I'm considering buying a 2009 Gen 2 from a dealer. What to look for?

[Gen3lover]

The bike has 23,000 miles on it. Per the maintenance schedules I can find online it should have -

Brake and hydraulic fluid changed within the last 2 years
Fresh air filter
Fresh oil and filter change
Fresh coolant
lubed chain
new spark plugs
New brake and clutch hoses

What about front forks? brake rotors?
I'll ask the dealer for the service records and see what they say. Hopefully the last owner(s) was not a do-it-yourselfer so there are records.

Anything else that I should be asking about?

 

[Bumblebee]

Well, I personally figure if it doesn't look like it's hit the pavement and is in overall good condition, I'd not worry too much about it...

If the service records are online and you are seeing that it has been maintained, you are well ahead of the game.

Brake rotors are easy to spot if they are not good and if the dealer is selling it certified, they would have to make sure these are good along with the brake pads...you can check to see if the fork seals are weeping or leaking but unless you actually change the fork oil, you would have no way of knowing if it needs to be changed..

When in doubt, change it out.....

 

[Gen3lover]

Thanks, the bike seems to be well maintained and buying from a dealer gives me a little more hope.

 

[WuzzaCBXRider]

Thanks, the bike seems to be well maintained and buying from a dealer gives me a little more hope.

Why is that?

You also said it ‘should’ have all those service items performed. Doesn’t mean they were. At 23K the rotors are fine but if I were buying it the fork oil would have to be replaced and the valves checked too.

 

[Gen3lover]

Good point about the fork oil. Thanks

 

[sixpack577]

Brake fluid needs changed too.
It becomes caustic over time, and will eat the inner lines, caliper and mc seals.
Every 2-3 years is standard.
You can look at the color in the mc's too, but that can be soaked out and refilled.
All the old fluid needs vacuumed out.

Coolant, also only good for 2-3 years.
It also needs flushed, and usually 2-3 times to get all the old coolant out, as it is not a drain and refill either.

Valve stems.
Grab them, bend them, try to break them off.
Many times I have seen guys on who knows what number set of tires, and they still have the original valve stems.
Well, they dry rot too, and I have literally broken off a few otherwise good looking ones, one I plucked and the whole thing broke off at the wheel, instantly deflating the front tire...you should have seen the look on my friend's face...
I then snapped off the back one.
It's not common, but it happens.

 

[BigBSBusa]

@Gen3lover, did you make a decision on the purchase?

 

[GIXERHP]

Good point about the fork oil. Thanks

Valve check plus 1

 

[Berlin Germany]

Good point about the fork oil. Thanks

Clearly based on my constant experience with fork oil over the last 20 years,
I can only strongly recommend changing this fork oil at least every 4 years and completely dismantling the fork and then carefully rinsing it out with, for example, brake cleaner.

be careful of the smell that usually comes from the fork.
__________________________________________________________

about the brake calipers and the mud/slime that was pointed out by @sixpack577 .
you can only get it out without leaving any residue if you completely disassemble the brake calipers and then clean them.

 

[Berlin Germany]

Anything else that I should ....?

make a testride and test by braking as hard as possible at around 15-20 mph if the frontbrake does its job very good or
whether it works so little that you think it's a "parking aid".

a friend of mine had that issue ("parking aid") with his K8 until, due to a driving error, she ended up first in the ditch and then in the scrapyard.
additional information:
before the accident, I had already tried everything possible to get the front brake in good order, so to speak.

even steel braideds and fully sintered pads only brought a slight improvement.

and very important

when I tried braking on his second busa with the same tokico radial calipers,
i was massively surprised, because THESE produced excellent braking performance (up to a wheel locking at low speeds).

you really have to know exactly how well the gen2 tokicos CAN! work in order to discover the lousy calipers.

ergo - please be careful with every test braking - wheel locking or crashing into the tail of a car in front of you - both CAN! happen.