Enthusiastic bikers love speed and power in each ride. It’s fascinating to ride on your beast machine through canny highways and roads, feeling the throttle in hand and fragrance of the nature.
Superbikes are real machinic beauty offering unbeatable strength and competence on the roads. There’s no doubt that buying a superbike is difficult decision requiring high initial investment and costs of maintenance. Another reason is the widespread grey market that’s full of uncertainty and disorganization. Whether you are planning to buy a used superbike or a new superbike thorough research is required to ensure peace of mind and money.
Read more to find out some superbike buying tips that can help making an informed decision.
Here are some tips and advice to consider before buying a superbike:
Superbike is a heart-buy and each step matters a lot. Do a good homework before buying a superbike.
All the superbike manufacturers are eyeing on entering the Indian market with an ever increasing demand. So the people in the market of buying a superbike have a lot of options today. In the ownership front, superbike owners in India tend to sell their bikes in a period of 2 years. This means, there could be a superbike waiting for you in the used market at a much lesser cost than to own a new one. But buying a used superbike cannot be as smooth as buying a new superbike. Here are a few points to remember:
Service logs: Maintaining a superbike is very important as these bikes were not actually meant for Indian conditions. So the wear and tear and the kind of damage these bikes undergo here cannot be specified in words. Hence, if you are in the used automobile market, it is always safe to get the full service log of the bike before plonking in your hard earned bucks into buying one. Also higher speeds translate into higher risk of accidents. Service logs also specify if the bike has met with any major accident.
Number of Riders: A superbike can be very unforgiving if not handled by a single user. So, it is advisable to check the number of riders that were using the bike before settling into a deal.
ODO meter reading: Superbikes are generally not extensively used. Hence, finding one with 10K to 15K kms on the ODO is not a tough task. Please do not go in for a superbike that has been used as a regular commuter as this can prove to be very expensive to maintain.
A used superbike comes with a lot of risks and question marks. While you are buying a used one avoid the common pitfalls to end up signing a great deal.
Clocking: Clocking is the reduction in the mileage of a vehicle in order to increase its potential selling price. It is the most common way of selling a vehicle at a price higher than the fair price.
Improper Vehicle Inspection: Take help from a trustworthy mechanic and get the vehicle inspected. This will minimize chances of any unpleasant surprises after the purchase. Don't inspect the vehicle in the rain, in poor light or at night. You can even contact a vehicle inspection service provider to get a verified document regarding the condition of the motorcycle you have thought to purchase. Droom also provides competitive auto inspection services.
Misleading Disclosures by the Seller: Seller may omit certain facts that are material and can change buyer’s view or buying decision about the vehicle, such as accident, usage of vehicle etc.
Vehicle Cloning: Sometimes one vehicle is given the identity of another by replacing number plates, which is an almost identical vehicle - same make, model and colour.
'Cut – and – Shut': When the remains of two or more vehicles, which have usually been accident–damaged and written off by insurers, are welded together, then illegally given the identity of one of the wrecks.
Generally, a buyer gets confused with the various terminologies with respect to the price of the new vehicle. There are two types of prices that are explained as follows:
This is the price at which a dealer sells the new motorcycle to the retail customer. This price includes cost of transportation, applicable Excise Tax, dealer margin and more.
This is the actual price payable by the retail customer to the authorized dealer. It is even called as Invoice Value of the vehicle. This price further includes some charges like accessories costs, State Registration Charges, Insurance charges, Delivery charges (Logistic Charges), Life Time Road Tax, and any additional warranty coverage.
However, when buying a used motorcycle all these charges are not levied. A user pays the one final price on which both (buyer and seller) agrees.
Superbike is a huge market. With advent of technology market has seen a tremendous growth and there’s wide – range of superbikes now available in India. Below are types of superbikes:
Versatile and general purpose street motorcycles, Standard bikes are also called naked bikes or roadsters. They are recognized primarily by their upright riding position, partway between the reclining posture of the cruisers and the forward leaning sport bikes. Foot pegs are below the rider and handlebars are high enough to not force the rider to reach far forward, placing the shoulders above the hips in a natural position. For example - XCD, Pulsar.
Get a sports bike for experience the speed. Sport bikes apt for sports people only. These bikes emphasize speed, acceleration, braking, and cornering on paved roads, typically at the expense of comfort and fuel economy in comparison to less specialized motorcycles. Because of this, there are certain design elements that most motorcycles of this type will share. Sport bikes have comparatively high performance engines resting inside a lightweight frame. For example - Ninja, RC8, R1.
