Buying a Motorcycle

So now you feel that you're ready to take the plunge and you want to start shopping around for a bike. Buying a bike can be a tricky affair in Korea. As with buying a car you have the choice between new and used. For the most part, I'd recommend a used bike for several reasons. Used bikes are cheap, they can be sold with little to no loss, and if you don't like the used bike you bought there are people who are willing to "trade" you bikes. Also, you'll often find used bikes with aftermarket parts for dress up and performance which makes your life easier if you plan on taking that route. The thing that really bothers me most about buying new in Korea is that there is a really high tariff for imported vehicles. If I ever consider buying new, I think of US prices and when I think of Korean prices I keep thinking I'm getting jipped. If you plan on living here, new is probably a good option. If you're just "passing through", then I'd suggest a used bike so you don't take a hit when it comes to resale value.

In the two years that I have been here, I have been the owner for 4 different bikes; Hyosung Exiv 125, Hyosung Comet GT250R, HSRC Drift 125, and a Yamaha R1.

The Hyosung Exiv was bought from a motorcycle center. Now, depending on what you're looking for, a local motorcycle center is probably the easiest process to purchase a bike. Most of the time you get a limited warranty and the motorcycle center will help you with all the paperwork that is involved. There are a few problems with motorcycle centers, however. Just like in America, you can expect a generous mark up on the price of the motorcycle. The good thing is that you can haggle for the price. In general, all the rules for bargaining at your local marketplace applies to when you buy a motorcycle so just shop wary and shop smart. One additional note, just because the shop gives you a warranty doesn't necessarily mean the bike is in good condition so make sure to check it thoroughly before purchase. Later in this post I'll give you a set of pointers to look out for when purchasing a used bike.

The Hyosung Comet GT250R and the Yamaha R1 were bought through online websites.
Http://www.passo.co.kr
Http://www.bikemart.co.kr

Just in case you can't find the link, used car/bike is "중고차" in Korean so just look for ththose words. The rest of it is pretty self-explanatory. These sites are pretty much the "autotrader.com" sites of Korea. You will find that the prices on these sites are much lower than motorcycle centers and you will have a larger selection of bikes to choose from. The sellers range from large motorcycle dealers to high school students who were forced to sell their motorcycles because their parents found out they had secretly bought one. The Korean word for negotiation is "절충" so if it says "절충가능" the price is negotiable and "절충불가능" mean the price is not negotiable. You have to be extra wary when purchasing a bike online, but there are plenty of good bikes available and people post up ads daily. I would recommend you use Passo over Bikemart as Passo is more popular and people tend to post up cheaper prices, but it doesn't hurt to check both.

My HSRC Drift was purchased from a friend. Now, if this option is available to you, it's probably . It doesn't even have to be a friend, but just any other foreigner who has a bike. You can find motorcycle for sale ads on craigslist Korea as well as teaching forums like Waygook.org. The reason I say that this is your best bet is because you can discuss any problems directly (if your Korean isn't perfect) and the ability to communicate means they can help you through the registration process.

There is also the option of buying new. A new bike has a warranty and you have the piece of mind knowing that the bike is in perfect condition. Bikes are often crashed and dropped and the sellers will lie about it after making repairs. If you have the money and can find a dealer, this may be a good option for you as well.

Used Bike Buying Checklist (Things to do to check the condition of the motorcycle):
Start and shut off the engine a few times. When you first start the bike, put your hand by the engine to see if it is warm. What you're doing here is checking how well it makes a "cold start". Motorcycles generally have a more difficult time starting up when the engine is completely cold. Most smaller and older bikes are carberetter fed so don't expect a perfect start, but it shouldn't take longer than a few seconds or a small pull on the throttle while you're hitting the ingition button. The reason you do this is to make sure the starter and battery are good as well as other things that could be affected on the inside like spark plugs and fuel delivery.
- On a side note - A dead battery is not the end of the world, but it could make things difficult later on. Many batteries suffer greatly in performance if they are completely discharged and left to sit for a while. If the bike needs to be charged, there's a good chance the battery has lost a lot of its potential. If you can start/stop the motor about 5-8 times without any starting issues, the battery is fine. If not, try to negotiate for a free battery replacement. In the case they say no, a new battery will run between 30,000 Won - 130,000 Won depending on your make and model.

Listen to the engine/exhaust noise. Does it sputter? Does it sound like the engine noise is going up and down considerably? Are there any weird ticking noises? (Yamahas and Chinese bikes make ticking noises in general so they are an exception) When you pull on the throttle, does it rev up freely or does it seem to struggle and have difficulty as it is revving up? Being able to tell the signs of an engine problem through the noises that a motorycle makes only comes with experience so try to track down a reliable third party to help you make these calls.

Look at the smoke coming out of the exhaust. Scooters give off a lot of black smoke, but that is normal. If you're looking at almost any another motorcycle, the smog coming out of the exhaust/muffler should at most have just a slight tinge of black. If the smoke is blue (burning oil), white(burning coolant), or really dark and sooty (not burning enough gas) just move on and forget you even saw the bike. On a side note, this is pretty much a given, if you are looking at the bike on a cold day the smoke will seem white, but that's more likely due to condensation than burning coolant.

Grab the brakes while standing in front of the bike and rock the bike back and forth. The purpose of this is to check the suspension. The bike should have a slight bounce to it and should offer resistance as the springs compress. Again, being able to judge this comes with experience, but use some commons sense. If the bike seems to compress the suspension too easily, then it's probably an issue. Sit on the bike and see how much it sags. The bike should sag a bit, but you should not hear any clunks or bumps as the suspension compresses. Now, while sitting on the bike you should hold the brakes and rock it back and forth. There should be even less give and absolutely no clunking, bumps, rattling when you rock the bike back and forth while you're sitting on it. Despite what you may think, suspension is one of the most integral parts of a bike's performance. Suspenion repairs generally run more expensive than usual stuff so be extra wary with this. Another way to check the suspension is to check the actual shocks (the bars that sit inside the springs) after you've sat on it and rocked it around a bit and see if there is any liquid leeking out.

Check the tires' conditions. I would recommend you google, "When should I change a motorcycle tire?" and follow the guidelines you find. They will generally inflate the tires for you when you buy it so underinflation is a non-issue.

Things to do after you've bought the bike:
Change the oil/oil filter - the seller will tell you that they recently changed the oil. They are probably lying.

Change the sparkplug(s) - same as above. Although the spark plug shouldn't need that much servicing, it's a good piece of mind and relatively cheap to do.

There are certain things that any motorcycle dealer will do for you when you buy the bike, but if you buy it from a private seller, get these done as well:
Lube/Oil the Chain
Check Chain Tension
Check Tire Pressure and inflate/deflate as necessary

Wash your bike, have a friend take a picture of your next to it, pat yourself on the back, try to get some sleep that night and enjoy the ride.

My experience isn't all encompassing as I've never purchased a new bike and there are other ways to find a used bike. One other option for you is to join a online community (Daum Cafe) and login to motorcycle club websites and check the for sale ads. This is a bit difficult for foreigners to do as we don't have the proper credentials, but you can ask a native friend for help. Buying a vehicle here is pretty similar to buying one in America so just use common sense and don't get too excited about the purchase and make a quick purchase without making sure your bike is in good condition.