help you in making the correct decision, and informed you about all the important aspects while buying a second hand vehicle, We would be really glad to know your views, thoughts and if there are any points if we have missed in the comments section below. Till then ride safe and stay healthy.