Dropped bike on a test ride?

[Oakie]

Anyone dropped a bike or had a calamity on a test ride?
I haven't myself but am curious as yesterday I took Mrs Oakie in to have a sit on a bike, only to find that a woman had that very morning allowed that bike to fall over during a test ride. No serious damage, just a scuffed handlebar end, bent brake lever, the foot brake connection to the frame was broken and a wee scuff in the exhaust. $150 damage all up but the dealer wasn't overly upset as she finished up buying the bike. Sort of 'you break it and you've bought it' I guess.

[Coyote]

Haven't crashed anything myself (on a test ride) but when I test rode the 600K5 at Wellington motorcycles I had a bit of trouble. I was at the lights 50m away from the shop. I was in the left lane and a boy racer was to my right. Went off from the lights smoothly as I was about to stop, then boy racer decided he liked my lane more and turned without indicating. He then noticed I was there and stopped turning so he was in between lanes, then he decided to keep going. I'm on a bike, it was expected of me to get out of his way so I hit the brakes hard. If I wasn't outside the shop and if i was on my own bike I would've sped up along side him and kicked his wing mirror in.

[dangerous]

Ohh it happens alright, not to me but for example Thunders Tuono was droped rather well on a test ride, but the bike shows no damage at all, the thing is if Thunder hadent already knowen the bike had been down... I wonder if the shop would have thought to have mentioned it to him?

[Big Dave]

How many do you want to know about?

You know my policy. If you want something that doesn't fall over - get a car.

[Nasty]

Most shops have insurance waivers and stuff you sign before they let you on a bike ... its something around the $1k mark last time I went out.

[smoky]

I wonder if Terminaladdict will post here:innocent:

[Disco Dan]

The young fella who bought my old ZZR250 dropped it on my driveway... I had the money in my hand so not toooo worried :innocent:

[McJim]

Yeah I was a bit worried about selling my bike and people test riding it. I've just got a policy of "You drop it, you bought it" I'll let them know that it's at the buy now price too.

[Her_C4]

Anyone dropped a bike or had a calamity on a test ride?
I haven't myself but am curious as yesterday I took Mrs Oakie in to have a sit on a bike, only to find that a woman had that very morning allowed that bike to fall over during a test ride. No serious damage, just a scuffed handlebar end, bent brake lever, the foot brake connection to the frame was broken and a wee scuff in the exhaust. $150 damage all up but the dealer wasn't overly upset as she finished up buying the bike. Sort of 'you break it and you've bought it' I guess.

Hmmmm - thanks for the prompt Joni :sunny:

I have done it twice now...:dodge:

Check this thread out - the first one -

http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/showthread.php?t=6366 (http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/showthread.php?t=6366)


The second one? Well I made a better job of damaging myself and the bike with the second one and have only been outta hospital a couple of days!!! I might write it up when I get the use of both my arms back:Punk: :sunny:

Doh....:gob:

BOTH wheels on the road Chrissie - BOTH wheels!!!! ha ha ha :whocares:

[Mully]

Most shops have insurance waivers and stuff you sign before they let you on a bike ... its something around the $1k mark last time I went out.

AMPS have a $1500 insurance excess if you bin it. I guess this is why they want to make sure you have a full licence before they let you go out.

[The Stranger]

Most shops have insurance waivers and stuff you sign before they let you on a bike ... its something around the $1k mark last time I went out.

I recall a discussion a while back. Someone (will let him come forward if he wishes) binned a bike on a test ride and found that the cover to which you refer was for the shop. The insurer fixed the bike for the shop ok, then went him for the cost of repairs.

[pritch]

Most shops have insurance waivers and stuff you sign before they let you on a bike ... its something around the $1k mark last time I went out.

I guess it depends on how well they know you.

My local Honda dealer has never asked me to do this for one of their bikes, but when they had an out of town dealer bring a Goldwing for test rides everyone had to do the paperwork...

[Dodgyiti]

Not on the actual test ride, but putting on the side stand back at the shop on a busy Saturday in front of about 15 people on a brand spankers K Series BMW. I could not even afford the indicator/mirror I broke off, let alone the machine I was pretending to be interested in. I have run out of gas twice while 'testing' bikes. Tight arse bike shops!

[White trash]

Had a FARKIN bee-udy when I was still fairly green at the sccoter center.

Two actually!

