introduction

Enthusiastic bikers love speed and power in each ride. It’s fascinating to ride on your beast machine through canny highways and roads, feeling the throttle in hand and fragrance of the nature.

Superbikes are real machinic beauty offering unbeatable strength and competence on the roads. There’s no doubt that buying a superbike is difficult decision requiring high initial investment and costs of maintenance. Another reason is the widespread grey market that’s full of uncertainty and disorganization. Whether you are planning to buy a used superbike or a new superbike thorough research is required to ensure peace of mind and money.

Read more to find out some superbike buying tips that can help making an informed decision.

Here are some tips and advice to consider before buying a superbike:

Superbike is a heart-buy and each step matters a lot. Do a good homework before buying a superbike.

1. Type of superbike – Depending on your needs and preference, choose between naked super bikes, faired superbikes, cruisers and dirt bikes. Each bike serves different purposes. A naked super bike can serve your everyday commute needs while a cruiser can be chosen if you are intending to do frequent highway commuting then cruisers will be handy. Dirt bikes can be used when you have the urge to go anywhere even when there is no tarmac beneath the rubber.
2. Engine capacity – Superbikes generally have car rivaling engine capacities and that’s what the name tag superbike stands for. But, there are different types of engines. There are single cylinder engines and V twins. Certain superbike also offer riding modes which can help you choose how much of the engine capacity is to be utilized.
3. Drive Train – Superbikes transmit power from the engine to the wheels in different ways. Some are belt driven and some are chain driven. Belt driven superbikes offers superior transmission with minimal loss and minimum operating noise.
4. Seats - Some superbikes offer single seats while a few can accommodate a pillion too when need arises.
5. Service Centers - Every owner of a superbike loves to keep his superbike in top condition. To make this possible, ensure there are service centers available in your city. If a service center is not present, the ownership experience of a super bike can be pathetic. And, these mean machines are capable of doing crazy speeds which might also prove to be fatal if not maintained well.

Choose Between New and Used Superbike

Buying a used superbike cannot be as smooth as buying a new superbike. Here are a few points to remember:

Service logs: Maintaining a superbike is very important as these bikes were not actually meant for Indian conditions. So the wear and tear and the kind of damage these bikes undergo here cannot be specified in words. Hence, if you are in the used automobile market, it is always safe to get the full service log of the bike before plonking in your hard earned bucks into buying one. Also higher speeds translate into higher risk of accidents. Service logs also specify if the bike has met with any major accident.

Number of Riders: A superbike can be very unforgiving if not handled by a single user. So, it is advisable to check the number of riders that were using the bike before settling into a deal.

ODO meter reading: Superbikes are generally not extensively used. Hence, finding one with 10K to 15K kms on the ODO is not a tough task. Please do not go in for a superbike that has been used as a regular commuter as this can prove to be very expensive to maintain.

Top 5 Pitfall To Avoid

A used superbike comes with a lot of risks and question marks. While you are buying a used one avoid the common pitfalls to end up signing a great deal.

Clocking: Clocking is the reduction in the mileage of a vehicle in order to increase its potential selling price. It is the most common way of selling a vehicle at a price higher than the fair price.

Improper Vehicle Inspection: Take help from a trustworthy mechanic and get the vehicle inspected. This will minimize chances of any unpleasant surprises after the purchase. Don't inspect the vehicle in the rain, in poor light or at night. You can even contact a vehicle inspection service provider to get a verified document regarding the condition of the motorcycle you have thought to purchase. Droom also provides competitive auto inspection services.

Misleading Disclosures by the Seller: Seller may omit certain facts that are material and can change buyer’s view or buying decision about the vehicle, such as accident, usage of vehicle etc.

Vehicle Cloning: Sometimes one vehicle is given the identity of another by replacing number plates, which is an almost identical vehicle - same make, model and colour.

'Cut – and – Shut': When the remains of two or more vehicles, which have usually been accident–damaged and written off by insurers, are welded together, then illegally given the identity of one of the wrecks.

Cheat Sheet

Types of Superbikes

Superbike is a huge market. With advent of technology market has seen a tremendous growth and there’s wide – range of superbikes now available in Malaysia. Below are types of superbikes:

Standard/Commuter

Versatile and general purpose street motorcycles, Standard bikes are also called naked bikes or roadsters. They are recognized primarily by their upright riding position, partway between the reclining posture of the cruisers and the forward leaning sport bikes. Foot pegs are below the rider and handlebars are high enough to not force the rider to reach far forward, placing the shoulders above the hips in a natural position. For example - XCD, Pulsar.

