How to avoid a lemon

[Guest Tinman]

Thanks to my new found aquaintances, I have made the decision to buy a used RSV. I have located 3 or 4 in the local area, and they are all in the $7000 to $8000 range, with most being 2003 models. What do I look for, and what do I avoid? One of them has a Corbin seat that seems much harder than the stock one, and cost the original owner hundreds of dollars. Keep it, or have the dealer swap it for a stock one from one of the other bikes in the showroom? What's with the chat about clutch or gear whine? Something I need to know or worry about? I think you all get the idea. I do NOT ask that you buy the bike for me, but I know nothing about this model, and welcome any and all assistance. God bless you all, and thanks in advance.

[Guest Boomerbiker]

I have purchased two RSV's right off the showroom floor and test drove both of them prior to purchase to listen for the infamous gear whine. (Neither bike had it.) I would never buy a Second Gen RSV or an RSTD without a test drive. You will know if there is a problem, because the noise will overwhelm the sound of the engine.

 

Good luck to you. It is a great bike, although I will soon sell mine as I'm going to a touring bike with ABS.

 

Bill

[gunkylump]

Thanks to my new found aquaintances, I have made the decision to buy a used RSV. I have located 3 or 4 in the local area, and they are all in the $7000 to $8000 range, with most being 2003 models. What do I look for, and what do I avoid? One of them has a Corbin seat that seems much harder than the stock one, and cost the original owner hundreds of dollars. Keep it, or have the dealer swap it for a stock one from one of the other bikes in the showroom? What's with the chat about clutch or gear whine? Something I need to know or worry about? I think you all get the idea. I do NOT ask that you buy the bike for me, but I know nothing about this model, and welcome any and all assistance. God bless you all, and thanks in advance.

 

Hey

 

Hey Tinman:

 

This is my second royal, I have a 96 as well. In my opinion, for what it's worth....$ for $, right now, the Venture is the best touring bike out there. Yup, there's others worth more, other's maybe a little less...but dollar for dollar, with the 5 year warranty and all, it can't be beat. It's a little top heavy....some have a "whine" to 'em....have a look at those for sale here on the site as well...you know that most if not all of those have been well taken care of.....I wouldn't hesitate to buy another if anything were to happen to ours....but I wouldn't replace it with anything but another of the same. Easy to work on, great looking, pretty good on fuel....and they just keep going, and going and going.

 

There's lots of aftermarket parts available...and the camraderie

 

gunk:Venture:

[Guest Tinman]

Thanks again, but the question is not whether to buy a used RSV, but what to look out for before I put my money down. As with any used vehicle, the previous owner could have been careful or careless. How do I determine which is which, and what are the typical things to look out for. A 2000 XL 1200 Custom Sportster with a bad oil blow-by to the carbs is something to watch for on my Harley. I've never owned a Yamaha, so what do I beware of? I would love to buy a new one, but it just isn't in the budget.

[eazyduzzit]

I would ride them. If it has the whine, you'll hear it. I wouldn't worry much about abuse. It's hard to abuse an RSV. They have a rev limiter, and you can ride them wide open all the time and it doesn't seem to hurt them.

Just look for obvious things like broken plastic high mileage etc.

[gunkylump]

Ask to see all maintenance receipts.

 

Ride it!

 

Feel the brake rotors for scoring.

 

Ride it.!

 

Check color of anti-freeze(bottle under seat)

 

Ride it.!

 

Check tires, all plastic, radio, speakers....

 

Ride it!(dang dyslexic fingers.....keep repeating themselves)grin

 

Listen to the motor....as you Ride it!

 

I don't know what else to tell you...riding it, and checking what you would on most other bikes will do it....if he has the maintenance records...they'll speak for themselves.

 

gunk:shock3:

[Wizard765]

I don't own a 2nd gen at the moment but from what I've seen so far. Ride it and listen for the whine. Also make sure the rear shock is good. Check all the electronics (radio, CB etc.) 2003 is out of warranty. Also consider extras that may or may not be on the bikes like saddlebag guards and trunk rack. Most of these add ons do not increase the price of the bike to buy but cost a few bucks to add later.. all of this is just my opinion....

 

Wayne

[GeorgeS]

Be sure to take a volt meter with you, and check the level of the DC Charging Voltage at the Battery terminal, engine running about 2000 RPM.

 

Be sure its over 13.8 Volts !!! If not, there is a problem with the charging system.

 

Check for loose Steering Head Nut, and be sure on test drive to check for " Head Shake " on level straignt road about at 50, 60, 70, and 80 MPH.

 

Ask the man if he ever pulled out the drive shaft and greesed the splines.

 

Ask the man if he ever Replaced all of the Brake and Clutch Fluid.