The first was when I was working in spares back in 98. I'd just bought the first fuel injected GSXR750 and to make the deal a bit more affordable for a young fella, the bike was to be used as a demo for "selected" customers who were very likely to purchase one.

Anyway, some tosser that thought he could ride a bike outbraked himself and dropped it in the gravel around Shelly Bay. Never bought one either.

Second one, now this is good.

I was on my third tour of duty at Welly Motorcycles, this time in the slaes department. Dude comes in looking at a particularly nice, custom painted Buell M2 Cyclone we had. Now, it's not normal procedure to accompany test rides but the new XB9R had JUST been released and I figured I'd go for a ride on it with this gent.

We shot out to the airport round about on Cobham Drive, doing a full circuit of it to return to the city. Big wide two lane round about, this cat's thinkin he's pretty cool hugging the inside curb. Me thinking I'm Valentino and just riding the XB right around him in the outside lane. Exiting the roundabout, and I'm a little way in front, our hero gives the M2 a BIG dose as he chucks it over to the left and promptly highsides the shit outta this imaculate machine. Watched the whole incident in the mirrors, he got a nice wee ambulance ride. I felt really bad for him actually as he's a hell of a nice guy. Cost him a $1000 excess and I got a reaming from the boss.

Ahhhhh, good times....

[GSX-RJIM]

Haven't dropped a test ride bike but I was pulled over by a Cop, I was f3cking lucky the Cop knew me, as he got me at 181 KMPH !!!. It was my shout, big time.
imagine getting the bike impounded hehehe that would be fun.

[F5 Dave]

ok that's a bloody good story Trashy.

I had a neighbour who decked an RZ when they were new. A mate from school who crashed a new XR500 he couldn't afford so gave the plastics a tidy up with a file & took it back, somehow undetected. & I may or may not have married a lass who dropped a bike back as a teenager but the shop didn't get too worried about it.

Friend was selling a twist & go scooter & this lass said she wanted a test ride. Straight into her friends car door.

So ever wonder how bike shops ever make money?

[TerminalAddict]

I wonder if Terminaladdict will post here:innocent:

I may :D

check threads I've started.

the short story: "thanks for the ride, and here's a thousand bucks"

[WRT]

Not on the actual test ride, but putting on the side stand back at the shop on a busy Saturday in front of about 15 people on a brand spankers K Series BMW. I could not even afford the indicator/mirror I broke off, let alone the machine I was pretending to be interested in. I have run out of gas twice while 'testing' bikes. Tight arse bike shops!

Hang on - you are out "test riding" (and crashing) bikes that you have no intention of buying, couldn't afford even if you liked it, and you grumble that the bike shop didn't provide you with enough free gas?

Tell me again - who's the tight arse? Dude, you must squeak when you walk!

[Street Gerbil]

Before test-riding my present bike, I've bought a coverage from my insurance company to be "better safe than sorry". The good thing, I could cancel in two weeks and have all my money refunded. Luckily nothing impressive or exciting happened during/immediately after the test ride (except Mrs. SG saying "I think you should buy it") but I felt much safer knowing I have a way out.

[Forest]

Not on the actual test ride, but putting on the side stand back at the shop on a busy Saturday in front of about 15 people on a brand spankers K Series BMW. I could not even afford the indicator/mirror I broke off, let alone the machine I was pretending to be interested in. I have run out of gas twice while 'testing' bikes. Tight arse bike shops!

Tight arse bike shops???

Talk about the pot calling the kettle black!

[Daffyd]

Hang on - you are out "test riding" (and crashing) bikes that you have no intention of buying, couldn't afford even if you liked it, and you grumble that the bike shop didn't provide you with enough free gas?

Tell me again - who's the tight arse? Dude, you must squeak when you walk!

Couldn't drive a needle up his arse with a sledgehammer!

[F5 Dave]

What about after dinner & a movie?:love:

[Dodgyiti]

Hang on - you are out "test riding" (and crashing) bikes that you have no intention of buying, couldn't afford even if you liked it, and you grumble that the bike shop didn't provide you with enough free gas?

Tell me again - who's the tight arse? Dude, you must squeak when you walk!

Having spent over 80K in the last 4 years on bikes, 52 of that in one shop, the only thing that squeaks is the credit card when I walk in a bike shop. And the sales staff get the moisturiser out to prevent the chaffing as they rub their greasy hands together when they see me coming.
I like to see (and try) what is out there before I buy, hence 'demo bikes' sell bikes.

