Vehicle buying and selling · VB-08

Motorcycle Pre-Purchase Inspection Sheet

A free printable motorcycle inspection checklist — frame and numbers, chain and sprockets, forks, wheels, brakes, engine, electrics and paperwork, with a faults-and-costs table.

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2 pages. Choose your paper size — both versions are laid out identically, so neither one gets shrunk to fit.

Print it and write on it

A4 58 kB US Letter 58 kB

Fill it in type and save

A4 109 kB US Letter 108 kB

The fillable versions have real form fields — open them in any PDF reader, type into them and save. Printing help.

What this sheet is for

Walk round a used bike in an order that catches crash damage, chain and sprocket wear and weeping fork seals before the money moves.

Who it is for

Anyone buying a used motorcycle or scooter privately or from a dealer.

How to use it

Fill in the frame and engine numbers and check them against the paperwork.
Work through the groups in order, with the bike cold if you can.
Get the front wheel off the ground to check the headstock and bearings.
Note the tyre makes and wear patterns as you find them.
List every fault in the table and price it with your own quotes.

What is on the sheet

2 pages, in this order:

Page 1

Printed under the title: A bike-specific walk-round before you buy — frame and numbers, chain and sprockets, forks, tyres, chassis, electrics and paperwork — with room for what each fault might cost.

The handbook sets the figures. No wear limits, tread depths, chain slack figures or service intervals are printed here, because they are set per model by the manufacturer's own handbook and workshop manual. Write down what you find, then check it against the figures for that bike.

Write-on lines: Make and model · Registration / plate · Year · Frame / VIN number · Engine number · Odometer · Asking price

Frame, numbers and crash damage

Frame and engine numbers legible
Numbers matched against the paperwork
Frame checked for cracks or ripples
Welds checked for fresh paint
Headstock checked for play, wheel raised
Bar ends, levers and footpegs checked

Chain, sprockets and final drive

Chain checked along its whole length
Tight and loose spots noted
Chain checked for rust and kinked links
Sprocket teeth checked for hooking
Adjusters checked for even marks
Shaft or belt drive checked for leaks

Suspension and steering

Stanchions checked for pitting and rust
Fork seals checked for weeping oil
Rear shock checked for leaks
Rear shock checked for sag under you
Steering turned lock to lock
Swingarm and linkages checked for play

Page 2

Wheels, tyres and brakes

Tread depth noted on both tyres
Wear pattern and tyre make noted
Sidewalls checked for cracking
Wheels checked for buckles and dents
Wheel bearings checked for play
Discs and pads checked front and rear

Engine, fluids and exhaust

Started from cold where possible
First few seconds listened to
Oil level and condition checked
Coolant level and colour checked
Cases and hoses checked for weeping
Exhaust checked for blowing joints

Electrics and paperwork

All lights and indicators tried
Horn and switchgear tried
Warning lights watched at ignition
Wiring checked for added connectors
Battery terminals and mounting checked
Registration, records and keys seen

Faults found and what they might cost — your own quotes, not ours

Table, 8 rows: Fault found · Part or labour · Who quoted · Estimated cost

Questions

Why no chain slack, tread depth or wear limits?

Because they are set per model in the manufacturer's handbook and workshop manual, and a figure for one bike is wrong for the next. Write down what you find, then check it against the figures for that machine.

Why is this separate from the car inspection sheet?

Because the wear items are different ones. A bike lives or dies on its chain, sprockets, fork seals, headstock bearings and crash history, none of which have a car equivalent worth a column.