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Motorcycle Pre-Inspections in Toronto

What are Motorcycle Pre-Inspections?

…and how can they save me from buying a lemon?

Buying a motorcycle can be an exciting and amazing experience. For me, buying a motorcycle as a teenager was my first real taste of freedom. My first ride home was as exhilarating, intimidating, and from that point on, I was hooked. But motorcycles can be complicated and potentially dangerous, and some first experiences will leave a sour taste. Let me explain.

Rachel was buying a used bike Suzuki TU250 here in Toronto, Ontario, and asked me if I could pick it up and bring it to her home for her. When I got there, I could see the shine in her eye, and her smile seemed as wide as her face. This was the face of a proud new rider.

For a new motorcyclist trying to save some money, buying a used motorcycle is the way to go.  Rachel was saving thousands of dollar compared to buying that same model brand new. The only problem was that she didn’t have the experience to tell wrong from right, and good from bad.

I jumped on her bike to ride it to my trailer. It felt, strange. I rode it back over to her, and then I looked her in the eyes and said three little words that made her heart skip a beat: “Your frame’s bent.”

In trying to save some money, Rachel had actually, unknowingly, bought herself a lemon. It was a very obvious lemon for someone familiar with motorcycles, but a difficult to spot one for someone who was new to our sport/lifestyle/hobby/whatever-motorcycling-is-to-you.

Rachel wasn’t going to be able to ride this to work in a few days like she had planned. In fact, she wouldn’t be able to ride this bike without spending thousands of dollars on it, nearly doubling what the bike cost her.

This could have easily been avoided…

That’s when I created the 77 point motorcycle inspection checklist, designed specifically as a local service to help for new riders in Toronto buying used motorcycles. If you’re not in Toronto, don’t worry, this can still work for you.

What is a motorcycle pre-inspection?

My motorcycle pre-inspection looks at 77 different points on your motorcycle and gives each one a grade from 1-5 and a brief note on each component so you can understand the score it was given.

The idea is to give a thorough analysis on the condition of a motorcycle that even new riders can understand. It’s designed to help you understand if the bike you’re thinking about buying is a lemon, and what (if any work) it may need to pass a safety test.

Where can I get a 77-point motorcycle pre-inspection?

Right now, I’m working out of Toronto. Bikes can be brought to me for $50 for a pre-inspection at YouMotorcycle HQ, or for $100 I’ll come out to you if you’re in the city.

If you’re elsewhere in Ontario you can contact me and I’ll let you know what it cost to have me come out and inspect your motorcycle. I’ve gone as far as Ohio for motorcycle gigs, so no destination is too far.

How long does an inspection take?

An inspection can take anywhere from 30 minutes to 90 minutes depending on if the bike is nearly brand new, or has been heavily customized. The average inspection takes around 45 to 60 minutes.

How long is the report?

It’s three full pages packed full of easy-to-understand information to help riders effortlessly avoid potential bad surprises.

What do you inspect?

I won’t give that away for free, but I check more than 77 different items, and I don’t “inflate” the numbers. That means multiple components with the same function are only counted once. For example, four turn signals and two mirrors are counted as 2 items, not 6 items.

How do I book a pre-inspection?

Contact me on my contact page and let me know the best way to reach you, along with what kind of bike we’re looking at and where the bike is located.

What about if I live far away?

My 77 point inspection list is available for only $10 US. Buying it is the perfect option for if you don’t live near Toronto, but do have an experienced motorcyclist friend you could bring out to look at a bike with you. The list is both very thorough, but very simple. It comes as part of a package that includes instructions on how to check each of the 77 components, and a sample completed form as reference.

To get the package, just send me an email via my contact page.

About Adrian from YouMotorcycle

I started riding motorcycles in 2007, founded YouMotorcycle in 2009, and was working in the motorcycle industry by 2011. I've worked for some of the biggest companies in motorcycling, before going full-time self-employed in the motorcycle business in 2019. I love sharing his knowledge and passion of motorcycling with other riders to help you as best I can.

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