1997/98 Zaskar potential problems or good bike

[Jimkjr]

I am about to buy a 2000 Zaskar the party bought the bike in 2000 new,but I suspect it is a 97/98 from my research.He has replaced the shifters(Alivio),front and rear derauilers and new tires.I believe it has judy xc shocks which have not been touched per his word,and says at this moment they are fine.What should I expect in the future as to repairs,and repairing or replacing the judy.This bike will only be used for occasional very light trail riding and some street riding. Any suggestions will be appreciated.

Thank you
Jim

 

[Raging_Bulls]

Re:

Hi Jim, welcome to Retrobike.

Truth be told, it's hard to say what you can expect.
If the bike has been well maintained, kept in a heated garage and has done few miles, it'll probably be perfect.
However it it has spent most of its life in the garden, covered by dirt and snow, has done tens of thousands of miles and never had proper maintenance, it can quickly turn into a money pit.

The new rear derailleur could be from something as simple as a fall. Shifters can malfunction or get damaged from a fall, even though that rarely happens.
Replacing the front derailleur isn't common though, so be sure to ask why that was done. If the old one had seized, lack of maintenance is 99% certain. If however it was because the owner has changed the number of gears and needed a new front derailleur because of the different chain width, there's little need to worry.

As for the fork ... I'll leave that to people who are familiar with the Judy.

As you can see, there are several "ifs" in this post. Basically condition is everything, age is just a number.

 

[Jimkjr]

Thank you for the quick reply.I am not sure about the derailleurs,but the shifters and brake levers were,as the Alivio looks to be almost integral.Overall the bike looks to be fairly well maintained,and was kept inside when not in use.

BTW My hometown in Pennsylvania was named Charleroi for the sister city in Belgium.

Thanks again
Jim

 

[watanabe43]

Re:

It also rather depends on how much he wants for it

At the end of the day it's an old bike and there are plenty more.

You've obviously done your research and made sure it actually is a Zaskar and not a Pantera with new stickers.

Regarding the Judys, if they haven't been serviced in at least 14 years yet the bike's had enough use to warrant new mechs and shifters I would be very wary about 'says they work fine' and budget for a new fork in the worst instance.

Alivio is very low rent for a Zaskar, which suggests it hasn't had money exactly thrown at it. Also have a good look at the sprockets, chain and chainrings - firstly to see if they are knackered and secondly the quality - I'd expect at least LX/XT and 8 or 9 speed.

I don't know if you know the seller, but buyer beware. If he bought it new, any paperwork? If he isn't sure of the details and the parts don't seem right it could have been nicked and chopped around, or anything. A LOT of these got stolen.

Here's a link to BikePedia's spec for the 1998 and 2000 models.

I don't mean to be negative but it's a minefield out there and there's plenty keen to make a quick buck on the 'retro' trend.

That said, I had a '94 with everything on it and it's the bike I most wish I never sold :facepalm: