Bubber Posted September 14, 2009 #1 Posted September 14, 2009 I have a eye on a 1st gen what do I look for so I don't get hosed? He said the 2nd gear was fixed. How could I tell? this what I think I should look for. Cracks in plastic. dash working repair records if available. I know enough to listen to the way people talk and try to decide how much is BS or not. Any help appreciated. Bubber
mini-muffin Posted September 14, 2009 #2 Posted September 14, 2009 Might want to check to see if the CLASS works.That can give you a bit of trouble as time goes on. Usually an easy fix. I know muffinman has soldered up something on that before.The plastic probably will have some cracks in it. I'm guessing it's a MK I since you mentioned the 2nd gear. The guys can tell you what to look for on that and anything else they can think of. How many miles does she have on her? Oh yeah might want to tell us what year exactly it is. Good luck with the possible purchase. Margaret
sarges46 Posted September 14, 2009 #3 Posted September 14, 2009 What year is it? Get on and ride it.....work it hard in second....if it pops out then its not fixed. Sometimes there is a mechanics mark down either by the the shifter or the clutch basket to show it was done.
Bubber Posted September 14, 2009 Author #4 Posted September 14, 2009 Might want to check to see if the CLASS works.That can give you a bit of trouble as time goes on. Usually an easy fix. I know muffinman has soldered up something on that before.The plastic probably will have some cracks in it. I'm guessing it's a MK I since you mentioned the 2nd gear. The guys can tell you what to look for on that and anything else they can think of. How many miles does she have on her? Oh yeah might want to tell us what year exactly it is. Good luck with the possible purchase. Margaret He is telling me! He said the "gauges suck". Not sure what means but it don't sound good. Plastic has scratches and some small cracks. Not sure if Royal or MKI, he didn't say 78 K on the clock 1984 Can Muffinman fix the Class if I send it to him in Saudi.... LOL Bubber
Evan Posted September 14, 2009 #5 Posted September 14, 2009 I wanted to buy a 1st gen this spring but had never owned/rode one before so I also was not sure what to look for. While I rode and liked the first one I checkled out, there were just too many little things that left me with some doubt. I passed on that one and shortly after that, found another to check out. Riding it immediately made me realize that my gut feel was right on. Also, by then, I had read a large number of posts which gave me much more confidence that I could fix some of the visible problems without spending a fortune. There are some great posts in the technical library and it is sure easy to seach for relevant ones. I know this isn't very specific, but I hope it helps. Good luck with your decision.
SilvrT Posted September 14, 2009 #6 Posted September 14, 2009 Thinking back to when I test rode my '87 before I bought it... Overall looks ... was it dingy or clean...was the chrome in good condition ... engine guards all corroded or crappy looking ... condition of paint, visible signs of cracks or broken plastic, etc The ride ... did it feel solid or loose... unusual or concerning sounds from engine or trans...did it shift smoothly... did it run smoothly...braking and condition of them Electrical, etc... did everything work. One thing I knew at the time was that the trunk base was cracked and repaired. There was a lot of "rattling" coming from the fairing when going over bumps. I found out later that some of the inner fairing plastic pieces were very loose and some of the various tabs were broken. I didn't see it at the time but both bags had cracks in them. ABS stuff can easilly be fixed.... mechanical must be solid... electrical, depending on what it is can also easilly be fixed. Thankfully, I got a solid bike with the exception of the ABS which I later fixed and repainted.
Venturous Randy Posted September 14, 2009 #7 Posted September 14, 2009 He is telling me! He said the "gauges suck". Not sure what means but it don't sound good. Plastic has scratches and some small cracks. Not sure if Royal or MKI, he didn't say 78 K on the clock 1984 Can Muffinman fix the Class if I send it to him in Saudi.... LOL Bubber An 84 is an MK I Not that all have the 2nd gear problem, but 78,000 miles is well within the range there may be a problem, so it may have been fixed. Most gauge problems are associated with connections and ground problems. The gauges actually do well for the years and miles. A lot has to with general preventative maintenance, such as keeping things lubed and how the bike is stored, more than how it is ridden. This is like any other 25 year old vehicle, whether it is a car, truck or motorcycle, there will be things to fix. The main thing is whether YOU have the ability to work on it. If you are the kind of guy that takes everything back to the dealer for warrenty work, you don't need an MK I. Oh, one thing you will need if it is a good running MK I is a good pair of handle grips so you can hang on for dear life on those 8,000 rpm WOT screaming runs thru the gears. RandyA
Redneck Posted September 14, 2009 #9 Posted September 14, 2009 I have a eye on a 1st gen what do I look for so I don't get hosed? He said the 2nd gear was fixed. How could I tell? this what I think I should look for. Cracks in plastic. dash working repair records if available. I know enough to listen to the way people talk and try to decide how much is BS or not. Any help appreciated. BubberWhat you should look for is a shrink. They may be able to help you over your defect of wanting to buy a first gen.
mini-muffin Posted September 14, 2009 #10 Posted September 14, 2009 OH Redneck he just wants the best of both worlds. A 2nd gen with a warranty and a 1st gen to have fun with. :rotf::rotf:Just couldn't resist. Besides you can't have too many bikes. Oh Muffinman is in Afghanistan not Saudi. Guess if you wanted to ship it, but the guys can talk you through that most have done some soldering. Margaret
GaThumper Posted September 14, 2009 #11 Posted September 14, 2009 :rotfl:A second Gen.:rotfl: I wasn't going to say it, but...
Holly Posted September 14, 2009 #12 Posted September 14, 2009 Bubber Don't let them get you down, I love having both. Also feel if the fork springs are bad, or replaced with progressives. If on the test ride they bottom out, not fixed. Daryl
1rooster Posted September 15, 2009 #13 Posted September 15, 2009 Bubber Don't let them get you down, I love having both. Also feel if the fork springs are bad, or replaced with progressives. If on the test ride they bottom out, not fixed. Daryl How do you check the fork springs.My bike bottoms out all the time.
1BigDog Posted September 15, 2009 #14 Posted September 15, 2009 :rotfl:A second Gen.:rotfl: I was gonna say a spare parts bike or two......
minnmac Posted September 15, 2009 #15 Posted September 15, 2009 your not thinking of selling the midnight are you? remember, it won best of show this summer.
Bubber Posted September 15, 2009 Author #16 Posted September 15, 2009 your not thinking of selling the midnight are you? remember, it won best of show this summer. Ya ! out of two bike entered. LOL No I just so a bike and was toying with the idea of buy one to fool with. Just wanted to know if I was the fool. LOL
Bubber Posted September 15, 2009 Author #17 Posted September 15, 2009 Well I got lucky I think. It got sold last night for $700.00 so he told me today. Bubber
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