Is this a good price and things to look out for...

[Newbie Rider]

Hi All,

I'm hoping to borrow some combined wisdom here to see if this is a reasonable price and if there is anything I should look out for?

I'm looking at 2015 Tracer 900 - £3300

The only info I have is:

• 45,000 Miles
• Full dealer service history
• Yamaha top box
• 2 keys present and all paperwork

The bike looks tidy with the odd bit of surface rust.

Do you guys think this is a decent price (seems okay to me) and is there anything to look out for when i go to view it? 

Many thanks guys!

[Newbie Rider]

It will also come with a 3 month warranty 👍

[2and3cylinders]

Without knowing the English market, it sounds about right But 45000 miles is up there.

But how does it ride the proof is in the pudding

[bwringer]

The cam chain tensioner was a potential trouble spot, and on many of these it's been replaced with an updated Yamaha automatic tensioner (efficacy of this fix is a subject of some debate), or replaced with a manual version.

The other trouble spot that comes to mind is the clutch cable; it should have been replaced by now with the new version featuring a smooth 90 degree curve in the metal part of the cable housing near the clutch lever.

I f I were you, I would want to know when the last valve clearance check was done; it's at a mileage just before the second valve check would be due, according to the factory schedule, so that may be a factor in the owner unloading it before then. I would also be very interested in seeing the records, if any, of what shims were changed, and the beginning and ending clearances. If there are no records, then plan on a valve check ASAP.

The other thing that begins to creep in above 40,000 miles is wear in the suspension. If it's still wearing the original shock, it is 100% worn out if it's been on the bike the whole time.

ECU flashes are quite common, so ask about this, and try to find out exactly what was done, who did the flash, and whether it's to your taste. Speedo correction and smoothing out the low-end fueling is most common, but some do other things that you may or may not want, like starting in "A" mode.

Bonus points for documented suspension upgrades, tires that aren't completely worn out, and (wonder of wonders) chain/sprockets that aren't also completely roached.

In other words, the very best time to sell a bike is just before you spend money on new tires, chain, sprockets, valve check, etc. so be ready for that sort of thing.

[betoney]

Don’t be put off by a higher mileage bike as long as it has been properly maintained. I’m close to 77,000 miles on mine and wouldn’t think twice about leaving on a road trip tomorrow.  

[2and3cylinders]

6 hours ago, betoney said:

Don’t be put off by a higher mileage bike as long as it has been properly maintained. I’m close to 77,000 miles on mine and wouldn’t think twice about leaving on a road trip tomorrow.  

My also Fastest Red 15 is only at about 60k miles but the main reason I would not leave on a long haul multi-day road trip on it is not concern for ITS reliability but whether MY chassis can make it there, let alone back... 😟

Proper and timely maintenance is a given but the chances of there being issues usually increases exponentially on used bikes above 40k miles... 

[Newbie Rider]

Quote

14 hours ago, bwringer said:

The cam chain tensioner was a potential trouble spot, and on many of these it's been replaced with an updated Yamaha automatic tensioner (efficacy of this fix is a subject of some debate), or replaced with a manual version.

The other trouble spot that comes to mind is the clutch cable; it should have been replaced by now with the new version featuring a smooth 90 degree curve in the metal part of the cable housing near the clutch lever.

I f I were you, I would want to know when the last valve clearance check was done; it's at a mileage just before the second valve check would be due, according to the factory schedule, so that may be a factor in the owner unloading it before then. I would also be very interested in seeing the records, if any, of what shims were changed, and the beginning and ending clearances. If there are no records, then plan on a valve check ASAP.

The other thing that begins to creep in above 40,000 miles is wear in the suspension. If it's still wearing the original shock, it is 100% worn out if it's been on the bike the whole time.

ECU flashes are quite common, so ask about this, and try to find out exactly what was done, who did the flash, and whether it's to your taste. Speedo correction and smoothing out the low-end fueling is most common, but some do other things that you may or may not want, like starting in "A" mode.

Bonus points for documented suspension upgrades, tires that aren't completely worn out, and (wonder of wonders) chain/sprockets that aren't also completely roached.

In other words, the very best time to sell a bike is just before you spend money on new tires, chain, sprockets, valve check, etc. so be ready for that sort of thing.

bwring, thank you for your thoughtful reply, some great info in there :).

Thank you twoandthreecylinders and betoney for your help too. 

I'm going to take a look at the bike today so I will hopefully be able to share some more info with you. (or some pictures if i just end up buying it 😃.

[Newbie Rider]

Hi all, before going to see the bike I asked for some documents to support the valve checks and none could be found so I am have to assume it hasn't been done... what are your thoughts? Thanks in advance!

[PhotoAl]

I did a lot of long trips on mine and the previous bike.  I had in my head 45 to 50 thousand miles as when I would thing about replacing.  However!  If the bike has been regularly serviced and maintained then I would not shy away.  With advanced age and mileage come things like clutch, stator, suspension, steering bearings, chain, sprockets, and electrical connections.  Again maintenance and how it was ridden play a big part.  In general if it has had regular oil changes with good oil and the owner let it warm up before riding harder then the engine should last a very long time.  If the history is good and the bike rides well I say go for it.  I would go thru and check and grease the steering head bearings and the swing arm bearings.  Really a very through going over to make sure everything is in perfect condition and it should go a long time.  What scared folks about high mileage and older models is there are a lot of small things that can go wrong and be a hassle to deal with.  LOL this does not mean a newer bike with less mileage is guaranteed to be better.  

If you like to tinker and have the time to spend to do all the many small things from lubricating/greasing the kickstand and shifter bushing, changing the brake fluid etc. it could be a very good bike.I don’t know about the UK market but seems like a descent price.

[bwringer]

6 hours ago, Newbie Rider said:

Hi all, before going to see the bike I asked for some documents to support the valve checks and none could be found so I am have to assume it hasn't been done... what are your thoughts? Thanks in advance!

I would proceed as if it's never been done. Make sure you're comfortable with either doing the work yourself (if you have experience with valve checks on shim-under-bucket systems on motorcycles, it's average difficulty; if you don't have this experience, it's definitely in the advanced class), or paying to have it done.

Valve checks are strictly NOT optional; these bikes have narrow specs for valve clearances, and they DO close up over time; you cannot hear tight valves, and it's possible to damage the engine if this is ignored. There are all sorts of idiotic urban legends around valve clearances that amount to "I don' wanna do it right."

 

All that said, if it's running OK at 40,000 miles, odds are a valve check has been done once at least (they tend to get quite tight at 20,000 - 24,000 miles), so you can also look for marks on the fasteners to see whether the valve cover has ever been removed. This can be rather subtle evidence, but might give you some peace of mind.

 

Me, I have a nasty suspicious mind and too often have been proven correct. I'd change all the fluids (oil, coolant, brake, unless they're obviously new), check the valve clearances, document the tire date codes, inspect the chain and sprockets carefully, inspect the brakes, look for loose fasteners, etc. and so on the instant I got it home. Generally, crawl all over the bike and look at and touch EVERYTHING.

In the process, you get a good solid inspection, some quality laying-on-of-hands time to get to know your bike, and far more peace of mind than you can get from just assuming the previous owner or dealer seems like an OK guy.