 

Inspect the Rear Shock, for " Oil Leakage " If Bike out of warrenty, that item is pretty expensive. I think the only fix is a new shock assembly.

 

If the Tires are Worn Down close to replacement time, I would suggest you forget it. A man who rides on worn down tires, probabley does not do much maintenance to his bikes. !!!

 

Check for Oil leaks around the Shift Lever, and under the Left side Case cover.

 

 

Inspect the Front Fork Seals, for Oil Leakage, If leaking, Forget it, unless the guy will knock off the price of dealer Replacement of Fork seals.

 

Inspect all 3 sets of brake pads for wear !!!!! Take a strong flash light with you. !!

[Guest Tinman]

The volt meter was coming along, just from past experience, but I did not know to watch for some of the other suggestions. Thanks again everyone, and keep the round side down.

[Condor]

Find out when the rear shock was replaced last. If they can't tell you ask them to replace it before you lay out the cash..

[BuddyRich]

Like Jack said, check the rear shock. Look under the bike and specifically at the bottom of the rear shock. If there's oil on it that's a 600 dollar fix. If its super clean be a little suspicious. These bikes are really bulletproof in a lot of ways so look for neglect.You'll get the most whine at close to 35 in 3rd,45 in 4th and 55 in 5th... It you don't notice it around those speeds and gears your probably not going to be bothered by it.

[cecdoo]

If you can find an 06 or newer in your price range, you are gonna have a full warranty for awhile. Something to think about:think: the newer bike may cost alittle more but you can get most problems fixed under warranty. Just my 2cents. Craig

[Aussie Annie]

And you sure can make 'em look pretty!!

[Guest Tinman]

A couple of you have mentioned the Brickstone tire as a real no-no. What is the proper replacement? I used to buy Dunlop Touring Elites for the old BMW, but that was years ago. The current Sportster has always had Dunlops - the Avons never worked as well on this bike. My son swears by Metzlers. Are they a good choice? I will probably ask the dealer to put new shoes on Baby before I take her home, so it would be nice to be specific.

[gibvel]

A couple of you have mentioned the Brickstone tire as a real no-no. What is the proper replacement? I used to buy Dunlop Touring Elites for the old BMW, but that was years ago. The current Sportster has always had Dunlops - the Avons never worked as well on this bike. My son swears by Metzlers. Are they a good choice? I will probably ask the dealer to put new shoes on Baby before I take her home, so it would be nice to be specific.

 

Most here like either Avon or Dunlop E3s. Most who've tried both say they perform very similarly.

 

There have been a lot of people here who have had problems with Metzlers throwing chunks of rubber. Big chunks. This has been reported both on the RSV and other large bikes. I remember one tale of it happening on a members friends bike that was a Harley while they were riding home from Don's maintenance day.

 

Quite a few here will tell you to stay away from Metzlers for this reason.

[V7Goose]

These bikes do not have many weak points to watch for - at the risk of repeating things from above, here is my list.

 

Rear shock - only major weak point that should be of major concern with a used RSV. The key is to make sure the bottom of the shock mount is DRY. There should be normal road dirt on there (be very afraid if someone has washed it clean), but ABSOLUTELY NO OIL RESIDUE! Not wet oil or even oily dirt. If there is any sign at all of oil on the bottom of the shock, it MUST be replaced. Do not let anyone lie to you about vent tubes down there causing the oil - those vents should be routed to the left side near the frame, and even when someone has overfilled the crank and gets a lot of mess from those tubes, it does NOT get on the shock. This is an expensive fix, and they often go bad before 20,000 miles; that is why I harp on it so long.

 

Be concerned about any loud aftermarket pipes. While some people put them on just to get attention or annoy others, on this bike they are often mounted to cover up an annoying engine whine. Not all RSVs have a whine, but a few have it very bad - that is why a good test ride is so important. Cover some miles in all riding conditions.

 

Do not forget to check out the radio, and try to find or borrow a headset to verify those connections work. Any Goldwing headset and cord will work. Check both front and back connections. This is not a common problem, with these bikes, but no reason to get surprised. At a minimum, if you cannot check the headsets, make the seller guarantee the radio.

 

Check the chrome trim under the windshield - put your fingernails under the edge and see if it wiggles - it should NOT. But these things have plastic tabs that are broken on 87.6% of all RSVs, and that piece is over $100.

 

Look for scratches under the corners of the front and rear crash bars to indicate if the bike has been dropped. These bars do a very good job of protecting everything if the bike has just fallen over, but they do bend easily if there was any forward motion. So if you find any scratches there, examine the fit and alignment of the front bars with the lower cowlings VERY carefully. One way to look for out-of-whack alignment here is to turn the forks all the way to both sides and see how close the turn signals or lower wind deflectors are to the cowlings. Make sure the two lower cowlings fit together evenly in the middle and there is black plastic rivet in the middle underneath. Tug lightly on the bottom of each near the middle - there should be NO movement unless the inside mounting lug is broken off.

