No test rides thanks.

[awa355]

I can see both sides of this one, I would be pissed off, if I was refused a chance for a ride. I would want to know how it fits me.
I can understand the salemans apprehension at letting someone walk in off the street and riding off on something, he is hoping to sell as a brand new machine.

Unfortunately, bikes are like helmets, you wont realise you've bought the wrong one untill 3 months has past anyway.

On the other hand, when I bought my brand new 750 Yamaha back in 1973, I couldn't take it for a test ride then, for the same reasons. ( crash risk, so not much has changed in 39 years). Then a week after buying the bike, two local twits ( the opposition ) were telling me how they had taken it for a test ride because their mate was the mechanic at the bike shop. They were skiting about how they hit the ton on a brand new engine with under 10 miles on the clock. Then I bought the 'new' machine.

Lets face it, the acceleration performance of any sportsbike is one of the " want to see how it goes" reasons for wanting to get on any newer, faster bike than the one you already have.

Do Honda still have 'Demo' bikes that circulate the dealers?

When you buy a $ 600,000 house, do you get to 'test' live in it for a month before committing to purchasing?

[Gremlin]

Long way to go for a test ride. Mind you, you'd know he was serious.

Uh... I went to Mt Maunganui to test ride a demo (no-one else had a demo). Couple of mates and I made a day of it as we like riding. Had no intention of definitely buying.

Clearly the shop thought someone all the way from Auckland was dead keen... but they won and I walked out signing on the dotted line Never done that before!

[Banditbandit]

This one, because, you may like it sooooooooooooo much, plus, the trade offer on the GSXR may well see you own it....any good sales person would know this.

No test does = no pruchase...any good sales person would know this.

Uh... I went to Mt Maunganui to test ride a demo (no-one else had a demo). Couple of mates and I made a day of it as we like riding. Had no intention of definitely buying.

Clearly the shop thought someone all the way from Auckland was dead keen... but they won and I walked out signing on the dotted line Never done that before!

That's why I don't test ride bikes unless I really want to buy it ... 'cause if I do test ride just for the hell of it ... then I want it NOW!!!!

(Yeah ... good sales people know this ...)

[HenryDorsetCase]

Do Honda still have 'Demo' bikes that circulate the dealers?

When you buy a $ 600,000 house, do you get to 'test' live in it for a month before committing to purchasing?

Harley Davidson do. the demo fleet is in chur chur presently.

and if it was your $600k house and you left the keys to your Aston Martin I'd happily test it for a month. Are you married to Scarlett Johansonsonson or Emily Blunt as well?

[FJRider]

You fellas are lucky to get considered for a test ride, i pull up on my rundown hyo and have to hunt down a salesman for service

Times must have changed ... arrive on a hyo a few years back ... and you needed to hold them at gunpoint to speak to them ... let alone get them to look at a problem it may have.

Nowdays they just duck for cover when one arrives at the shop.

[awa355]

Harley Davidson do. the demo fleet is in chur chur presently.

and if it was your $600k house and you left the keys to your Aston Martin I'd happily test it for a month. Are you married to Scarlett Johansonsonson or Emily Blunt as well?

The missus? Would you hop off your ZX12 to ride a GN125 for a month??

[Road kill]

Bit of a double edged sword I think,,,there was a group of arse wipes on this site that used to take bikes from shops,thrash the guts out of em' and then post the film they'd taken both here and on You Tube.
I bet every shop in the country is now aware of those clowns.

But for the "average" rider that looks the part an doesn't have the arse hanging out of his/her pants then I think they should be thinking "sale" above anything else.

When I sold my last HD,the guy didn't even ask to ride it,he simply wanted it an just handed me a big bunch of notes.

The one before that I had 2 guys that wanted to ride it but couldn't prove they had the bucks so I said NO.

Then the guy that did ask and did ride it showed me the cash that his Mrs held and waited with me while he went for a spin.

[Drew]

Not in here you won't mate.

He speaks truth. I've never met a salesman so keen to let people ride the bikes.

Rides = sales.

Come on in, ride every bike in the shop. You'll rave about the good ones, and other people will come in and ride them. It'll sell, and it costs fuck all.

[Pussy]

Not in here you won't mate.

Last time I was in your shop, bloody test rides were COMPULSORY! You made me ride the 'Busa and the B-King!

[cameron.new]

I reckon you should just be straight up with your intentions.

