Newbie and looking at CBF 1000 tomorrow

[BazzaBingo]

Originally Posted by Art

What you're looking at there is a SC58 CBF1000 A-8, it looks well presented and benefits from the addition of a front fenda extender, rear  hugger, DRL's, after market touring screen, USB and 12v sockets and hand guards etc. I'd be interested to know the make and model of the hand guards and if they've been fitted to the existing bar end weights?

Obviously its not possible judge real life condition from photographs other than it looks tidy and is well presented. If I had to find fault the footrest and gear lever pivots look as if they've never been greased which may be a sign of neglected maintenance but I may just be mentioning that because we've recently been talking grease.

As a private sale I expect it to be priced at around £3,000 give or take, a little more if it came with full luggage.

Thanks. You are not far out. £2900 he is asking.  He has offered to do an oil and filter change also although it was done 1500 miles ago before they went to Portugal on it it.  Its not immaculate but its not bad at all for the year. There is a 2010 model at a dealer a bit further north for £4000 and a 2012 model at Padgetts in Batley also for £4000.  The 2010 model has only 5000 miles on it though and the one at Padgetts looks a bit scuffed in places.

[marky99925]

looks very clean Bazza, totally agree not a fan of those tank cover things, each to his own, just make sure you're  happy with whats underneath. If i was looking for one the pics would make me want to go and see it, have you got round to looking at the paperwork, is it registered to him ,how long has he had it, why is he selling. Frame number matches V5 etc. If you're really interested, might be worth getting a second opinion from a local mechanic you trust,i think you mentioned earlier you knew a couple locally. whatever it costs it will be far cheaper than buying a lemon, i did it when i bought mine.
At the end of the day most people aren't crooks and how you feel about the guy counts for a lot.

[Art]

It's beginning to sound as if the present owner thinks an engine oil and filter change is the be all and end all of motorcycle maintenance. If you're happy with it haggling is the name of the game point out every single flaw even those you'd expect on a 15 year old motorcycle and offer him £2,500 with a view to meet him at £2,750 which is the high side of half way 

Just looked on Autotrader Bikes and there's what appears to be a better presented SC58 CBF1000 A-7 with 23,000 miles showing for £2,700 so that £2,900 may be a fair price but cash is still king and I for one get pleasure from a successful haggle, maybe offer £2,650 with a view to part with £2,800. Decisions, decisions.

[BazzaBingo]

Originally Posted by marky99925

looks very clean Bazza, totally agree not a fan of those tank cover things, each to his own, just make sure you're  happy with whats underneath. If i was looking for one the pics would make me want to go and see it, have you got round to looking at the paperwork, is it registered to him ,how long has he had it, why is he selling. Frame number matches V5 etc. If you're really interested, might be worth getting a second opinion from a local mechanic you trust,i think you mentioned earlier you knew a couple locally. whatever it costs it will be far cheaper than buying a lemon, i did it when i bought mine.
At the end of the day most people aren't crooks and how you feel about the guy counts for a lot.

I never even bothered to look at the paper work which was a bit daft in hindsight.  He has had it two years. He bought it to go touring on as he didn't want to put loads of miles on his Blackbird but has now decided just to use the Blackbird after touring on the CBF for two years.

If I go back and ride it and decide its for me ill check out all the things you say. I think there is one guy who does work on my bikes that would look at it but getting that organised might be tricky.  I am usually a good judge of character and this guy seemed genuine to me.  Just a real bike enthusiast I reckon.

[BazzaBingo]

Originally Posted by Art

It's beginning to sound as if the present owner thinks an engine oil and filter change is the be all and end all of motorcycle maintenance. If you're happy with it haggling is the name of the game point out every single flaw even those you'd expect on a 15 year old motorcycle and offer him £2,500 with a view to meet him at £2,750 which is the high side of half way 

Just looked on Autotrader Bikes and there's what appears to be a better presented SC58 CBF1000 A-7 with 23,000 miles showing for £2,700 so that £2,900 may be a fair price but cash is still king and I for one get pleasure from a successful haggle, maybe offer £2,650 with a view to part with £2,800. Decisions, decisions.

Cheers. Looks nice that. Other end of the country but its a good example of what they are going for.  It looks tidier than the one I am looking at.

Im ok with haggling.

[marky99925]

A good feeling about the seller is worth a lot, if everything feels 'right' it makes a big difference for me,  i remember the immaculate house, the vernier calipers and other tools in the garage id never seen or heard of when i bought mine.
Good luck !

[BazzaBingo]

Thanks again.

Ive been looking through the listings distance wise from me on Ebay and there are a fair few within a reasonable distance. Some from dealers around the same price, presumably with a warranty. Although I wonder just how useful a warranty is the further away you buy. the other thing I noticed is the bike I am looking at is a half fairing but some of them are a full fairing, presumably this will offer better weather protection in winter.

