Depends on the 12k were put on. If they were at redline, with no care/maintenance you can expect some problems. And make sure to 2x and 3x check the titles as sometimes the sellers can spit sunshine and sell s*&^.

The same principles go with all motorcycles, attempt to get as much information as possible.

My typical checklist for any motorcycle is
1. Check for frame damage/warping
This is going to give you the first idea of anything that may have happened to the bike that is really, really serious. Outside of plastic damage, places to look are on the cases, and look for dings and dents anywhere that would have hit the ground. This again is different for all bikes, for example, my old cb750k had wear marks on the rear swingarm and the exhaust headers, but I know what happened going into the deal.

2. Run a basic check on the bike.
My first start is with the oil. Pending on whether the bike is running or not, leave it go for anywhere from 10-12 minutes while you discuss the bike with the owner. Check the oil for metal flakes or any other dangerous appearances, if you see big chunks of aluminum, watch your ****. I always, always, always, always, always, always do a compression test on a bike. I've had 2 encounters (1 mine, 1 someone else's) where the compression was shot to hell on a bike that was running poorly and carbs were assumed to be the problem. I got lucky and it was the valves were out of adjustment, my buddy wasn't and cyl.1,3,4 on a v4 had blown rings; not a cheap repair as it was more than the value of the bike.
Run over all the fluids too, it doesn't take all that long, and just make sure that everything is the right color/consistency. Coolant overflow bottles are good ways to check instead of the rads, brake/clutch are good place to check for fluids, and test the suspension by grabbing the brakes to make sure there's no bends in them.

3. If at all possible, take a known good version of the bike out and know how it rides/feels (ect) and then pair that against what you might be buying. Sometimes more difficult to arrange, but I've actually had a lot of good reception with guys on local forums and being able to test bikes vs. what I might be buying. For more obscure bikes, good luck but as a gsxr1000 is somewhat common, find a friend of a friend whom will let you do that, usually takes a little bit of riding experience with that given person but you never know.

4. Make a reasonable offer on the bike by your best judgment.

With a few simple tools you can run a very good test on a bike. If it is someone shady, then just watch yourself; another bike will come along with the same deal that will be just as satisfying. Don't go there under the presumption you're going to buy the bike, go there looking to POSSIBLY, under the right conditions, have a new toy in your garage.


If you don't know what you're looking for, bring someone who does =)