Buying sorn/garaged

I have seen a bike which is currently sorn and has been sat in the garage for over a year. The owner has been starting it on a regular basis but not taking it out for a spin.
Any things I should be careful of as it has been idle for so long.?.
Also, what is the best way to get it home if it is sorn.?.
I have asked if it could be taxed by him and he is going to check and let me know.
There is a possibility of getting a trailer but obviously, riding it home would be preferable.

check tyres for cracks- can happen if sat on one patch of the tyre for too long.

Also check wheels spin freely and the brakes havnt ceased.

[Stu]

unlikely he will tax it as he would need to insure & MOT it 1st.
You can ride it directly from his to an MOT station near you without MOT or tax as long as you insure it & you can ride it from the MOT place to your house afterwards if it passes or not & without tax.

I reckon if it starts, you wouldn't have a lot to worry about it being stored. Although allow for the cost of a new battery as he may just take it off a charger the moment you arrive. Just don't pay top $ because of the low mileage as it's obviously not good for it.

[Biker Biggles]

Tyres flatspotted?Chain dried out and fubared?Battery been regularly charged or will be fubared??Electrical gremlins from damp/dry joints?
The sorn expires every 12 months or if the vehicle is sold to another keeper,so you will need to either tax it or sorn it if you buy.Is it MOTd and insured?If it is you could buy it and tax it yourself.If not you need to van it or you will break the law.

i would (and did) just ride it home with no tax

Originally Posted by hovis

i would (and did) just ride it home with no tax

I would like to say I have never done any such thing.....


Oh and break the fork seals in gently....

Usually takes more than a year to do serious neglect type damage if the bike has been garaged and run up to temperature regularly. As mentioned check the tyres out for flattening in any one place as they do tend to deform if left sitting in the same place. You'll know this when you ride it cos it'll be a bit shaky or wobbly. If it's an older bike check the condition of the collector box on the exhaust, they have a habit of corroding away to nothing on some bikes if left in damp garages with condensation in the pipe. While on the subject of condensation, look at the conditon of the oil in the sight glass and if it's of a milky white consistency this may not mean the head gasket is fubar, it could be condensation in the engine itself. An oil and filter change should sort this, and it'd be wise to do that before using the bike on a regular basis. Get the engine nice and hot beforehand so everything flows out nicely and wear Nitrile gloves cos they can stand more heat than latex ones.

Other than that just make sure it's capable of passing an MOT before you bother taking it for one.

So what is it anyway.....

strip down calipers as they won't be in the best of states is another one to add to the list.

i aquired a honda that had been garaged for 10yrs with out running. cleaned the float chamber and some new fuel. Jmup leads on it and started 1st time. the tires are shot and things needed wd40. but new tires and battery it could be bk on the road.

just be careful i think it was quite lucky.