The first one on the list is the one I looked at but the one below that although a fair chunk of money more is just up the road and its a dealer. Has a full fairing and only 4420 miles on it!

https://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_nkw=honda+cbf+1000&_sacat=0&_sop=7&_stpos=DL117hh&_fcid=3

[Art]

The panniers will add around £250, the fairing lowers maybe £100, if that's want you want on a motorcycle fair enough. In my opinion I don't like panniers because they restrict filtering but if you're touring two up you need somewhere other than the pillion seat to stow your luggage. The fairing lowers do very little if anything at all, they get in the way of inspections, maintenance and servicing and they restrict the engines air cooling, which may be why Honda only offered the option for one model year. I find the half fairing offers enough protection from the elements and the heat from the engine is enough to keep my feet warm on the coldest of rides, and yes I ride all year.

When looking at 12 to 16 year old motorcycles the year of manufacture doesn't count so much as presentation, condition and service history. The first on your eBay list looks to be fairly priced at £2,900. I'd not consider the second, not because it is over priced but because of its low mileage. The dealer will want you to believe that with just 4,000 miles on the clock you're buying a virtually new motorcycle, the reality is you're buying a motorcycle that has spent too long standing. In my opinion a used motorcycle needs to have been used, how used is difficult to quantify but 100 to 200 miles per year isn't used enough and probably means the engine has spent all those miles warming up where the most engine wear occurs.

You can check annual mileage on the gov.co MOT checker website here click start, enter registration, click continue, click the MOT History show option

[BazzaBingo]

Originally Posted by Art

The panniers will add around £250, the fairing lowers maybe £100, if that's want you want on a motorcycle fair enough. In my opinion I don't like panniers because they restrict filtering but if you're touring two up you need somewhere other than the pillion seat to stow your luggage. The fairing lowers do very little if anything at all, they get in the way of inspections, maintenance and servicing and they restrict the engines air cooling, which may be why Honda only offered the option for one model year. I find the half fairing offers enough protection from the elements and the heat from the engine is enough to keep my feet warm on the coldest of rides, and yes I ride all year.

When looking at 12 to 16 year old motorcycles the year of manufacture doesn't count so much as presentation, condition and service history. The first on your eBay list looks to be fairly priced at £2,900. I'd not consider the second, not because it is over priced but because of its low mileage. The dealer will want you to believe that with just 4,000 miles on the clock you're buying a virtually new motorcycle, the reality is you're buying a motorcycle that has spent too long standing. In my opinion a used motorcycle needs to have been used, how used is difficult to quantify but 100 to 200 miles per year isn't used enough and probably means the engine has spent all those miles warming up where the most engine wear occurs.

You can check annual mileage on the gov.co MOT checker website here click start, enter registration, click continue, click the MOT History show option

Thanks. Im not so bothered about the panniers to be honest. I did wonder about the very low mileage on the second one. I had a look a the MOT history on the first one (The one Ive looked at) and it does look like the seller has done a fair few miles on it in the two years he had it but prior to that it also had periods where it didnt do much.  Reg here if you want to check WP08 WYA.  If I go back for a ride on it, I think I need to check the history etc a bit more.

[Art]

WP08 WYA MOT history my observations in red

2019 Advisories
Front Suspension corroded, fork sliders pitted check the extent of the pitting and any evidence of the fork seals leaking, its possible to wipe out the pitting with a dry rag or chrome polish but nothing abrasive.
Rear lower suspension pin, bush or joint worn but not resulting in excessive movement linkage needs to be checked, place the motorcycle on its centre stand and lever upward between the rear tyre and ground while checking for any movement in the rear suspension upper and lower bushes and link arm.
Gear lever pivot worn as per my first post probably needs repacking with grease
Rear Brake disc worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened seller claims replaced but check, check the front discs and pads for wear and  scoring too

2020 No MOT

2021 FAIL Major defect stop lamp not working on its own this may be a simple failed bulb

2022 FAIL Major defect stop lamp not working AGAIN may indicate a short cut repair to the bulb holder, front brake switch, rear brake switch etc. Check the stop light operates with a light touch on both the front and rear brakes
2022 Advisory front tyre worn close to the legal limit has this been tended too, haggling point if not

I find the two MOT failures odd, both being back to back and for a failed stop/tail light! Who doesn't check the stop/tail light as part of a simple owner pre MOT inspection or occasionally as part of their pre ride checks? I see this as another indicator of a poor maintenance schedule.

Just to be clear, its a 15 year old motorcycle, all that I've mentioned above can, if necessary, be repaired. All I'm saying is to look closer than the clean cosmetic finish to avoid any potential unpleasant surprises should you purchase. It's not the end of the world if something needs repairing, it's the cost of motoring and if that can be foreseen and budgeted for all the better.