Pre-Purchase Inspection · Cleveland, OH
The $150 that saves you from the $3,000 mistake.
Buying used? We inspect the bike at the seller's location before you hand over cash.
Marketplace and Craigslist bikes look great in photos. Then you buy it and discover the tight-spot chain, the weeping fork seals, the crash damage under the fairings, and the title problem. A pre-purchase inspection puts a professional between you and that outcome — we meet you at the seller's location and go through the bike while you watch.
You get a written condition report, a list of what the bike needs with real repair costs, and — our buyers' favorite part — negotiation ammunition. Most PPI customers save more off the asking price than the inspection costs.
What we check
- Engine health: cold start, noises, smoke, leaks, compression where possible
- Crash evidence: frame, bar ends, levers, fairing tabs, subframe
- Consumables: tires, chain, sprockets, pads — with replacement costs
- Electrical: charging output, lights, fault codes where accessible
- VIN and title red flags, mileage consistency, service history review
What's included
- On-site inspection at the seller's location (with your permission to attend)
- Written report with photos, usually delivered same day
- Itemized "what it needs" list with honest repair pricing
- Straight verdict: buy it, negotiate it, or walk away
- Applied credit: book the repairs with us and the inspection fee comes off the bill
Pricing: Flat-rate inspection anywhere in the service area. Same-week scheduling — good used bikes don't stay listed long.
Straight answers
Pre-Purchase Inspection FAQ
The seller won't allow an inspection. What now?
That's your answer. A seller with nothing to hide has no reason to refuse a professional looking at the bike while they're present. Walk away — the market has more bikes.
Can you inspect a bike I already put a deposit on?
Yes — sooner is better. If the report surfaces problems, it becomes your negotiation sheet or your reason to recover the deposit before things finalize.
Do you inspect non-running project bikes?
Yes, with adjusted scope: we assess what "getting it running" actually costs, which is usually the number that decides whether the project makes sense. We part out bikes for a living — we know exactly what dead bikes cost to revive.