Cleaning the bike, and NOT happy with what I found...

Well, as a few of ya know, I found and purchased a bike a couple of months ago with around 3k miles advertised. When I went and checked it out (without really knowing exactly what to look for, I'll admit) the odometer and title checked out. Now, after dismantling the bike to give it a really good cleaning I'm starting to run into "signs" that tell me the bike is MUCH older than advertised.

I'll get started with the obvious. The brushes are way short. I'd say going by the opinions I've found here about 18-20k short. The bearings in the triple tree have very obvious (now) notches, unless they're supposed to feel like it sets in a notch in certain places along the steering. My bad for being a new dick.

While taking off the gauges, I noticed that the cable attachments had some scoring on them as if they've been taken off with pliers. That would explain the ultra low mileage, huh?

Brake master cylinder and sight glass are corroded. A lot. At first I thought it might just be because of the age (in years) and brake fluid being some nasty stuff. Not so. Ugh...

Chain is relatively new, albeit dirty and the chain tension for the rear wheel is about all the way back, BUT the brake drum adjustment is just about bottomed out.

I can deal with all of that sh#$ that could be "easily" replaced, but...

What pissed me of is just looking at the bike engine in frame today, I noticed that part of the aluminum casting of the engine where the drive sprocket is located has been broken off, like if a chain broke at one time. Not the cover piece, mind you that would be easy to see and fix. It's the gosh-darn (I have my limits) part of the engine/trans case. If I were to take off the drive sprocket would that part behind it (the broken part) come off too or is it what I think and a part of the case? Oh well, I'm going to finish the tear down tomorrow so I'll find out either way.

I'll check the timing chain tension tomorrow to see how that checks out, but right now I'm really disappointed in the honor and integrity of the previous owners and also in myself for buying into the dream of a low mileage bike.

I'm done venting for now. At least I didn't put a grand into it yet, but my current plan has changed drastically. I think rattle cans will suffice now, that's about all unless y'all can convince me otherwise. :evil:

 

Bummer deal dude! This is why the saying "there is a sucker born every minute" (P.T. Barnum) was coined. The uneducated buyer is an easy mark. It isn't cheap to replace the case but it could be. I picked up a complete low-mile motor for my Seca for $150 delivered off of Flea-Bay, but those scores are a dicey affair at best. If the parts are all there, you might be able to get away with a weld repair. Shop around, a good used motor might be readily available for $100 or so. Swap and spare parts! Good luck and may the force be with you.

 

Isn't odometer tampering a fairly serious crime? Might be able to bring the seller to justice

 

Robert, thanks for the weld advice, but the parts aren't all there so I think I'll just clean up the area around the break and let it go at that. There's no hole in the case, so at least there's that. Now that I'm calmed down a bit, the only difference between what I paid and what I would've paid is about $300.00, so in the long run it's no big deal.

And goser, it is a serious white collar crime, but it brings a new level to the phrase "caveat emptor" to me. I was planning on a rebuild anyway. Now I have a real reason to do so. The frame is still straight, I think, so if I can clean up the area well enough I'll be happy with it.

All this goes to show, just ASK QUESTIONS of the good people here to inform yourselves BEFORE you buy! Now I know, and knowing is half the battle! Go Joe! hehe

 

The most telling signs are the chain and the steering notches. The sight glass will haze over time. But the notches in the steering mean miles! While it is possible to wear a chain out in 3k miles and through miss care have it break it would be hard to break one and stretch another to the limit in that many miles. The brushes which I assume are teh alternator brushes, should have minimal wear.

 

Ehh...I'm gonna keep it. There were a couple of hours yesterday when I wasn't sure, you know. Just wanted to throw in the towel and go buy a new Triumph Speedmaster. (wife's already o-kayed it) But, I need a bike with soul, and it may be a cookie cutter, but it's a 25 year old cookie, so it's got something going for it, lol. I gotta go find my dremel.

 

That's the problem with low mileage bikes. It's so easy to disconnect the speedo and keep the #'s down. My bike had very low mileage when purchased. I knew the previous owner, but if a stranger saw the plier marks on the speedo cable nut, and the tool marks on most of the screw heads they would've been suspicious. All it meant was that the bike had been sitting unused for many years, and required much going over to properly tune, lube, etc everything.
If you really want a low mileage vehicle, your best bet is to know it's provenance.

 

I feel for you. Something similar happened to me. The title they gave me when I paid for the bike was clean, (didn't do any carfax thing, wished I had now), but the title I got back from the state said it was a salvage bike. Needless to say I started going over the bike and many things are not right on it.

Like you, being many many years since I've owned a bike I didn't know what to look for. If I had known it was a salvage bike I would have passed on it since I was looking at 2 other bikes.

I was suckered and they saw me coming. But all in all the bike is running fine, it's just the principle of the matter that I was lied too.