hello from Orkney

[moff]

Hi as just getting back into biking after a long brake,no guess,s what that was.I have 2 bikes at the moment a dr350 suzuki and a suzuki gs500 which has been fun but have my heart set on a 600monster>Went and veiwed one today a 1997 monster 600 its not original,after market exhausts,headlights,clocks and is a bit rough around the edges and the frame had to be welded after a fall but sounds and drives great.Not sure if i am looking threw rose tinted goggles he willet it go for 850 its moted and taxed and says he has spent about that on it i guess i am looking for some advice and what to be aware of thanks.

[Dirty]

Hi and welcome to the forum

Orkney! That's pretty remote. Bet you have some great biking roads. And no traffic issues!

Don't be put off by the lack of response to your question so far. Most members are at the annual weekender so busy with real people rather than internetting. They'll be back in force in a couple of days and I'm sure you''l get the help you are looking for. You might want to start a separate thread in the technical section.

For myself I'd stay away from any thing that had fallen so hard the frame needed welding. Can you be certain it was done properly and is now 100% straight? I'd wait and look to spend a bit more.

Dirty

[Blah blah]

Hellooooo to you up there from down here which, according to a certain route finder, is approximately 850 miles away :eyepopping: so I probably won't be popping in for a cuppa...

For not much more you could probably get something similar that hasn't been down the road, but if you're interested in this one then I'd check the wheels are straight, early ones are soft and can bend a bit, check the tank hinge isn't leaking (I didn't, and mine was) and everything else to look at is pretty standard for a normal old (ab)used bike.

Oh and belts are obvious but relatively easy to do

[cactus]

Hi there, glad to hear from you in Orkney. I'm in Dundee and visited Orkney on my Moto Guzzi some years ago to attend the Twatt Twits Trot and really enjoyed the rally and the island. I don't think I'd go for this machine considering the issues it has had, although your choice may well be quite limited. I think I'd hang on and look for something less knocked about. Keep an eye out on the for sale section on this site and the Ducati Up North site which is mainly Scottish Ducastistis. Good luck. :)