First Bike Kinne Students Ko Lagi Guide: Buying Second Hand on a Budget

Start with the real budget, not the price of the bike

The number on the listing is not what the bike costs you. Before you decide how much you can spend on the bike itself, set money aside for everything that comes with it.

• Ownership transfer (naamsari) and any tax that is due.
• Insurance. Third-party insurance is compulsory.
• A proper helmet. This is not the place to save.
• A first service. Oil, filters, chain adjustment and whatever the previous owner put off.
• The things it needs soon. Tyres, a battery or brake pads if they are near the end.
• Fuel and routine servicing for the months ahead.

A simple rule: if buying the bike takes every rupee you have, it is too expensive for you. Buy one step down and keep the difference for the list above.

Get the licence first

You need a valid driving licence to ride, and you need one even to take a test ride. Sort it out before you shop, not after you have paid.

Choose a bike you can afford to keep

For a first bike, the cheapest one to run and repair is usually the right one, and that points to common commuter bikes and scooters with small engines.

• Parts and mechanics. A model that sold in large numbers has cheap parts and can be fixed anywhere. A rare or imported model can leave you waiting weeks for a part.
• Fuel. A smaller engine uses less. When you are paying for fuel out of pocket money, that matters every week.
• Weight and seat height. Sit on it. You should be able to put a foot down firmly and move it around while parked without a struggle.
• Resale. You will probably sell this bike in a few years. Popular models are easier to sell and hold their value better.
• Scooter or bike. A scooter is easier in traffic and carries more; a geared bike is generally better suited to longer rides. Either is a sensible first choice.

Buying the bike you want rather than the bike you can afford to run is the most common first-bike mistake. A bigger, faster bike will still be there when you have an income.

Where to look

It helps to see what your budget actually buys before you fall for something outside it. These pages show everything in stock within a budget: under 1 lakh, under 2 lakh and under 3 lakh. Scooters are on their own page, and the price guide shows what each model is typically listed for.

Papers before anything else

A bike you cannot transfer into your name is not yours, however well it runs. Check that the seller is the registered owner, that the chassis and engine numbers match the bluebook, and that the tax is paid. What to check in the bluebook goes through each point.

Pay particular attention to tax. Unpaid years add up, with fines, and that bill becomes yours if you do not catch it before you agree a price.

Then the bike

Take someone who rides, if you can. Go in daylight, ask the seller not to start the bike before you arrive, and work through the 50-point checklist. If you only remember five things:

1. 1It should start easily from cold and idle steadily.
2. 2No blue smoke from the exhaust, no fresh oil under the engine.
3. 3Every light, the horn and both brakes work properly.
4. 4The tyres have tread and are not old and cracked.
5. 5It rides in a straight line and changes through every gear cleanly.

Do not trust the odometer on its own. See how to spot odometer tampering.

Certified or Uncertified

On MOTOVO you will see both. A Certified bike has been inspected on 50 points and graded from A+ to C, and the full report is on the listing, so you can read what is wrong with it before you travel. An Uncertified bike is listed by its seller and has not been inspected by us yet. It may be perfectly good, but checking it is your job.

For a first bike, when you do not yet know what a slipping clutch feels like, a report written by someone who does is worth a great deal.

Mistakes first-time buyers make

• Spending the whole budget on the bike and having nothing left for transfer, insurance and a helmet.
• Choosing on looks and engine size instead of running cost.
• Believing "single owner, low kilometres, never fallen" without checking any of it.
• Skipping the papers because the bike seemed fine.
• Paying in full before the transfer has started.
• Buying in a hurry because the seller says someone else is coming this evening.

There is always another bike. The right one is the one whose papers are clean, whose faults you know about and whose price leaves you money to ride it.