Should I buy this bike?

[steamboat]

I am thinking of purchasing a 2007 FZ6, only 500(!) miles, and the exterior is in great condition.

Problem is the bike has been withering away in a garage for 2 or 3 years uncared for. The bike belongs to a family friend who let me take it home to see if I could get it running. We agreed to negotiate later depending on what I found with the bike.

Replaced the rotting gas and popped in a fresh battery and the bike won't start. I didnt hear a fuel pump whir which I am guessing means it needs replacing. There didnt appear to be rust in the gas tank, but its unkown the extent of the corrosion until its torn apart, which is something I would probably have to let a shop handle.

Thoughts on how extensive the damage could be? I have every intent of giving the friend a fair price, but I am unsure what that is for a bike like this until I know the repair bill. What do you think a fair price is?

 

[Tahlen]

Fuel pump not whirring could be something simpler. On my 2006, older gen - yours may be different, the kill switch will stop the fuel pump from whirring when I turn the key on. Yours could be as simple as a malfunction in that or side stand switch. You can hope .

 

[2nd childhood]

Don't forget to check the fuses too.

 

[Water Bear]

Was it really sitting in a garage? I have a (used) 2007 fz6 that's got rust in the gas tank and has had lots of bad seals.

Gaskets I had go bad: Fork seals, fuel pump o-ring, right side engine cover gasket. My advice is check all the gaskets you can. Pop up the fuel tank and make sure there's no leaking fuel, in particular check for paint that's bubbled up. It should be easy to check the fuel lines for leakage, they should probably be dry. Run your finger along the engine seams where gaskets go, check for oil. Check the fork uppers for fluid. (Maybe you should pump the fork a little bit first).

If the bike has really been stored in doors with only 500 miles it sounds extremely promising. Look carefully for signs that the story isn't complete, though.

 

[iSteve]

Is the engine turn over or does nothing happen when you push the starter button?

 

[FZSexy]

i agree with the other posters here and can't offer much more. i do think it can be a good bike, however. you don't mention how much you might get it for? i guess that has yet to be determined, as you indicated above. it will need tires and perhaps a few other things besides whatever is keeping it from starting. so i would expect to put at least $500 into it after its running to see it on the road safely and reliably

price is the essence imo. potential leakage can be expensive to repair, most likely

just off the top of my head i consider $3500 to be a fair price on a lower mileage but running '07. i paid $3000 for a running '07 with 6800 miles four months ago and it just needed tires, fluids, and nothing more. but this bike has some questions open on it. i think $2000, if the bike starts and runs well, is a good offer because of what may need to be put into it now and later. or $2250, tops

i dunno?

 

[04fizzer]

Was it really sitting in a garage? I have a (used) 2007 fz6 that's got rust in the gas tank and has had lots of bad seals.

Gaskets I had go bad: Fork seals, fuel pump o-ring, right side engine cover gasket. My advice is check all the gaskets you can. Pop up the fuel tank and make sure there's no leaking fuel, in particular check for paint that's bubbled up. It should be easy to check the fuel lines for leakage, they should probably be dry. Run your finger along the engine seams where gaskets go, check for oil. Check the fork uppers for fluid. (Maybe you should pump the fork a little bit first).

If the bike has really been stored in doors with only 500 miles it sounds extremely promising. Look carefully for signs that the story isn't complete, though.

If the gas tank isn't full, temperature/humidity fluctuations will cause condensation in the tank which will lead to rust. So just because there's rust in the tank doesn't mean it wasn't garaged.

 

[Water Bear]

If the gas tank isn't full, temperature/humidity fluctuations will cause condensation in the tank which will lead to rust. So just because there's rust in the tank doesn't mean it wasn't garaged.

Interesting. I guess the only way to be sure is to check all the parts that wear due to poor storage.

 

[FIZZER6]

A bike that sits for that long the biggest problem is the ethanol in the gas eating way at the fuel system. Good chance the fuel pump is seized up. The fuel lines could be gunked up and so could the throttle bodies.

The biggest question is: Does the engine turn over? The battery is toast after sitting that long unless it was on a trickle charger the entire time.

 

[nthdegreeburns]

This is similar to my first motorcycle purchase experience. I agreed to buy my boss' 2000 Kawasaki ZR-7 for $500 if I took it out of his garage and got it repaired. It was basically mint with 5000 miles on the odometer.

That $500 turned into a lot more than I bargained for, included me stupidly getting a refurbishment estimate at a dealership and discovering the fuel tank was leaking.

Sold it to the dealership mechanic for $500 and zero'd out. They knew I didn't have a trailer and took advantage of my newbie state. I lucked out and got a running FZ6 instead and met you guys, though, so I'm thankful for that.


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