Test rides with restricted licence

[BBROWN1664]

My eldest is convinced he will pass his bike test this summer. At 17 he can only do he restricted (125) test and be limited for two years to 33bhp. He is also convinced he wants a bigger bike with a restrictor kit. How would he get a test ride though on a bike as the dealers would not fit  a restrictor kit just or a test ride. That's if hey let a 17yr old out at all!

[ghostbiker]

My daughter was in the same situation, sadly most (if not all) dealers will not let you test ride a bike on the road untill at least 21 due to insurance.
we were lucky as there was a couple of dealers nearby that were willing to take a bike out to an old airfield and let her ride it there. not ideal by a long way but at least it was an option. in the end she didnt take them up on the offer as anything she could afford would not be in the dealers showroom lol

we brought private in the end. where you could go against the law and test ride anyway without informing the seller of the restriction (though to be honest only a fool wouldnt spot it due to his age)
or do as we did, she had to trust my judgement and i take it for a test ride while she had to make do with just sitting on it.

that said she did an article for the BMF magazine last month where yamaha UK lent her a XJ6 for the long weekend. the bike they supplied her was not restricted. she wouldnt know this but i noticed it when i rode it. yamaha uk knew she was on a restricted test as that was the point of the article.

[Leonidas]

  Just so you know...... if you did go out on an unrestricted bike wth arestricted license, you would be done for driving other than in accordance of your license, te dealer would be done for permiting you and the bike would be seized.


Its a tricky one 

[ghostbiker]

cant belive i left that bit out, i ment to say as leonidas did when i said about that most dealers say 21.

the sad thing about yamaha uk giving her the unrestricted bike is even though she had no idea it was unrestricted she would have been done anyway. even though it was yamaha uk's fault. 


its tough for kids now to move up through biking. i am still shocked there are not more bikes being made brand new designed for the 33 bhp market.

[DryRob]

I think it depends on the dealer's "policy" most of the time but they will fall back on the insurance argument if they don't want to let you out on their bikes. One dealer in my area wants age 21, 2 years driving experience. Another wants age 21, 1 year experience, less than 2 speeding tickets and you leave a bike with them.
 
That leaves finding temporary insurance (if it's possible) or trusting you to take it out. When I was looking for my first bike I went for the area of the market were depreciation would not to effect resale value if I wanted to get rid after a few months. To be honest I wasn't expecting big things from my first bike, just wanted something to learn on before upgrading after a few years.
 
Turns out I got a Fazer and have no intention of selling it.....ever.