Should I feel guilty doing this?

[stanleychung]

No its not what you think :sweatdrop get your mind out of your gutter.

I recently achieved my full motorbike licence and suddenly more than usual I'm noticing/starting to look/desire bikes of larger cc than mine. Ideally if i had a wee more power in mine i'd be perfect for 2 up touring (it will do it now but I'd feel more comfortable with a bit more) but it would be silly to invest too much money in my VL250.

A certain local dealer did call me recently and invited me to come in and test ride a few/all bikes to see which i like (he even said I could spend the whole day there). Although nothing could please me more than riding all sorts of different bikes all day, I used to be in the car sales and I didnt particularly like prosepctive customers who test drove all day and were just tire kickers (maybe i was just a poor salesman lol).

As a rule of thumb for myself when i get to the test drive/ride stage I'm about 1 step away from handing over the cheque. Should I feel guilty taking his offer? Dont get me wrong, given the right price/bike I do intend to upgrade but at the moment without riding any of the bikes I think I want I'm soo confused on what to get and I'm not to adverse in keeping the faithful VL.

[retro asian]

Do it. Can't see any reason why not?

The sales person knows that its not a done deal until they can convince you that their bike is your next bike...

[stanleychung]

Ah thats an interesting perspective, they have to "convince" me their bike is the one I should have. :yes:

[Maha]

Ah thats an interesting perspective, they have to "convince" me their bike is the one I should have. :yes:

Turning that around would be the better option..
Convince yourself their bike is the one you should have.

Dont be convinced into buying a bike just because the salesman says' man you suit that bike'...thats their job.

[Big Dave]

A few k's on some demos is a cheap investment in a happy prospect.

[2wheeldrifter]

Take your time dude... the showroom of bikes, trade me etc etc are not going anywhere, there will always be bikes for sale.

Take your time, ride them all... whats the rush, this bike has to suit you and YOUR needs not the salemens :scooter:

[Mully]

How do you know what you want unless you test ride all the options??

If you feel bad, you could say "Look, I don't know what bike I want, so I want to ride some others as well"

[phoenixgtr]

Totally do it Stanley. I love test riding. It's the only way you going to know if you like other bikes and if there is one out there that is better for you than the VL

[stanleychung]

How do you know what you want unless you test ride all the options??

If you feel bad, you could say "Look, I don't know what bike I want, so I want to ride some others as well"

How true. More and more, I'm finding bike dealers are soo different to car dealers. Maybe its a christchurch thing.

[p.dath]

I can't be bothered doing test drives/rides until I'm ready to do a purchase.

Otherwise you try something out, and it gets sold, a newer model comes along, you get offered some hot deal by someone leaving the country, etc .

[Dave Lobster]

Do it. The chap in the shop is offering you a go on his bikes. What are you thinking??

[Azi Dahaka]

after i got my full i purchased a vl800 upgraded from my gn250. get a bike you like it dosn't matter the size but the look as far as i am concerned. as long as you are comfortable to handle it and it is comfortable to put your fat ass on.

i test rided a 2008 vl800 and loved it but hated the white colour so got a 2007 model which is black. THAT WAS MY REASONING.

[stanleychung]

Thanks guys right all i have to do now is find which bike i want to ride. Might try a Bandit or an M50. :scooter:

[awayatc]

cars you buy with your head,
bikes with your heart......

try a few and see which one you just "gotta have"

[James Deuce]

Don't feel vaguely uncomfortable.

However.

It has to be said.

You sound like the sort of car salesman I never buy cars from.

If I can't load the whanau and make sure we fit and it works well for us I won't buy it. I'll tyre kick for months too, and I'll go back to the dealer with the best attitude, not the cheapest deal.

[Dave Lobster]

Thanks guys right all i have to do now is find which bike i want to ride. Might try a Bandit or an M50. :scooter:

Try an M90 too :)

[ukusa]

hell, don't stick to one bike shop, do em all! Bikes, luverly bikes.

[Dave Lobster]

I'll go back to the dealer with the best attitude, not the cheapest deal.

Couldn't have put it better myself.

[JMemonic]

Given you are looking at a Bandit and M50 see if you can try the GSXF and the B-King as well.

[stanleychung]

Given you are looking at a Bandit and M50 see if you can try the GSXF and the B-King as well.