 

As others have said, check all brake pads, but ESPECIALLY the rear brakes, as these wear quickly and often unevenly. Feel the INSIDE of the rear disk for any grooving that might indicate metal contact. Open the right saddlebag (for easier access) and pop off that little black plastic cover on the calipers - now use your flashlight to get in there and look for plenty of pad left on BOTH pads, particularly the inside one.

 

Tires are a very personal thing, but for ME, I absolutely would never accept an RSV with either Brickstone or Metzeler tires on it in ANY condition, even brand new, unless I was ready to also spend $300 IMMEDIATELY to replace them. The Brickstones will handle like raw sewage and make the bike feel VERY heavy at slow speed, and the Metzelers will just kill you. My preference is for either Avon Venom or Dunlop E3 tires in STOCK size of 150/80-16 front, 150/90-15 rear (also known as MV85-15 for the E3).

 

Unless you are a midget, watch out for a bike that has been lowered. The rear brake calipers should be ABOVE the swing arm, and the top of the front forks should be EVEN WITH the top of the triple tree.

 

Check the inside of the trunk for cracks - again, this is not real common, but good to look. check around all the bolts and screws, and remember to lift up the mat on the bottom to check there.

 

Look under the mat in the right saddlebag to make sure the tool kit is there.

 

Make sure the same key works in the ignition and the gas cap/luggage.

 

I guess that is about all for now - good luck in finding one you like, and don't hesitate to ask us about anything that puzzles you.

Goose

Edited August 31, 2010 by V7Goose

[SilvrT]

and don't hesitate to ask us about anything that puzzles you.

Goose

 

Could you tell me why it is that the more money I make, the less I seem to have?? This has always puzzled me...

[V7Goose]

Could you tell me why it is that the more money I make, the less I seem to have?? This has always puzzled me...

Absolutely - this is because of the connection in the brain between the got-it bone and the want-more ligament - the more you got it, the looser the want-more connection is and the easier it is to let the money dribble out the sphincter while you imagine you are getting more.

 

This is perhaps easier to understand when you think about how people who do not have as much got-it are often referred to as "tight-a$$es". There is a direct correlation between the amount of got-it and the tightness of the sphincter. Of course, stupidity and immaturity also loosen the sphincter a lot, no matter how much got-it the person may have.

 

Hope that helps,

Goose

[massey130]

Absolutely - this is because of the connection in the brain between the got-it bone and the want-more ligament - the more you got it, the looser the want-more connection is and the easier it is to let the money dribble out the sphincter while you imagine you are getting more.

 

This is perhaps easier to understand when you think about how people who do not have as much got-it are often referred to as "tight-a$$es". There is a direct correlation between the amount of got-it and the tightness of the sphincter. Of course, stupidity and immaturity also loosen the sphincter a lot, no matter how much got-it the person may have.

 

Hope that helps,

Goose

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Goose, you got it straight that time.

[Guest Tinman]

I have printed out this entire thread, and made a check-list with your suggestions. As I now understand it, three or four things are paramount. 1) Rear shock 2) No Bridgestone or Metzlers 3) Check electrical system and radios and 4) Check for structural damage. Lots of details in between, but these seem to be the highlights. I am out the door this AM to the dealer (World on Wheels, Marietta, GA) to check out the 3 or 4 bikes in his stock, and test drive at least 1, maybe all if he'll let me.

 

This site is the best, because of the people who join here. God bless you all, and keep you safe this Labor Day weekend. Keep the round side down, y'all.

[gibvel]

Check the inside of the trunk for cracks - again, this is not real common, but good to look. check around all the bolts and screws, and remember to lift up the mat on the bottom to check there.

 

I will second this!! Yamaha had problems with the trunks cracking in the first couple years. They stiffened the trunk with rectangular metal plates and flat rubber pieces both approximately 3" by 1.5" that the 2 screw at the rear of the trunk go through to fasten the trunk to the frame.

 

Well, out of the last 4 bikes I've looked at, one 07 and one 06 (years that should have them) both of them were missing the plates. So, just because Yamaha made the change don't expect the yahoos that assemble the bike to do it right.

 

Also, make sure the CB antenna (the one with the black piece in the middle) is on the left side. If it is not, change the antennas around and make sure the CB still works, not receiving but transmitting. If the antenna doesn't have the proper wave length the transmitted signal can be reflected back into the CB and burn up the transmitter. About 20% of the bikes I've seen on Ebay, Craigslist, etc., lately, have the CB antenna mounted on the wrong side of the bike.