Buyer beware.

[Scotsrich]

I was coming home from archery tonight and got passed by an old SRAD just before a roundabout.

I was still behind him and the back wheel locked up, luckily as he was slowing down.

So naturally I got out to give him a hand. It took a bit of looking about to figure out what had happened.

The bolt holding the torque arm onto the caliper was missing and the caliper had swung round and was resting on the top of the swinging arm. We kicked the caliper back round and got it shovable (turns out he was just about home)

He’d just picked it up that night. The quick glance I had revealed at least one missing fairing fixing and a whole heap of rusted bolts.

I was tempted to say I hope you didn’t pay much for it but who sells a bike where even the essentials are going to fall off? The guy could have been killed. I don’t think he knew much about bikes at all, reinforced when he tried to push it while it was in gear.

[Skub]

Maybe he nicked it.

[Beancounter]

I was tempted to say I hope you didn’t pay much for it but who sells a bike where even the essentials are going to fall off? The guy could have been killed. I don’t think he knew much about bikes at all, reinforced when he tried to push it while it was in gear.

Quite possible the vendor didn't know that the torque arm bolt was about to make a bid for freedom, more so given the buyer also didn't think to check the same.

[Mussels]

I bought my first bike from a big London dealer, I didn't know much about bikes so the sale included a major service. Thankfully I learnt fairly quickly to recognise the chain was dangerous, then I found most of the fairing fasteners were seized and the brakes were binding.

[The Spin Doctor]

I bought a Honda XBR from a Kent dealer... had a front tyre on the rear, fitted the wrong way round, which was narrower than the actual front tyre. The rusty chain was also dragging on the ground.

It had 7k on it, IIRC.

I couldn't believe it was actually on the showroom floor so I got them to knock quite a bit off for those two little issues as I was paying cash (they'd offered to fit a new rear tyre 'at cost' which I turned down), rode it 5 miles home, whipped the rear wheel off and dropped into Watlings for a replacement, whilst I cleaned up the chain which wasn't as bad as it looked.

I got about another 80k out of that bike before it dropped a valve.

[rodbargee]

Decades ago I was offered a Desmo 250 single for £30 only problem was the chap selling it couldn't be arsed to put the rear wheel back on it. and at thirty quid I wanted it as a runner so I wonder if he still has it....Twat. for context £30 was twice as much as I took home a week back in the early 70's.