2nd hand buying

what's the FOAK's opinion on the price of a 2nd hand bike that it's
worth paying the 25 quid for an HPI check?

Could you list it on ebay, then get an HPI check for 6.99?

...and predictably enough for a bike that seemed ideal at a very
reasonable price, it's sold less than 24 hours from when it appeared
on Autotrader's website.

My opinion is that the seller should offer one as a part of the deal and
adjust the price if needs be.

I agree with you - but it's not exactly common practice.

Sadly not but maybe those of you who are shopping for a bike could start
a trend by asking for one, directly if it is a dealer, or by posting a
question to the seller if it is ebay or similar. It would only take a
few determined types to make it much more commonplace.

Most dealers will HPI a bike before they take it in, which should give=20
you a clue as to how safe it is to buy from them. Ask the dealer for the=20
HPI report from when they took it in.

If they didn't HPI it then they are fools.

What is it? An '02 Ducati 748 with a couple of marks on the right hand
fairing and a small crack on the rear seat pod in the white paint?

Obviously, I wouldn't bother on something less than a grand, and
definitely would on something more than 3-4K, but where's the sensible
breakpoint?

I work on an amount I can afford to lose.

So if it turns out to be stolen and gets taken off me to be returned
to the owner, or if it turns out to be a write off, can I afford to
lose that amount of cash?

In my case it's a couple of grand.

Of the last three bikes I've bought, two came from dealers and already
had HPI docs. The other was a private sale, so I gave the bloke a
deposit and ran an HPI check by phone there and then, on the condition
that if it failed the check, I'd get the deposit back.

that sounds like the way to do it, actually.

If you're finding 25 quid a bit of a stretch, things must be bad in the

I'm not - I spent more than that on breakfast this morning[1].

I haven't worked in anything that could remotely be described as a "nu
meeja" job for about 5 years, YUC.

[1] OK, not just for myself.

nu meeja world.

I'd look at the owner and the rest of the paperwork first. I mean, I
*always* check engine and frame numbers against the V5, look for signs
of tampering with the numbers, look at lock stops for a sign the thing's
been in a shunt (they're virtually impossible to repair invisibly,
especially on beam framed bikes), and if anything is remotely odd, I
just walk away.

One owner, fsh, nice shiny bike = unlikely to have been lunched. Unless
it's a Bandit.

I suppose the answer is: "What you can afford to lose if it goes
pear-shaped."

FWIW, I've never HPI'd a bike, though I have checked out a car.

I'm not sure I'd buy anything 2nd hand unless from a dealer, with a bit
of warranty and HPI clear, so I can't really answer that one.

2 grand?