What should I check on a used 2013?

Hi all, new to this forum.  I have a lead on a 2013 WR250R with about 3000 miles and several "upgrades."  Mainly, it looks like the previous owner changed the gearing but didn't change the suspension or pipe.  What should I look for when I see the bike, and what do you think would be a reasonable price for the bike?  

The bike has some cosmetic scrapes on the case cover and swingarm but apparently no mechanical issues and good plastics.  He used it on some trails in CO and locally. I'm hoping that this is the bike for me, but my other option is to pay cash for a new one.  The used market is apparently very tight for WRRs.

The WRR does not have a particular weak point that needs to be checked, so just look for general condition of bike.

rattlesnakeboys wrote:

The bike has some cosmetic scrapes on the case cover and swingarm but apparently no mechanical issues and good plastics.

I can't imagine how one can get "cosmetic" scrapes on case cover or swingarm; you need to crash hard in order to scrape these parts of the bike, so depending on how extensive they are and how severe, this will be a good indicator on whether the bike has been abused or not.

Difficult to comment on prices because it depends so much on your local market dynamics, but in general I wouldn't expect a 2013 model with just 3000 miles to be under $4500, and realistically speaking closer to $5k.

Make sure the bottom of the swing arm isn't being destroyed by the chain.  There is a plastic chain slider that covers the top and bottom of the swing arm, and it is very common for the lower run of the chain to wear through the bottom part of the slider and then start chewing through the bottom of the swing arm if the chain is not adjusted properly.  It is easiest to check this by removing the plastic cover that goes over the front sprocket.  A search should bring up some posts in the forum about this issue if you would like to see some pics.

Ask if the stator recall has been done on the bike.  I have a 2013, and it left me stranded in the mountains when the stator quit working and the battery died.  Yamaha never sent me a recall notice, but the dealer said the recall covered my bike and fixed it for free.  

That's about all I can think of other than what Johnkol said.  I've laid my bike down pretty good a few times, and the case and swingarm don't have any scrapes, just the plastics a little and the handguards a lot.  I have almost 11,000 miles on my 2013, and it's been a fantastic bike other than the stator incident.

Lee

Here are the scratches, they just look like boot marks to me.







The price seems right for the bike ($4500), and it comes with an extra set of wheels.

I don't have a close-up, but the subframe scratch right in the middle concerns me:

Its a dirtbike, ofcourse theres small scratches... buy it!

Subframe paint worn off looks like more boots marks and is in the proper spot I'd expect to see it.
Normal.
That's a telltale sign that the bike was ridden, but no biggie as long as it was properly maintained.

The side cover smears I wouldn't worry about. However, there is a deep scratch in the arc of the shift lever, which indicates that the owner crashed hard enough to press the shift lever into the case and scratch it.

I also don't like the swingarm scratches: the only way to get them at that position is by crashing the bike.

Subframe rubbing I wouldn't normally worry about, but this is just a 3000 mile bike; I have 14k miles on mine and there isn't the slightest hint of paint having being rubbed off.

This bike seems to have endured too much abuse for the very limited miles it has covered. The price is reasonable though, so you have to weigh these things for yourself.

What's the asking price?

If the bike was ridden off-road a lot with the rider up on the footpegs and moving around on the bike and wearing dirt bike boots with the typical steel toe clips, those wear marks don't take long to appear.
That's my guess on this bike.
I've sold many of my own bikes ridden off-road with the same marks on them.

This bike shows knobbies fitted, so I guess it was used for off-road riding, and, of course the typical seller is going to bias his story of the bike's history slightly toward the "I just rode it to church on Sundays" scenario.

2013 with 3000 miles?

That thing is barely broken in!

Actually the scratches and such look normal to me especially if it was ridden a lot on the trails. Looks like he has the stock tank and pulled off the decals on the plastics. Actually that may give me a little bit of a pause there. Did he pull off the decals or did he replace the plastics? Replacement would make me wonder a bit.

Take a look at the countershaft sprocket on the bike. With only 3000 miles that thing should look relatively new and not be hooked. If the teeth look like a bunch of shark fins then in my mind that bike has well over 3000 miles even though the cluster only has 3000 miles on it. Kudo's if it is the stock sprocket with the rubber damper since then you have a pretty good chance it hasn't been changed out.

Cant comment on the bike as the only way anyone can judge a bike is by seeing it in the flesh. If you're not sure whats what get a friend who knows what to look for.

johnkol wrote:

I also don't like the swingarm scratches: the only way to get them at that position is by crashing the bike.

From a distance, those look like trail riding scratches all in multiple directions, rather than what you'd see on a 'crashed' bike that would have slid down a road.