is 15K a lot for a C50? what service may be needed?

Z

Zombie Bob

New member
Hello C50 owners!

I just registered here. I'm considering buying a C50, it's a 2005 bike, seems to have been maintained regularly (every 3500 miles). It has 15000 miles and I'm wondering if a) it's much (probably not, if maintained well?), b) what service I'd need to do and how much that'd be. According to the owner's manual, there's one coming at 15K, many "inspections", and... spark plug replacement. Not sure what those inspections will result in. The so-far usage was mostly for commuting, in a hilly land (Oregon/California).

- The front tire has most of this 15K on it, the back tire has probably less than 10K. The thread is still clearly marked (and no dry rod) , but I'm not sure - is it time to change...?
- The sound seemed quite low to me (and it's a stock exhaust), like burp-burp-burp, he he ;), but it wasn't backfiring and when ridden faster by the owner, sounded ok.
- It's supposedly been down (at a low speed?) at the very beginning and everything was repaired/replaced. I noticed the front lamp and the signals are slightly skewed, but the fork looked ok, and I didn't feel anything wrong when test-riding. Is it normal for those light to be misalligned due to standard usage?
- The rear brake looked half-way the range, and I couldn't see how much pads in front there are left. How often do you change brakes?
- There were tiny (really small) signs of rust at the bottom. I guess that's normal.
- When is the clutch change due?
- It generally looked nice, was stored in a garage, probably not ridden much in rain (according to the owner), and test-riding/accelerating was without any problems (didn't go fast though).
- I'd prefer an M50 (sorry guys... ;), but this one seems to have a good price ($4000, plain C50 w/o windshield, bags etc.), I'm just not that fond of the tail and the color, but maybe I'll get to like it :)

Any advice?

Thanks!

PS. If you had a pdf of the owner's manual, I wouldn't complain to see it :)
PS2. If you're the owner, and read it, hello :) I think it's a fair description, huh?
 
ZBY... welcome to the site.... we would appreciate your filling out a bit of a profile...

I have this exact bike. I cant comment on the service intervals...but the price for that bike sounds a bit high given the year, miles and that it was dropped...anyway, I would try to do a better deal. I dropped mine, fixed everything and ended up with slightly skewed the lights similarly... that is no big deal I think.

tire mileage sounds about right for replacement....but if you still have good tread depth, perhaps it can wait a bit.

the sound from the muffler indicates it may not be stock... look up inside do you see holes drilled?...a common aftermarket attempt to improve sound... shouldnt hurt performance at all...maybe help. Search for 'debaffle' in here. Maybe the baffle is already gone? Technically, not a legal mod and might give you a negotiating lever too.;)

I would test ride it at speed too... if the crash wasnt repaired properly you might feel something not right in the front suspension at hiway speed... a wobble or ?

Annie
 
Thanks Annie,

First, I updated the profile a bit :) I was thinking about it, and I may actually try to get something with a lower mileage, simply because I may need to resell it relatively soon, and it'll be easier with lower mileage I think. Also, I actually do like the look of the M50 better... :)
 
I also think that price is too high i bought an '05 with less than 5000 miles for around $5000 and that i did not think was bad because of the mileage with no damage. Just food for thought:horse:
 
Well, as an '07 M50 owner with almost 12k miles on the clock, I'd say whoever owned that bike is kind of sissy. :)

Seriously though, 15k miles isn't much on this bike, as long as the service has been done. 5k miles per year means she was actually ridden, not just a garage queen. Bikes that just sit a long time tend to develop more serious problems than those that are ridden and taken care of.

$4k is a good price for a C50, even better if you can wiggle the seller closer to $3,500-3,800.

If I were in your shoes, I'd seriously consider buying it. The differences between the C and the M are minimal, although everybody has their style preference. Once you get past the fenders and the location of the speedo, they're both the same bike.
 
15K in three model years is not a lot at all. The C50 is a good bike, and will last 75,000-100,000 miles with proper maintenance. The overall condition of the bike is far more important than mileage at this point, and price is more important for the buying decision.
 
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