Test Rides

[Yamazer-92]

I've only ever test ridden one bike I ever owned, my 125 so all the others were bought from research, reviews and sitting on the bike to test comfort etc. What is the actual procedure for test riding a motorbike? Is there a minimum age? I'm 22 so would that be frowned upon? Does it have to be on special days where specific test ride bikes are put out for the public to try? I'm just interested really, want to see once and for all if there is an itch that must be scratched but it's far too much of a gamble to do blind without a proper try first.

[Hedgetrimmer]

Dealers will have launch days for new models, but many (especially larger) dealers will have bikes available for test rides all the time. Just contact them and ask what they've got. If you have a full license, which obviously you do, I don't think there will be a problem with your age - others may know better. But from what I'm hearing, you may have to up-front some dosh as insurance, should be returnable if you get the bike back to them in one piece.

There's a Triumph dealer near here who positively wanted me to take 2 or 3 bikes out on test ride, even after I told him there was no way I could afford to buy right then. They want your money; if they think you're a likely customer, you'll get a test ride.

[Millietant]

A lot depends on the dealer, but most will give test rides any time...... To the right "customer"

Make yourself known to the dealer - show them you're a serious "motorcyclist" - always go in wearing proper riding kit, take your existing bike with you when you go to the shop - make sure it's in good nick mechanically and clean. Don't just pop in "on spec" and expect a test ride.


They won't give a test ride to a blagger who turns up in jeans and tee shirt with a crappy old helmet - remember, you're expecting them to trust you with a couple of £ 1000's of their bike



Show them you're a serious potential buyer - don't try a blag rides on a lot of bikes, choose the one (or two) you want to try out and show them you've done your research about the bike.


They'll only give test rides to people they "trust" will buy something from them.


This has always worked for us - we're known to local dealers and we always get test rides of pretty much anything we're interested in.


Remember - a dealer won't want to give you a test ride if he thinks you're just going to go and buy a one you've been looking at in Bike Trader, or MCN.

[fazersharp]

I went to test ride a street triple - all pre booked in, I askded what do I need etc and got there to be told they want you to sign that you will pay £500 if you bin it as this is their insurance excess that thy have to pay. I walked away. There is no way I am going to do a test ride with £500 over my head, my local yam dealer was the same.
Why dont they just do a non returnable damage wavior - insurance somthing like £25 which will cover the £500, I would gladly pay that.

Oh and another thing it was a second hand bike at a triumph dealer with an advertised price but then was told there is an EXTRA £50 admin fee that will be added so the advertised price was a CON. I also came across this when buying a car, this con is going to become the next ppi.

[stevierst]

they want you to sign that you will pay £500 if you bin it

It was £1k deposit at Blackburn Triumph, and they take it off a credit card before you take the bike out!

It's probably the most cautious I've ever ridden a bike in my life!

[fazersharp]

they want you to sign that you will pay £500 if you bin it

It was £1k deposit at Blackburn Triumph, and they take it off a credit card before you take the bike out!

It's probably the most cautious I've ever ridden a bike in my life!

£1000 -------jeez ! And so not a proper test ride in that case

[stevierst]

No, I was riding almost like I was on ice ;D

[Millietant]

Our locals don't ask us for any deposit, nor do they have "fees".

Smaller dealers, who trust/know us.

I can understand it with some of the bigger dealers - they've probably had some bad experiences.

[mickvp]

My local wasn't even happy with me sitting on the bikes in the showroom to try them out for size. Apparently they have had a few people drop them, so before you want to sit on one you have to get a salesman to come and make sure You put it back on the stand properly . Really put me off buying from them though...

[Fazafou]

Ask them for a part ex price on yours too, that way it appears you're a serious buyer who is looking to upgrade.

[noggythenog]

So what bike you got in mind for test riding then yamazer?.


I still think id like the MT07.....as a long term and sensible bike.....that i could still have fun on.....it is probably one of the cheapest bikes about that would enable me to own a new/nearly new bike that will last me 10 years whilst enabling me to trade in etc.




Only thing is that i've tasted the pure raw power that the thou offers now so will the low bhp cut the mustard.




I think i need a test ride next year.

[Dead Eye]

I thought you were after the MT-09 noggy?

[Yamazer-92]

Lots of helpful info here thank you  . The dealer in question is about 75 miles away so not exactly a short hop for the round trip but I am still very interested in going down and showing some interest, getting them talking about the bike, see if I can sit on it for starters then take it from there. I can understand why test riding bikes is a bit of a trust thing for people, much easier to damage than a car even from just a simple drop.


The bike in question Noggy is a Yamaha XT660x, even now my Fazer is almost perfect for me every time I see a video of someone riding a supermoto or one comes past me I just think I need one. I have to at least ride one to see once and for all if it is everything I believe it will be or not. There is absolutely nothing wrong with my Fazer though and I love it, so the XT will have to be pretty damn good to make me consider swapping. I would expect mine would be worth maybe £1100 px, I'll take off the little extras and what not and sell them seperately for another couple of hundred then see about financing the remaining money if possible, I could pay it all in one but would rather space it. It's a massive IF though like I say. If it isn't for me, then I am going to completely finalise my Fazer and buy suspension upgrades and sort out the very minor cosmetic blemishes it has and hopefully keep it for years more.


On the MT-07, I was caught up in the big publicity thing of how amazing it allegedly is until I thought about it. Why, why is it amazing? It's cheap, reliable and fun. Right, fair enough. For a much cheaper investment you could get a Fazer 600, whack on some quality suspension, lose some teeth on the front sprocket if you are that way inclined and want to feel "torquey" low down like the MT and bingo you have a much better all rounder in my opinion. MT 07 is tiny, looks a bit like a happy meal toy in my opinion, has barely any passenger room and a tiny fuel tank. This all coming from the guy who wants a supermoto!   

[noggythenog]

I thought you were after the MT-09 noggy?

Id prefer the 09......i just dont think my funds will ever allow it........well ever is a bit strong but certainly not in the next few years whereby i could probably squeeze out an 07 on the tick.


Ill get a yamaha service done on my thou next year and get them to check everything over and see what comes back on the MOT etc....so long as it is running well then ill stick with it but as soon as it starts pissing me off i could just take the plunge.

[flesh]

they want you to sign that you will pay £500 if you bin it

It was £1k deposit at Blackburn Triumph, and they take it off a credit card before you take the bike out!
It's probably the most cautious I've ever ridden a bike in my life!

One dealer I went to take a bike for a test ride from wanted me to sign a disclaimer saying I would pay for the first £3k of any damages and would only allow me to go out for 20 mins on a pre-determined route. Obviously did not take them up on the offer and have never bought anything from them.
My view is that the dealer has the responsibility of taking out liability insurance if they want to sell me a bike, although that being said I know many smaller dealers who will not allow any test rides.

[robby boy]

Lots of helpful info here thank you  . The dealer in question is about 75 miles away so not exactly a short hop for the round trip but I am still very interested in going down and showing some interest, getting them talking about the bike, see if I can sit on it for starters then take it from there. I can understand why test riding bikes is a bit of a trust thing for people, much easier to damage than a car even from just a simple drop.


If I were you I would phone the dealer and ask what their policy is on test rides, I had a 140 mile round trip when I bought my Sprint so was not going to travel that far and not get a run out on the bike, the dealer only asked for my contact details no disclaimer nada, and that was after getting a brand new street triple wrecked at a bike show.

[lew600fazer]

Cannot understand anyone who would not sign a £500 excess when taking a bike for a test ride. Come on we all know when you get a loaner / test bike we are going to give it some. So why be shy about fronting £500. All it would mean is you will think twice before hitting the limiter.
When I was selling my SX I asked the guy that was buying it to give me his car keys while he took it for a test ride.
At first he was reluctant !!! why do you want my car keys!!! go figure.
He did buy the bike and when he came the next night to collect it he dropped it at the top of the road , okay it was only a stationary slow drop , you know the one, shit I can't hold this and down it went. Costs for repairs not far short of £800.00, Wing mirror, faring damage, bar end marked , silencer scratched etc!!!

[fazersharp]

Cannot understand anyone who would not sign a £500 excess when taking a bike for a test ride.

I cannot understand anyone who would.