My budget is not huge unfortunately (no surprise there). I think the bandits priced around where I'm looking for are around 2001 on done about 30kms. The M50 is probably bit of a long shot as most are still quite new.

But as again keeping the VL250 is not a horrifying prospect really.

[Sidewinder]

only if ya get fat

[stanleychung]

only if ya get fat

too late for that, and I'm pillioning my wife too but she is very thin. lol :eek5:

[Sidewinder]

too late for that, and I'm pillioning my wife too but she is very thin. lol :eek5:
just get a gsxr1000

[Azi Dahaka]

what is your budget whole payment or monthly payment?

[stanleychung]

I'd prefer to not put the bike purchase through finance if possible.

[JMemonic]

My budget is not huge unfortunately (no surprise there). I think the bandits priced around where I'm looking for are around 2001 on done about 30kms. The M50 is probably bit of a long shot as most are still quite new.

But as again keeping the VL250 is not a horrifying prospect really.

Sounds fair but as to the horrifying prospect of keeping the VL hmm I think you need to come on a few rallies with us and do the distances, it will change your mind fast.

On that note there is one close by soon you two should consider coming.

[varminter]

Lose the guilt trip. Last week I rode a SV650, RF900, some 650 BMW single & an M50, the last I loved And this was my first step up from a 250. Rode them all round the lake, that's about 45K's I need to know they're comfortable. but I'm hoping to head out of town this week to try some more dealers. It has to be right.

[Azi Dahaka]

well my 2007 vl800 costed about 10k brand new but that i supose is the other point brand new or second hand?

[stanleychung]

It has to be right.

:yes: you are not wrong there, i intend to do some extensive touring with my wife so yes it needs to be right.

[stanleychung]

well my 2007 vl800 costed about 10k brand new but that i supose is the other point brand new or second hand?

I dont think at the price point im looking at i could get anything other than a ninja 250, hyosung 250 or s40 boulevard brand new. I would prefer not to spend more than $7k all up. That is assuming of course that i can get a decent trade or sell the VL privately for something.

From my most recent browse through trademe the bikes that catch my eye are the early 01on bandits 600 or 1200. Ideally I would like to stay cruiser style but they generally command higher $ more close to 10k for a recent one done few kms.

The old man has got a c50, I would prefer not to have the exact same machine as him. Maybe a Honda VT750 shadow is an option.

Or i could take the wife on a longish trip on the VL and then she will be convinced that we need a bigger bike LOL :yes: or be completely put off. :Oops:

[Azi Dahaka]

(me being biast)

there is nothing wrong with a c50 :bash:

[James Deuce]

(me being biast)

there is nothing wrong with a c50 :bash:

You look biased to me.

You may look biast to a Scotsman. Do you have a beard and wild unkempt hair and smell like compost?

[stanleychung]

lol, yeah i should give dad's one a go at some stage. You see dad is one of them what i call "pay and display" people or fair weather riders lol. His c50 doesn't get much mileage.

[Azi Dahaka]

You look biased to me.

You may look biast to a Scotsman. Do you have a beard and wild unkempt hair and smell like compost?

just because i am a scot dont mean jack

[mnkyboy]

just because i am a scot dont mean jack

Nothing wrong with the scots - they make the best whiskey


mmmmm Glenlivet XXV :apint:

[retro asian]

Maybe a Honda VT750 shadow is an option.


Yep that's not bad. Note that it's lower to the ground than a C50/VL800/M50, so your pegs will scrape more easily. Not saying it's a bad thing, some people (Americans) spend hard earned money to lower their C50's after getting them...

[stanleychung]

You know after all this talk about upgrading to another bike. I'm finding there is a part of me that is really attached to my VL250. Its so easy to ride and its been so reliable and so faithful to me. :scooter:

[Taz]

Regular test rides keep the dealers stock ready. Nothing worse than the bike you want to test not starting...... Happens quite alot.

[James Deuce]

just because i am a scot dont mean jack

Biast is Gaelic for beast.

Sigh.

On the other hand biased:

Main Entry: bi·ased
Function: adjective
Date: 1649
1 : exhibiting or characterized by bias; especially : prejudiced
2 : tending to yield one outcome more frequently than others in a statistical experiment <a biased coin>
3 : having an expected value different from the quantity or parameter estimated <a biased estimate>