Used bikes
Buying a second-hand motorbike: what to check before you pay
By the workshop · 3 min read · October 21, 2026
A well-chosen used bike is the best buy there is; a badly chosen one costs the same as the good one plus whatever it's missing. This is the checklist we use on our used bikes before putting them up for sale, so you can use it on the one you're looking at.
Before you go and see it: the paperwork
Ask for the permiso de circulación (the registration document) and the ficha técnica (the bike's technical sheet) with a valid ITV, Spain's roadworthiness test, similar to the MOT, and check that the name on them matches the seller's. With the plate number, get the report from the DGT (Spain's traffic authority): it tells you whether there are charges or seizures on the bike, whether the mileage at previous ITVs adds up and whether any accident is recorded. If the seller won't show you the papers, there's no deal.
Frame number, plate and keys
The bike's frame number must match the one on the ficha técnica, with no repainting or tampering. Check that you're given all the keys and, if there's an immobiliser, that both of them work. A single set of keys on a recent bike is a warning sign.
What you can see: consumables and knocks
Tyres with tread and no cracks, brake pads with material left, a chain with no tight spots and a sprocket without sharpened teeth, discs without a lip on the edge. Look at the bar ends, engine covers, exhaust and footpegs: scratches there tell you about falls. Immaculate bodywork with scratched covers means it went down and the plastics were fixed.
What's harder to see: leaks and forks
Fork legs with no trace of oil, dry seals, no drips under the engine after ten minutes running. Push down on the forks and the rear shock: they should come back up without bouncing. Turn the handlebars from lock to lock: no tight spots and no noises from the steering.
Cold start and test ride
Ask for it not to be started before you arrive. From cold it should fire up without a struggle and hold its idle without throttle. Blue smoke is oil; thick white smoke is coolant. Listen to the engine at idle and when revving in neutral, and on the test ride go through every gear and brake hard once: no vibration through the lever, no snatching when you let go.
History and price
Service invoices, the maintenance book and a mileage that matches the ITV records are worth more than anything the ad says. With what you've found on this list, adjust the price or walk away. If you don't feel up to checking it yourself, book an appointment and we'll look at it with you: a check before you buy is the cheapest part of the whole deal.
What you ask us
What do I have to do after buying?
Sign a sale contract with both parties' details and the bike's, do the change of ownership at the DGT and pay the transfer tax (impuesto de transmisiones). The seller must notify the sale so they're no longer liable for fines.
What if the bike is imported?
Make sure it's registered in Spain with a Spanish ficha técnica. A bike with foreign papers needs type approval and registration, and that costs time and money you should take off the price.
Are the workshop's used bikes checked?
Yes. The second-hand bikes we sell go through the workshop before going on sale, with a real price and ficha técnica. You can see them on the bikes page.
We do it
Would you rather not get your hands dirty?
We get it ready for you at the workshop. Book a slot and pick a real time.