He did buy the bike and when he came the next night to collect it he dropped it at the top of the road , okay it was only a stationary slow drop , you know the one, shit I can't hold this and down it went. Costs for repairs not far short of £800.00,

Thats the thing I dont even have to bin it to loose my £500. - some knob does somthing (like they do every day) Its going to be a strange bike - different feel, blah blah, all it needs is a drop and my £500 is gone.
So now I cant afford the bike anyway. They have not lost any excess but they have lost a customer.
If they want to sell the bikes then they are going to have to take some risk, maybe like has beed said if some joker turns up just looking for a blast, or maybe they could just say you have to sign the £500 if you have under 5 years experiance or somthing.

I know somone who is doing a driving experiance on a track - lambourgini etc and will have to pay the first £5000 of any crash. But had the option to pay a £25 damage wavior fee so in the event of a crash wont have to pay anything.  Why cant the bike dealers do this.   

[mr self destruct]

It all depends on each dealer's experiences I suppose. At my local Honda dealer they don't allow test rides for anyone with less than a year's experience.
I bought my Fazer from them without test riding it, on the condition that if I found anything wrong after buying it they'd sort it out. I did (slipping clutch) and they honoured that, over and above the warranty.
My local Yamaha dealer on the other hand just do the £500 excess thing, which also applies to their courtesy bikes.
Personally I don't have a problem with it because if I ride any bike I don't own, be it a test ride, courtesy bike, rental or just a mate's, I'll treat it like it's made of glass.

[Fazafou]

When I was selling my SX I asked the guy that was buying it to give me his car keys

I'd be careful of this approach, how do you know it's even their car, could be stolen and he rides off on your bike leaving you with a load of hassle to sort out with the police and no bike.

Full payment deposit if anyone wants to ride my bikes first.

[Millietant]

I'm with you on that, full payment as a deposit. Unless it's someone I know and trust.

I don't really understand why anyone has a problem with dealers asking for damage deposit - I'd ask those who've said that here if they'd be happy to let just anyone turn up and ride off on their bike, for a test ride, without some sort of security deposit - that's all the dealers are doing, so why should we complain.

I'd be happy to leave a deposit - I know our local dealer has a pretty big excess on his insurance - so if a test-rider damages the bike, it comes straight out of his pocket - unless the trusty rider agrees to stump up the cost of any repairs (which I would).

[fazersharp]

Ok we are paying their £500 excess, my excess is £100 on my insurance. Why theirs so high.
£500 is a massive % amount towards the total cost of the bike.
Does anyone know a dealer that instead of that - has a damage waviour fee instead, which is basicly an insurance to cover the £500 excess
 

[lew600fazer]

When I was selling my SX I asked the guy that was buying it to give me his car keys

I'd be careful of this approach, how do you know it's even their car, could be stolen and he rides off on your bike leaving you with a load of hassle to sort out with the police and no bike.

Full payment deposit if anyone wants to ride my bikes first.

How does he know it is my bike I am selling , arranged to meet him in a car park , I have his car keys he disappears over the hill I am in his car and gone!!!!! has to be a certain amount of trust, not everyone is bent. 

[Dead Eye]

Ok we are paying their £500 excess, my excess is £100 on my insurance. Why theirs so high.
£500 is a massive % amount towards the total cost of the bike.
Does anyone know a dealer that instead of that - has a damage waiver fee instead, which is basically an insurance to cover the £500 excess

It just amuses me that we get to the stage of buying insurance against an insurance policy 

I totally agree with you and would rather opt to pay a non-refundable fee, but it still tickles me as to how backwards it is that this becomes a reasonable option

However, I don't think I have much against a £500 deposit - it's a little uncomfortable being that high but yeah...

[fazersharp]

Wait a cotton pickin minute. I throw it down the street and cause say £1200 damage and loose my £500 to the dealer to cover their £500 excess then what happens is that the dealers own workshop do the work for the £1200 damage and insurance company pays them £1200. BUT £600 of that is labour and part of the amount of the £600 on parts would also be a mark up on said parts so in total out of the £1200--- £500 of that is profit to the dealer.
So they patch it up and send it out again and again so by the time the bike is finished its demo life it has paid for itself in profit to the dealer in the dropped repairs. And then they sell the bike on as an ex demo and make even more dosh as the bike has now paid for itself.   

  Im not sure on the markup un parts or what the labour aspect of £1200 total would be. All of my maths has been made up - but do you see the angle on this.

Sorry YAMAZA for taking your post off track