Questions on Damage

[kippita2001]

Hey Guys,
 
I'm a new rider that's been looking at the FZ07 for some time as my first bike.
 
I found one on craigslist recently that seemed like a pretty decent deal. During emails with the seller they claimed no drops or damage and it had very low mileage.
 
I stopped by to see it this past weekend and found some visible damage that looked like it had been dropped or at least tipped over. See pictures below. It did test drive fine, no wobbling or anything strange in the handling.
 
Being new to bikes in general, I had some questions I was hoping you guys could help me out with.
 
-Is this damage any real cause for concern?
-If I go to check out the bike again, is there any places on the bike I should look for damage?
-Where is the best place to buy replacement parts? Ebay? Online OEM stores? My local motorcycle store? Estimates I should expect?
 
Thanks in advance for your help with this!
 
 
Left side engine guard rash

 
Left side radiator fairing scratches

 
 
Left side tank cover scratches

 
 
Right side burned plastic on exhaust

 
 
Rear tire strange wear marks and dirt on left side

 

[afatrat]

That bike has definitely been laid over. Probably ran wide in a left hand turn and low sided in the dirt/grass/gravel. Fairly recently too as the dirt hasn't been scuffed off the tire. I have no idea what's on the exhaust. If that is what happened, that damage is nothing. The plastics are cheap and the tire can be scuffed off in an open parking lot. That engine guard is aftermarket but the rest of it can be bought through online OEM stores (yamahapartshouse, partzilla, etc.)
 
As long as the front end and frame aren't tweaked (bent bars, bent forks, bent risers, cracks in the paint on the frame), I would say the damage is purely cosmetic. My reservation would come from the fact the seller BS'ed you. What else is he/she not telling you?

[jhonore]

He definitely dropped it. It looks to be at slow speeds, you can see the direction the scratches are moving. Just my opinion. If he lies about something like that, not the biggest issue, What else is he lying about?

[yamahazaki]

Curious, what was his asking price?

[DewMan]

The seller must be assuming you're an idiot to lie to you about something that's obvious to anyone with working eyes. If it were me I'd find a different seller just on principle. Very shady.

[kippita2001]

Thanks for the quick replies and input! Much appreciated!
 
To give a little more back story that I learned from the seller while I was there.
 
It was two parents selling their son's bike. They said he bought it last Fall and could no longer afford the payments. I'm giving them the benefit of the doubt that he never told them about the drop and it was in a garage all winter with bad lighting.
 
It's a 2016 with <1000 miles on it, but they weren't the original owners. Apparently they had bought it from a dealership with 100 miles on it.
 
They were asking $6k. Kelley Blue Book for my area has a trade in value of $4k and a dealer retail in excellent condition of $5950. I'm not too sure how reliable KBB is for bikes.
 
What are your thoughts on what it's worth? Assuming the damage is cosmetic?

[derekfz]

The plastic on the exhaust is no big deal. Looks like a burned microfiber rag. Just use a razor blade and scrape it off. It will come off no big deal. (I burned one on mine while cleaning it one day) lol

[mjh937]

My opinion is that $6k for a bike with a damage history is way too much. If it was $4k I might consider it but that would be my top dollar.

[jhonore]

Get it for 4K. If there is no other damage. That's a steal even with the damage that is there. I'm pretty sure the dealer would give them less. 4.5k max

[pineappleunderthesea]

Depending how it was dropped, also look for scratches on the left mirror, hand grip, seat area, rear passenger peg. From what I see in the pic, the shifter looks OK, but that can also bend on a left side drop. The little foot-grabby thingy on the kickstand can also bend.
 
You might have a couple hundred dollars of parts to replace (don't forget to buy the Yamaha emblem if you're replacing plastics that have the emblem on!)

[ralph]

To be honest I would look elsewhere but also check the bottoms of the forks.

[ddog]

A low side can bend the forks, it happened to me. If you have the ability to remove the front wheel and they'll allow it, measure the gap between the forks at the axle, loosen and rotate one of the fork tubes and rotate it in the triple clamp. Keep and eye on the distance between the forks and take a few measurements to confirm, repeat with the other fork. If the distance changes you know the fork you're rotating is not straight. Good luck with getting them to do that, but I wouldn't buy it otherwise. To have the forks redone with new stanchion tubes would be about $400 a piece.

[yamahazaki]

Yeah, sorry 6k no thanks. You can find many used in great condition and modded up with $$$ extras for that price.

[martyinaustin]

walk away. so many little or big things can be tweaked in a crash. that's a crash,
not just a drop.

[Eastern Kayaker]

Run away from this sale! Who puts something up for sale and does not look at the bike until you came over to check it out, does this sound OK to you? Sounds like the parents want to unload a lemon and get a premium price. Even if they come down in price, the initial deception would turn me away from this sale. 

[avanti]

Consider something of the rider's ended up on the exhaust as a function of the fall... and, was there long enough to "cook."