I walked into a motorcycle dealer and said that I was looking at a bike. Told him from the beginning I don't have a licence yet and still don't have the money because my car hadn't sold yet. He was happy to let me sit on any of them and explain all the options and the feel of the bikes etc. I didn't ask for a test ride and he didn't offer.

I returned a month later to inform him I have now sold the car and will be looking at a bike very soon. Mentioned that I will be getting my learners shortly as well. He showed me around again and showed me the bikes I could ride away in when time came round to purchasing. He even gladly offered to let me test ride anything Learner legal once I had my 6L. I am a sales person myself and constantly look out for any buying signals and often take a closing stab at them. He did just that. Noticed I was keen, found what I wanted and offered to close the sale.

I didn't end up buying from the dealer as I found another bike I couldn't pass up (my New Ninja) however, he is the first person I am going back to when it's time to upgrade and I always refer people to him when it comes to bike shopping.

On the other hand, walked into a bike dealer in Hamilton. Told them I had a spare 10k to spend and want one ASAP. The sales person didn't give a shit and told me to look around and if I find one I like, he will organise paperwork. I wasn't shopping for beer... A little more help would have been nice.

[mossy1200]

They let me take a ZX14r 2012 out 2 up with the wife.

I do have a terrible history of buying new bikes alot though. Now I am definitely going to buy one asap.

The funny thing is when I said I was interested in owning one I was told to come in and ride the 200km old one just incase they sold it to someone before I got the chance.

I think this is common of all the Welly shops. Maybe we get less go for a long joy ride bikers here or maybe I have a honest face.

[slofox]

I've thought about this since my OP. It's really simple..and it's down to how well the salesperson can explain it.

There is no bike in our shop you cannot ride. Even if it's the last bike avail new at that special price. But I'd ask you...that if when you ride it you decide that it's not you after all...FFS do me a favour, and don't go putting 300km's on it. Around the Bays etc for 10km's I don't mind and can handle. Hey...if you're liking it and going to own it...I don't give a shit if you do put 300km's on it...cause you're gonna own it.

Comprende?

I can see both sides of this situation myself. It's not hard.

The dude has a responsibility to protect the firm's bottom line. He can't let just any hoon rape the bike and devalue it to below its worth.
And I was honest in saying straight up, that it was dearer than I wanted to buy.

But. The last time I bought a bike was from the same circumstances. I was never going to buy that bike until I rode it. Then I embezzled my own home from myself to raise enough argent to buy the bloody thing.

After I had committed the OP in this thread, I decided that I could have sold that bike better myself.

The guy on the phone didn't know anything about me but made no effort to find out. He went straight onto defense. I have no idea what he assumed about me, but I can bet it was wrong.

If it had been me, I would have asked the customer to come in and "discuss" the matter.

But then, my kids (oh and the grandkids as well) tell me I am soooo full of shit, so...

[wysper]

Yeah, Boyds kind of did that to me on my last purchase. Strange, because up to that point my dealings with them had been all good.
I had bought a DR from them and was selling it because it wasn't for me.

I was looking at a cruiser - an M50, they had one, weren't interested in pushing it out for me to have a ride.

Kept pointing me to a crappy old second hand intruder - I had had one of those. Didn't want another.

Story ended up with me buying a 883 from someone else.

[martybabe]

I was quite suprised to find out that my home town in the uk has a lot of big bike dealers, none of which allow test rides. insurance is too expensive for them to do this(inurance is compulsory in the uk, and for good reason) . so you gotta buy first! sucks for the buyers

I concur completely, most places you have to buy and insure the bike before you get to find out if you like it

Contrast that with living on Jersey, I couldn't walk in the shop without having some keys thrown at me. I was almost forced to ride bikes I had no interest in, big value items too, New Harleys Dukes etc. Mind you it was a max 40MPH speed limit, I was spotted taking one of the test bikes home and washing it and it did charge the batteries for them I suppose

[5150]

Honda Hamilton have a nice 600rr on the showroom floor - 2009, near new (600 odd km).

I saw it a week or so back and indicated I'd quite like to test ride it. "Sure, come in one day." I told them it was outside my price range anyway but they didn't seem too worried.

Rang today to check it was still there thinking I might take it out to try the fit etc. This time, I was basically refused because I "might not be a genuine buyer."

Well, put it this way: Without a test ride I am definitely not a buyer. With a test ride I am only probably not a buyer.

Which situation has more chance of getting a sale?

That wasn't you by any chance?