Things to Check Before Buying a Used or Second Hand Bike in India

Whatever the bike is, when you buy a vehicle, it becomes your most prized possession and you like it to be the best.
Talking about second-hand bikes, India serves as the largest market of two wheelers across the globe. This position of India is also due to the growing demand of second-hand bikes in the country.

For people who are planning to buy a second hand vehicle and willing to know how to buy second hand bikes must keep in mind a few important checklists, which you can read in this article.

Why do you need a two-wheeler?

When it comes to buying a two-wheeler, the key factor to consider is the need or purpose of buying the bike. How are you going to use the bike and for what purpose?

You might use a bike for varied reasons.

• to commute to work
• for normal daily use
• for occasional uses on weekends

For daily travel, you must choose a second-hand bike offering good mileage. Moreover, it should also offer minimum maintenance. If you need a bike for weekend uses or occasional purposes, you can go for a luxury bike with powerful engine without any worry of mileage.

Where can you get a second-hand bike?

Getting a second hand bike is simple in today’s time. There are available options in terms of both online services as well as offline modes using which you can buy a second-hand bike. Every town and city now-a-days have showrooms for second hand vehicles that you can visit to buy a second-hand bike. All you need is to write is second hand Scooty showroom near me on your Google browser and search. You will find many names. Also, you can use the online apps in this regard.

To check if the second-hand bike is working fine or not, you can take a test ride or trial of the bikes that you have shortlisted and see if they run fine. Once you analyze the condition of the bike, you can evaluate if the bike suits your requirement.

How to ensure that the second-hand bike is in good condition?

The overall look of the bike together with its engine condition will tell you if a bike is in good health or if it has been used nicely. So, get a thorough inspection done on the bike during the day when everything can be inspected nicely, which you might miss at night. You might as well get a recommendation from someone who has good knowledge about bikes.

Talking about the key check points in terms of the procedure of buying a second hand bike, you must get your checking done for Mechanical as well as proper Paper-work.

Requirement for Mechanical Checking

• Check for Oil-leakage, if any. This you can check around the area of the engine.
• Check for Rust in the metal parts of the bike, which gets accumulated over years. Also check the chassis area for the same.
• Check for any Scratch Marks. Ignore such marks if they are light or if there are not many marks visible in the bike. But check for the deep ones, which might cost you a lot of money for repair.
• Check if the bike is damaged in any accident to avoid being a victim of purchasing any damaged vehicle.
• Check the Engine by turning the ignition of the bike and checking for the kind of smoke getting released. Also check its sound.
• Check engine oil if it is dark brown in color or if it has rust in it.
• Also check for other things like battery, spark plug, brakes, air cleaner, gear, clutch and so on.
• Check the mileage or how many kilometers the bike has covered.
• Ensure everything via good test rides to check the comfort factor of riding the bike.

Requirement for Paper Work Checking

Here are the documents you need to check in terms of paperwork after you are satisfied with the mechanical testing of the bike.

1. Registration Certificate (RC) of the bike: Match the chassis and engine number with the RC of the bike. Also match the personal details and auto details with what is mentioned in the RC.

2. Tax Certificate: Check for a tax certificate that is valid at the time of buying the bike.

3. Insurance: Also, check for the valid insurance papers. Whether the bike has a third-party plan or a comprehensive two wheeler insurance policy. Bargain the price of the bike in case the insurance is not valid.

4. Valid PUC Certificate: It is also important to check the Pollution Under Control certificate which is a necessary obligation to ride a bike as per Indian Motor law. You must get the cost of PUC from your pocket if it is not valid.

5. Service History of the bike: Check the service history of the bike to find if the bike has gone through regular servicing from any authorized centre. Regular servicing means the bike is in good condition.

6. NOC: It is also important to ensure to get the bike transferred by applying for NOC at the particular RTO.

7. Model Manual of the bike: Check for the manual of the bike received from the manufacturer containing details of the model of the bike. It is good to keep in handy.

Price Negotiation

Once the mechanical checking and document checking is done, it is time to negotiate the price of the second hand Activa or any other bike of your choice. For price negotiation of the used bike, knowing the price of the latest model of the particular bike is important. This is essential because you can calculate the price of the second-hand bike by subtracting the cost of a new model and its depreciation value on the cost. Also, there are many other things to note for used scooter valuation which makes the price negotiation simple like any expense to incur after purchase etc.