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Difference between revisions of "Used Motorcycle Evaluation"
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** Exceptions: Some late-model bikes (e.g., recent [[Triumph]]s) have plastic gas tanks. It's normal for plastic gas tanks to be milky-white on the inside. Knock on the side of the tank to see if it's metal or plastic. Exceptions to exceptions: some bikes have metal tanks but have plastic tank covers, so when you knock on them, they'll sound like plastic, but they aren't. (Example: [[Yamaha FZR400]]'s.) Your best bet is to look closely at the inside of the tank -- it should be fairly easy to tell whether or not you're looking at metal or plastic. Evaluate the tank's condition accordingly. | ** Exceptions: Some late-model bikes (e.g., recent [[Triumph]]s) have plastic gas tanks. It's normal for plastic gas tanks to be milky-white on the inside. Knock on the side of the tank to see if it's metal or plastic. Exceptions to exceptions: some bikes have metal tanks but have plastic tank covers, so when you knock on them, they'll sound like plastic, but they aren't. (Example: [[Yamaha FZR400]]'s.) Your best bet is to look closely at the inside of the tank -- it should be fairly easy to tell whether or not you're looking at metal or plastic. Evaluate the tank's condition accordingly. | ||
* Dark (coffee or tea-colored) gas has been sitting around for a long time. Not a good sign. Get it changed immediately, and anticipate needing a thorough fuel-system cleaning. (Around $5 of parts plus 2-3 hours of labor.) | * Dark (coffee or tea-colored) gas has been sitting around for a long time. Not a good sign. Get it changed immediately, and [[anticipate]] needing a thorough fuel-system cleaning. (Around $5 of parts plus 2-3 hours of labor.) | ||
* Make sure the lock in the gas cap is working. If it isn't, it'll probably cost $100-$200 to get a genuine [[OEM]] replacement cap with a lock that matches the ignition's. | * Make sure the lock in the gas cap is working. If it isn't, it'll probably cost $100-$200 to get a genuine [[OEM]] replacement cap with a lock that matches the ignition's. | ||