So I finally pulled the trigger on that ’07 GSXR 600 engine last week. Been hunting for one forever since rebuilding the bike frame myself. Found this dude selling it cheap on Marketplace, claimed it was “solid.” Yeah right. Knew I had to be extra careful digging in.
What I Checked Before Buying
First things first, met the seller at his garage. Got my flashlight and gloves ready straight outta the truck. Didn’t even wanna talk price yet – just had to see this thing up close.
- Oil Check: Yanked the dipstick right away. Oil looked kinda dark brown, not great, but at least it wasn’t milky like a milkshake. Milky would’ve meant water mixing in – run away fast if you see that.
- Outside Gunk & Holes: Got my face real close scoping every inch. Looked for wet spots, fresh oil leaks, or random bolts missing. Saw some grime but mostly old and dried up. Good sign. Then banged my knuckles checking every mounting point – no cracks, no sketchy welding repairs.
- Coolant Lines: Peeked into where the radiator hoses connect. Crusty green junk inside? Big problem. Found some white-ish dried stuff, but nah, not that thick factory-green sludge. Dodged that bullet maybe.
Popping the Covers Open
Told the guy “Need to peek inside, man.” Grabbed my 4mm allen wrench from the truck. Had him hold the flashlight steady while I jiggled off the valve cover and the clutch cover. Didn’t wanna buy it blind.
- Valve Train: Shined the light right on the cams and little rocker arms. Looked for deep scratches or metal bits sitting there. Saw some wear lines, sure, but nothing gnarly. Not perfect but usable if the rest checks out.
- Clutch Area: Clutch cover off – peeked at the basket fingers. Runaway if they look like chipped fangs. These were slightly notched, but not destroyed. Measured fiber thickness quick with a caliper – still meat left, decent.
Turning It Over (The Big One)
Here’s where people screw up. Made sure it was in neutral. Stupid mistake waiting to happen. Jammed a big socket on the crank bolt and gave it slow turns with my big breaker bar. Listening hard.
- Movement: Felt heavy but smooth rotation at first. No hanging up or grinding. Breath held at every little click.
- Weird Noises? Only that slick shushing sound from the pistons sliding. Then… hear it? Little metallic tink near the top end halfway through. Stopped cold. Let it roll past and back again. Heard it again. Might be valve tap? Maybe chain slap? Risk point noted.
Stupid Simple Thing I Almost Missed
Right before handing over cash, stuck my pinky in each spark plug hole. Like the old timers said. Felt around the cylinder walls near the top. Big chunks of metal? Forget it. Only some gritty carbon stuff – totally normal. Wiped it on a rag. Big exhale.
So Did I Buy It?
Yep, handed him the cash. Got it home. Dropped it on the stand. Next step: compression test and dropping a little camera snake down the holes to see the actual pistons. But walking into it eyes wide open. That little tink still bugs me though. We’ll see.
Moral? Never trust “ran when parked” stories. Bring light, basic tools, and an hour to be annoying poking every corner. Saved my butt a few times already.