[Storm]

Havent crashed one, but I've "thrown a leg out of bed" as they say :)
Was testing a GSX250 and it tried to throw me off on a flat, straight piece of road, stopped to have a look, and lo and behold, theres a conrod and piston looking back at me :(
Didnt cost a cent :D- and they still let me test ride bikes - now THATS a good shop

[roadracingoldfart]

When i was working at Sawyers in the good old days we had one really bad Friday night (remember late nite Fridays ) where a guy put a brand new
VFR1000F2 into the tide half way round the bays to Kilbirnie and by the time we got a tow truck to haul it out the tide was in and the guy couldnt find the friggen thing so there it stayed till the next low tide. Then after that a guy testing an XR 600 was cuaght by the cops riding over the roof of all the cars in Courney Place just for fun. We also had a scooter fall of the back of a ute in the Mount Vic tunnel which was ok till it hit some flash as car and bashed the shit out of it . I can assure you that the Public Liability Insurance got a fair old hammering that week.
No im working on cars and we have a few loaners for folks to use and if they got no fuel in emm they winge like bastards about it . I just tell them we promise to just go around the block to test their car so we wont use much gas so can they please accord the same to us in our car. Yes i have been called an asshole hahahaha , fugg them.

[gunnyrob]

Make sure you check the bike for ANY damage before you sign for it, or you could be done for random damage if not previously detected. The Vfr I recently took for a ride had an excess of $2500.

[moko]

I was at a Kawasaki Test Day in Cornwall way back when the first Z900 came out.They had one of the few in Britain borrowed from Kawasaki's press fleet and as it was the ultimate Japper at the time and new as well there were a good couple of hundred people there.Other bikes on test as well but it was the new Z most had turned up to drool over.Greasy little herbert that screamed off the forecourt didn't look like he could afford jeans with the arse in let alone the new wonder bike.A few minutes later one of the other bikes returned,rider had a word with the salesman who all but screamed "THE ****'s DROPPED IT".Being young and British the assembled crowd let out a big cheer and when the dealer's pick-up returned the guy was sitting on what was left of a very,very bent Kwak in the back with a big grin on his place,got a big round of applause from the assembled masses,apart from the bike shop staff everyone else thought it was hilarious.
Mate of mine got nicked for speeding while test-riding a GPX600,which he bought afterwards and I still can't get over the salesman who insisted a trail bike I was about to test ride was "totally reliable" after I couldn't get it to start,he couldn't get it to start and by the time I'd given up on the thing totally the workshop had been trying unsuccessfully for half an hour to get it going.

[Hillbilly]

Had a salesman at the local Suzuki dealership lose and drop a new GSX750F on its side as he was wheeling it back into the shop! :o

[Reno]

I was in Brisbane in May and my mate worked in a bike shop and organised a ride on an 07 R6. He jumped on a new R1, these test bikes were all tricked mine had an Ako pipe and loads of carbon on it and his had GYTR pipes.
The only catch was the $2000 excess!!!
So we took these bikes to Mount Nebo, if you been to Brisbane or get a chance to ride there take one for a spin out here. We got to the end of Samford Rd and left is Mount Nebo and right is Mount Glorious. We didn't pick right eventhough here's the palce I wanted to go. Apparently quiet a few guys have either impaled themselves on a tree or gone over the barrier and dropped into the valley below.
Anyway this road is amazing, and me trying to prove myself (stupid, cause this bike is so opposite to mine) didn't see a 30km corner just after a crest, jammed on the anchors as normal and the back just locked up (the latest Materbike test talks about the eager rear brake on the R6). Lucky nothing was coming the other way as I crossed the centre line. About 10 minutes later lost the arse end after being a bit too keen with the wrist and alsmost high sided.
The $2000 excess finally came into my head and I backed things off a bit.
So to cut a long story short almost binned a brand new bike overseas and almost had to fork out a fortune.

PS: If I pull finger and bring the camera to work I might post some pics.

[bert_is_evil]

Hmmm, most contents insurance policies have personal liability cover for up to a million for damage you do to other people's property - I wonder if that would cover the excess (or even the entire cost) if you did drop one on a test ride? Insurance experts?

[Big Dave]

Hmmm, most contents insurance policies have personal liability cover for up to a million for damage you do to other people's property - I wonder if that would cover the excess (or even the entire cost) if you did drop one on a test ride? Insurance experts?

At a shop you enter into a contact to pay their excess before you get the keys so it's moot.

