This checklist is not exhaustive by any means but if the bike satisfies all of the following checks you can be pretty sure you're buying a decent motorcycle.

Before you go to check out the bike you should let the seller know to not run the bike before you show up as you want to inspect the bike cold. If you show up and it's warm, you're better off walking away as it indicates a dishonest seller. Most of the checks below except for the Test Ride section can and should be done while the bike is cold. Certain items like lights and signals can be done on the test ride.

Red coloured items in these lists indicate that a failure here should be a deal breaker, or at least a big discount on the sale price of the bike. Green items are less important and could be ignored if the price is right. Everything in this list can be a point of negotiation. The easiest way to get a good deal on a bike is to be thorough. When you have a checklist such as this the seller will trust that you are going to be offering close to the bike's fair value.

Remember: Use Your Common Sense