Before reading the following, your attention is drawn to the Disclaimer.

Changing all of the fluids is advisable as the bike may not been ridden for some time. All of the fuel should have been drained from the fuel tank prior to shipping; it is not uncommon for fuel to be left in the carburettors though. If there is any remaining in the tank it should be drained off and disposed of safely.

The tyre sizes for the NC30 are 120/60-17 for the front and 150/60-18 for the rear. I have found that there are a few choices around when it comes to choosing tyres; the 18-inch rear wheel is the limiting factor. New tyres are advisable as, like the original brake pads, the original Japanese items are likely to be well worn and have probably suffered a bit during shipping. The tyres you have to choose from are:

I am currently using Bridgestone BT92's and have in the past run Dunlop GPR70's. There could well be a few other makes around that I have not come across yet. If I do, I'll add them on (e-mail me if you know of any others!!)

To register your bike, the Vehicle Registration Office will ask you for the following items: an MOT certificate and an Insurance certificate. On these two forms, the space for the registration number should have the chassis number of your bike instead. The Japanese Log book, V55/5 log book, road tax payment and a Customs & Excise clearance form will also be required.

What do I need to check?

These checks should be performed whether the bike is an import or not.

Clocks reading in Kilometres/Kilometres-per-hour are a pretty sure indication of an import. Commonly a miles-per-hour overlay is laid over the glass of the Speedometer. Remember the Odometer will still read in Kilometres, this is especially important when booking services etc. If your bike is an import, but it has a true miles/miles-per-hour Speedometer/Odometer, be advised that the old unit has been discarded. Ask the vendor for the true mileage. Whilst it is not an offence to change the unit, it is illegal to conceal the fact that this has been done (effectively the bike has been "Clocked").

Overall build quality is very high. There are a few things to look out for though. Although the exhaust system (on a standard bike) is stainless steel, it is worth checking the clamps that hold the two parts of the system together. There are two of them (one on each pipe), below the oil sump. They can corrode badly as they are not stainless steel and are exposed to the road. In the same area, check the suspension linkages for the rear shock, they are prone to corrosion.

Look carefully for signs of crash damage:

Worst-case scenario is a bent frame or sub-frame. Be wary of polished frames as well, it is sometimes done to hide damage. Frame straightness can be checked by placing a long piece of wood up against the wheels whilst the steering is straight. Look along the length of the piece of wood to check for straightness. The sub-frame is detachable and can therefore be replaced. It is very costly though. Frame damage usually equals write-off.

A lot of NC30's have been raced due to their highly competent track handling, just look at the entries for the TT Race to see what I mean! Signs of an ex-race bike include drilled oil sump plugs and filler caps (look for a small hole through either), non-road legal exhausts, badly chipped wheel rims caused by multiple tyre changes, excessively worn-down rubbers on foot pegs and bars, non-standard bodywork, or patchiness on the bodywork where sponsor transfers have been removed. The mileage shown on the clocks of a race bike may not be the true mileage either, as Speedo units are removed whilst racing.

Check the headrace bearings by getting someone to help you lift the front of the bike off of the ground. Turn the bars slowly from lock-to-lock and feel for any notchiness. Again, with the front wheel off of the ground, grab the forks from the front and push and pull backwards and forwards. There should be no ‘forward and back' motion of the forks. If you find either of these it means that the headraces will need adjusting or replacing. If you get a test ride, signs of worn out bearings include the bike wandering to the left or right, a clunk from the headstock when you brake, lots of bar shakes (NC30's are inherently very stable), sloppy steering or stiff heavy steering.

Whilst at the front of the bike, it is worth checking the lower radiator as its position makes it prone to clogging up.

Check the front fork legs for pitting and the seals for leaks. If you imported the bike, this can happen as salt air encountered during shipping can damage the rubber. Other times, blown fork seals are an indication of a wheelie-obsessed previous owner. In this instance, definitely go for genuine Honda seals, pattern replacements are not as good; they tend to be a very tight fit. If you are having trouble with soggy suspension, firstly try adjusting it (see Technical for suspension adjustment advice). If this does not solve your problem, then a change of fork oil and or new, stiffer, fork springs should sort things out. Fork oil degrades over time and loses its damping properties.

The rear shock absorber should also be checked for leaks. Other than this, the rear suspension needs very little attention as the roller bearings that the links pivot on have seals. The links themselves can corrode, so keep an eye on them (see Maintaining an NC30). Check the remote reservoir (right-hand side, behind the pillion foot peg) for signs of corrosion. DO NOT attempt to disconnect or disassemble it, it contains high-pressure Nitrogen gas. Like the front forks, the rear shock absorber is adjustable too. On high-mileage machines it may need replacing altogether. A replacement shock will set you back around £300-£400. Thankfully, it is a fairly sturdy piece of kit. Whilst at the rear of the bike, get someone to lift the rear wheel off of the ground. Check the swingarm for any side-to-side free play, there shouldn't be any. If there is, this is unfortunately a sign of worn swingarm bearings, a reasonably costly problem.

The V4 engine is a very robust design with added reliability from gear driven cams. If your bike is reading 24,000Km (16,000miles) or double these readings, get the valve clearances checked by your local dealership. This is reasonably expensive, due to the labour involved in getting to the valves. However it is less expensive than replacing burnt out valves. I would advise doing an oil change when you get the bike, unless you are told that it has already been done. This way, you know when it was last carried out. Use motorbike oil, not car oil. You need API grade SE, SF or SG motor oil with a viscosity of SAE 10W40 grade.

It is unlikely that an imported bike will have had the fuel drained from the carburettors prior to it being exported. During transport and standing, the fuel evaporates and leaves a deposit behind. This applies to any bike that has been left standing for a long period of time. This will cause the bike to run roughly and not tick over at a regular pace. The answer to this is to strip the carbs' and clean them thoroughly. If you have the experience and feel confident enough to DIY it then do so, by the end you will have plenty of practice at taking carbs' apart and reassembling them… you do have four to do! You will need to rebalance the carbs' afterwards. Whilst you are in the area, clean or replace the air filter.

If all of this checks out, and regular servicing is upheld (see Maintaining an NC30 for the servicing schedule), there is no reason why your NC30 shouldn't give you many miles of faithful service and pleasure.