Privately - don't know - my excess is $300 to $500, and while dropping a M109 costs $7,000 (I know from experience), most 'minors' aren't that expensive. Majors - dunno.

[bungbung]

An old flatmate tested a 50cc scooter from Sawyers when they were in Adelaide Rd, gunned it down they side street (Drummond St), freaked out by all of the power happening and almost made it in front of a bus on Adelaide.

I went to collect my Impulse from the ramp at WMCC and ended up on my side under a pile of GN250s. Had to call out for some help from the laughing mechanics to lift them off me.

[Pumba]

The old man had someone pull ou of a driveway infrount of him while out testing a bike (cant remember what it was now) from road and sport in Hamilton one day, he avoided the car but finished up in the ditch with a rather sorry looking bike.

He gave Road and Sport a call and they came out and picked the bike up, as well of the details of the cage driver, who was still adimant he wasnt in the wrong:shit:.

Dad never got a bill and never heard anymre about the incident.

[Crasherfromwayback]

At 16 while still on a restricted licence, I rocked on up to Pete Daniels shop in Upper Hutt, and conned him in to letting me test ride a mint Z1R he had there. He knew me through the moto-x scene, and I guess he just figured I had my full. Anyway...there I was on my first ever 1000cc beast (I rode a tandem twin KR250 at the time)...I wound that puppy up in the back streets of Upper Hutt (yeah real clever I know) and thought "Shit this thing is fast" looking down at the speedo which was now showing 120.

When I looked up I was heading straight through a STOP sign. I buried the thing into the side of a car and absolutely totalled it, and nearly the car too.

Pete was really good about it. The old geezer in the car was pretty shaken up. And I ended up working for Pete years later and even had a company bike given to me. Nice.

[codgyoleracer]

Recieved the first ZX6RR in the country (to be built up as a race bike) - It was delivered straight off the back of KawasakiNZ's ute, next day a journo borrowed it for a "New Zealand first" test ride, He managed to ride it 400meter's to the local gas station where he promptly lost the front in the gas stations courtyard & stacked it into a pump. Didnt even have 1km on the clock........... :gob:

[deanohit]

I remember reading a few years back how a journalist had lost 1 of only 2 Triumph Rocket 3s in the country. Apparently grabbed too much brake in the wet an went into a tree.

[Mom]

Worst we ever had when we had the shop was a guy taking a rather brand new shiney (cant remember what now) bike out for a spin. He got 50 metres up the road and a car pulled out from the gas station and cleaned him right up. Ambulance etc and that was the last we saw of him for a couple of weeks. Repaired the bike, did not claim insurance, but pursued the driver of the said car to pay for the damages........had a visit from his "pastor" a few days later asking us to consider forgetting the bill, as he was genuinely sorry!!!! TUI anyone??????

[janno]

Worst we ever had when we had the shop was a guy taking a rather brand new shiney (cant remember what now) bike out for a spin. He got 50 metres up the road and a car pulled out from the gas station and cleaned him right up. Ambulance etc and that was the last we saw of him for a couple of weeks. Repaired the bike, did not claim insurance, but pursued the driver of the said car to pay for the damages........had a visit from his "pastor" a few days later asking us to consider forgetting the bill, as he was genuinely sorry!!!! TUI anyone??????

. . . and? What happened?

[Mom]

. . . and? What happened?

We said no, very sorry we could not forget the bill and that we could hear that he was sorry about what happened etc.....remember this was better than 25 years ago. If there was even insurance for something like this we did not have it, we were out of pocket for the repair, our customer was not at fault, this bloke had to pay. He didn't. His church did!

Interesting aside.........20 years later I worked with this blokes son, he was a sales rep. He resigned to go and work for an opposition company. Turns out he had been diverting work to his soon to be new employer for a couple of months prior to resigning (we are talking tens and tens of thousands of dollars here btw). He denied it when confronted.......but then got down on his knees, said a prayer and then admitted much, much more than we had found. He then had the audacity to say that it was all ok now, he had prayed for forgiveness, he had been forgiven. So we should no longer persue him under contract or via plod.

Better stop now, I can feel my pressure building........LOL

[janno]

Gor blimey! Years ago at school the nastiest, most underhand girls were the Open Brethren. I'd thought it was just a one off . . .

Have you seen Bedazzled - the Dudley Moore, Peter Cook film? Brilliant take on christianity. The leaping Nuns of the Order of St Beryl is the funniest film sequence I have ever seen. :shit: