The vintage dirt bike buyer’s checklist

Most bad deals can be spotted from your couch. Ask these by text so you have the answers in writing.

• Exact year and model. Ask for a photo of the frame number on the steering head and look up which year it decodes to.
• Title or paperwork. Is there a title, a bill of sale or nothing? Check what your state needs to register it.
• How long since it last ran? “Ran when parked” can mean anything. Ask for a cold-start video.
• What has been done to it? Receipts for top end, bottom end, suspension or bearings are worth real money.
• What’s original and what isn’t? Plastics, tank, seat, pipe, wheels, graphics. Originals matter to collectors.

• Touch the cylinder when you arrive. If it’s already warm, the seller may be hiding a hard-starting engine.
• Kick it over slowly. A two-stroke should have strong, even compression. Bring a compression gauge.
• Listen. Knocking from the bottom end or rattles that change with revs mean money. Note any smoke beyond normal two-stroke haze.
• Check for leaks. Oil or fuel around the crank seals, base gasket, head and water pump.
• Run it through the gears. The clutch should not slip or drag, and gears should not pop out.
• Pull the air filter. A dirty or torn filter, or dirt past it, is a sign of a worn engine.

• Steering head and engine mounts. Look for cracks, fresh welds or paint that hides them.
• Frame number. Make sure it hasn’t been ground off or re-stamped and that it matches the paperwork.
• Straight wheels. Stand behind the bike. Do the wheels line up? A bent subframe or swingarm shows here.
• Swingarm and linkage bearings. Lift the rear wheel and rock the swingarm side to side. Any play means bearings.
• Steering. Turn the bars lock to lock with the front up. Notchy steering means head bearings.

• Fork seals. Oil on the fork tubes means leaking seals. Look for pitting on the chrome.
• Shock. Push down on the seat. It should return smoothly, not bounce, and not leak.
• Wheel bearings and spokes. Wiggle each wheel. Tap the spokes; a dull note means a loose one.
• Rims. Dents and flat spots are costly to fix on original rims.
• Brakes, chain and sprockets. Hooked sprocket teeth and a kinked chain are cheap to fix but good leverage on price.

• Add up what it needs. Price every problem you found and subtract it from what a clean one sells for.
• Check real sold prices, not asking prices, for the same year and model.
• Be ready to walk. There is always another one. Rare models are the exception; know which ones they are.