TO BUY OR NOT TO BUY? 2000, Monster 600 Dark 9,000 miles £1000

My friends boss has had his Monster sitting in a garage for the last few years. it is in great condition but does not have MOT or Tax. It has had 2 owners but has a full service history.

It was also stolen but returned with the only damage being the mirrors which have been replaced. Does this effect me in any way?

I have only seen pictures but I am going to see it next week.

What sort of things should I be checking for? i.e. chain, sprockets, tires, oil leeks ect?

I was thinking £1000 was a good deal but am afraid the bike will need a full service as it has been sitting for so long? If so I hear it is around £400?

It would be great to get any thoughts or professional opinions.

Many thanks, Stephen

Fuel and battery are always a problem on a sitting bike. If it has been stored correctly, he should have taken the tank off (drained it) and removed the battery. You certainly have to change the belts. Any condenstaion sitting in any areas will also cause trouble, like the tank and exhaust pipes.

Is changing the belts an expensive job? Should it only be done by experts or is it reasonably easy?

there are independant people who will service and sort the bike for a lot less then a main dealer.
I use a guy in sevenoaks half the price of ducati dealer and does a great job.

also if it has been sitting in the same place, the tyres are likely to have a flat spot.Also stolen and recovered makes it a Cat. D, doesn't it?

Sorry for my ignorance, what is a category D?

Category D - Repairable salvage. Minimal damage, probably not structural, but insurer does not want to repair, even though it might be economic to do so. Often stolen and recovered after claim has been paid. Or for unusual models or grey imports where the difficulty of obtaining new parts hinders a quick repair. Does not need VIC inspection to return to road. Recorded with HPI, AA, and the like.

CAT D

Does that mean the insurance is more expensive?

[slob]

You should be getting the belts included in the £400 (major/2yr)service.
If you're serious about buying, get an HPI check for £15.

Originally Posted by smcgilvray

Does that mean the insurance is more expensive?

not sure but shouldn't be. I think johnny e has a cat D. he should be able to tell you about it. IMO the bike is worth around 800 quid in that condition.

[muthaducka]

I've got a cat D and the insurance is no more expensive than usual for me.

That was what I was thinking Pomp1. If it's in need of a £400 service but the tires, chain & sprockets ect are in decent condition. Is it a fair price to offer £700 to £800?

tires have a 5 years shelf life. if the bike has been sitting still they're likely to have a flat spot on them, maybe ok but worth a mention to save an extra few £££. 700 quid is a bit low, but if you ready to hustle for a bargain, go for it. 800 still a good price. chain and sprochet WILL need a good clean-up and greasing as well.If you are mechanically minded,can save a few quid by doing some service yourself.(like get the clutch plates off to make sure are not stuck together, oil & filters change,all cables/bearings/moving parts will need grease/lubricant) also check the stanchion condition as if they're pitted will be a problem next time you change the seals(but forks can be picked up on e-bay for as low as 50 quid, if you need some I've got 2 pairs) Monster are failry easy if you know basic mechanic knowledge. I'm sure you'll have lots of advice from the chaps in here, a really helpful bunch.

Great Pomp1 thanks for all the advice. I have to say everyone has been very helpful and I appreciate the time taken to help me out. Thanks to everyone!

hi, HPI text message on your phone send reg to ...83600 £3 PER TEXT. It's really good. I've used it afew times.