Dual-sports, sometimes called Dual-Purpose or on/off-road motorcycles, are street legal machines that are also designed to enter off-road situations. Typically based on a dirt bike chassis, they have added lights, mirrors, signals, and instruments that allow them to be licensed for public roads. They are higher than other street bikes, with a high centre of gravity and tall seat height, allowing good suspension travel for rough ground. For example - BMW R 1200.
Cruisers are styled after American machines from the 1930s to the early 1960s, such as those made by Harley-Davidson, Indian, and Excelsior-Henderson. Harley-Davidsons largely define the cruiser category, and large-displacement V-twin engines are the norm, although other engine configurations and small to medium displacements also exist. Their engines are tuned for low-end torque, making them less demanding to ride because it is not necessary to shift as frequently to accelerate or maintain control. Cruisers are sometimes called "custom" even in the absence of aftermarket modifications. For example - HD Super low, Avenger.
Especially designed for off-road events, there are various types of off-road motorcycles, also known as dirt bikes. Compared to road-going motorcycles, off-road machines are simpler and lighter, having long suspension travel, high ground clearance, and rugged construction with little bodywork and no fairings for less damage in spills. Wheels (usually 21" front, 18" rear) have knobby tires, often clamped to the rim with a rim lock. For example - Hero Impulse.
The term cafe racer developed among British motorcycle enthusiasts of the early 1960s, specifically the Rocker (or ton-up boy) subculture. The term describes a style of motorcycle for quick rides from one "transport cafe or coffee bar to another. Cafe Racers were also common in Italy, France and other European countries. For example - GT continental.
Although any motorcycle can be equipped and used for touring, touring motorcycles are specifically designed to excel at covering long distances. They have large-displacement engines, fairings and screens that offer good weather and wind protection, large-capacity fuel tanks for long ranges between fill-ups, and a relaxed, pright seating position. Passenger accommodation is excellent and expansive luggage space is the norm for this class. Such bikes can have wet weights of 850–900 lb (390–410 kg) and top 1,300–1,400 lb (590–640 kg) fully loaded with a rider, passenger, and gear. For example - Honda Gold Wing.
Read to find out answers for some of the most commonly asked questions in process of buying motorbike.
A. Mileage, age and appearance of the vehicle should be consistent with each other. Check for any sign like worn screws that the instruments might have been tampered with (Digital odometers can be tampered with electronically so clues like this won't exist). Check recorded mileage on service records
You need to look for hidden signs to unearth an accidental damage
The minimum checks you can perform while test riding are:
The must-check documents list includes the following:
The minimum required safety checks are
If you are looking forward to buy a new or used superbike there are multiple ways to choose from. Both online and offline there are different vendors who can help you get your dream bike. Here we go with them:
Classifieds: Online space is overcrowded with classified websites offering listings for used superbikes. You can ransack these various online portals to get one that fits your requirements.
Marketplace: You can go to India’s most trusted motorplace - Droom.in, to get your dream vehicle. Get enormous listings of used and new superbikes along with cars, bicycles, and scooters. Droom is the first online transactional platform providing sellers and buyers with a plenty of other benefits.
Dealer: Contact a dealer online or visit him personally to buy a used superbike.
Individual Seller: You can find an individual seller and contact him to crack the used superbike deal.
Authorized Showroom: Visit an authorized showroom to buy a new branded motorcycle. Different makers have their own dedicated showrooms that offer wide selection of latest models of superbikes.
You can opt for any of the above mentioned options to buy a used or new superbike. But it is always better to get it with some additional benefits. Companies like Droom offers some hot coupons, buyer protection, genuine listing, safe platform, more options, and so on as extra benefits.
Before choosing a vehicle make sure to keep in mind the below mentioned points especially when it’s about a used superbike.
Seller Verification: The seller’s credibility should be well-established. If required ask for professional references from the seller.
Dealer Reviews: Get reviews of a dealer from previous customers or try finding them online if possible. This will help knowing the trustworthiness of the dealer in long run. At droom.in you can find seller reviews and authentication.
Registration Documents: All original documents like RC, insurance papers, service records and more must be available for viewing and verification.
Diagnostic Reports: You can opt for vehicle inspection to get a professional diagnostic report mentioning about health and condition of your vehicle. Vehicle inspection is done by an automobile expert who will offer an unbiased review about the vehicle.
