I am considering buying a 99 Fireblade and was wondering if there is anything I should look out for. Also are there common problems that the bike will have aside from bad regulators? Any other advice?

Thanks.

These are popular bikes with stunters. Look for obvious damage (or signs of repair), dents, marks etc. The mileage should reflect the condition of the bike.

Has it been repainted or is it stock? Any performance mods? How many owners. What's the asking price - is it fair?

Check the general cleanliness of the bike. If it's clean it will likely have been looked after. If the miles are low, look at the footpegs, shift rubbers and grips...they shouldn't be too worn. Also, if there are low miles there probably won't be too many pits in the headlight.

Check the chain slack, and look at the tires. Does it pull to one side when you ride straight with your hands off the clip ons? Regulators aren't too expensive, but the stators can go bad too....as do batteries. But that's wear and tear.

That's about all I can think of for now.

Got it... So I am mainly looking for evidence of it being down...

That would be a good start. Look for some panels appearing 'newer' than others too...this would give you a clue that it may have gone down in that area.

Plus, sus out the owner as well! That's always a good indicator of the way the bike has been treated. You could make some candid remarks that the 900RR is a 'wheelie machine'. See how he reacts. If he goes on and on about it he may have had the front in the air at every chance possible...that's not good for the headstem and bearings!

Listen for cam chain tensioner noise as well...pretty well known issue with all(most) CBR's. Not an expensive fix, but it's a problem that still exists.

Well I finally picked the bike up a few days ago. I had to sell my old F2 first. I love this bike.

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Enjoy I had one for seven years since new, great bike never a problem. (Typical Honda)

congrats! those are the colors I wanted!

-jh

Thanks. I am just looking for spare side panels now. You know just in case

Good find, nice exhaust setup. I had one on my 93 GSX-R750.

You'll like the bike, I love my 97 RR.

The exhaust does sound really good. I am looking for a set of helibars or something to that liking. Any ideas?

Very nice looking 900RR. I'd like taller clip ons on my 900rr as well. I just don't want to mess with buying and installing them, they require longer throttle cables most likely. The stock throttle cables don't leave any room to raise the bars.

I wouldn't worry about buying spare side panels, as long as you don't plan on stunting it. Frame sliders have saved one of my side panels already after a garage tip over incident.

Well, I bought my 900RR brand new in 1999.
I love the bike so much I just don't want to part with it. Before I bought it I looked at everything. Hayabusa (ugly) and to big, R-1, didn't feel right, Kawasaki. Nope. Loved the feel of the '99 CBR.
Keep looking at the latest and greatest out there, might buy something else new, but I still love my 900.
Will keep her around no matter what I buy.
Biggest headache so far, new tires for the 16" front wheel. Getting harder to find in any variety.
My 900 is stock except for a full race titanium Two Brothers Exhaust, steel braided brake lines, Targa rear deck instead of the seat, rear fender eliminator from Targa, Ignition advancer, Advance performance rearsets, Dunlop D208's, and a Hyper pro steering damper.
Ride safe.

Get a mechanic to inspect the shock absorber. Mine was spent and it was a 1999 model with only 40,000km. The shocks are expensive to replace.

The 900 is a great bike. I bought my 99 900 back in 2001 and I still have it. I enjoy riding my RC51 one day, then going back to my 900... The only problems I've had were the 16" tire selection, and exhaust. I had a custom high pipe which eventually broke... Trying to find a high pipe for that bike was brutal. I eventually settle for a low mount. It just looked good with a high pipe. I've never had a problem with the cam chain tensioner. Although I do agree with the point made about the rear shock. I just recently found that my shock is gone and need a new one.

Enjoy.