Sports Bike

Get a sports bike for experience the speed. Sport bikes apt for sports people only. These bikes emphasize speed, acceleration, braking, and cornering on paved roads, typically at the expense of comfort and fuel economy in comparison to less specialized motorcycles. Because of this, there are certain design elements that most motorcycles of this type will share. Sport bikes have comparatively high performance engines resting inside a lightweight frame. For example - Ninja, RC8, R1.

Dual-Sport/Transroader

Dual-sports, sometimes called Dual-Purpose or on/off-road motorcycles, are street legal machines that are also designed to enter off-road situations. Typically based on a dirt bike chassis, they have added lights, mirrors, signals, and instruments that allow them to be licensed for public roads. They are higher than other street bikes, with a high centre of gravity and tall seat height, allowing good suspension travel for rough ground. For example - BMW R 1200.

Cruiser

Cruisers are styled after American machines from the 1930s to the early 1960s, such as those made by Harley-Davidson, Indian, and Excelsior-Henderson. Harley-Davidsons largely define the cruiser category, and large-displacement V-twin engines are the norm, although other engine configurations and small to medium displacements also exist. Their engines are tuned for low-end torque, making them less demanding to ride because it is not necessary to shift as frequently to accelerate or maintain control. Cruisers are sometimes called "custom" even in the absence of aftermarket modifications. For example - HD Super low, Avenger.

Off-Road

Especially designed for off-road events, there are various types of off-road motorcycles, also known as dirt bikes. Compared to road-going motorcycles, off-road machines are simpler and lighter, having long suspension travel, high ground clearance, and rugged construction with little bodywork and no fairings for less damage in spills. Wheels (usually 21" front, 18" rear) have knobby tires, often clamped to the rim with a rim lock. For example - Hero Impulse.

Cafe Racer

The term cafe racer developed among British motorcycle enthusiasts of the early 1960s, specifically the Rocker (or ton-up boy) subculture. The term describes a style of motorcycle for quick rides from one "transport cafe or coffee bar to another. Cafe Racers were also common in Italy, France and other European countries. For example - GT continental.

Touring

Although any motorcycle can be equipped and used for touring, touring motorcycles are specifically designed to excel at covering long distances. They have large-displacement engines, fairings and screens that offer good weather and wind protection, large-capacity fuel tanks for long ranges between fill-ups, and a relaxed, pright seating position. Passenger accommodation is excellent and expansive luggage space is the norm for this class. Such bikes can have wet weights of 850–900 lb (390–410 kg) and top 1,300–1,400 lb (590–640 kg) fully loaded with a rider, passenger, and gear. For example - Honda Gold Wing.

FAQs

Read to find out answers for some of the most commonly asked questions in process of buying motorbike.

who provides it?

If you are looking forward to buy a new or used superbike there are multiple ways to choose from. Both online and offline there are different vendors who can help you get your dream bike. Here we go with them:

Classifieds: Online space is overcrowded with classified websites offering listings for used superbikes. You can ransack these various online portals to get one that fits your requirements.

Marketplace: You can go to Droom.my, to get your dream vehicle. Get enormous listings of used and new superbikes along with cars, bicycles, and scooters. Droom is the first online transactional platform providing sellers and buyers with a plenty of other benefits.

Dealer: Contact a dealer online or visit him personally to buy a used superbike.

Individual Seller: You can find an individual seller and contact him to crack the used superbike deal.

Authorized Showroom: Visit an authorized showroom to buy a new branded motorcycle. Different makers have their own dedicated showrooms that offer wide selection of latest models of superbikes.

How Can I Get It?

You can opt for any of the above mentioned options to buy a used or new superbike. But it is always better to get it with some additional benefits. Companies like Droom offers some hot coupons, buyer protection, genuine listing, safe platform, more options, and so on as extra benefits.

Things to remember before getting one

Before choosing a vehicle make sure to keep in mind the below mentioned points especially when it’s about a used superbike.

Seller Verification: The seller’s credibility should be well-established. If required ask for professional references from the seller.

Dealer Reviews: Get reviews of a dealer from previous customers or try finding them online if possible. This will help knowing the trustworthiness of the dealer in long run. At droom.my you can find seller reviews and authentication.

Registration Documents: All original documents like RC, insurance papers, service records and more must be available for viewing and verification.

Diagnostic Reports: You can opt for vehicle inspection to get a professional diagnostic report mentioning about health and condition of your vehicle. Vehicle inspection is done by an automobile expert who will offer an unbiased review about the vehicle.