Would ya buy a bike that you aren't allowed to test ride?

[skelstar]

Im sure that it may not be real comfortable. Certainly less than my current ride. I remind myself that plently of people ride GSXR's and the like long distance. MotoBob rode his GSXR1000 around the SI with us a couple of weeks ago. I know im going to be a little sore, but I trust Ill be able to handle it like others do.

[Jonty]

Im sure that it may not be real comfortable. Certainly less than my current ride. I remind myself that plently of people ride GSXR's and the like long distance. MotoBob rode his GSXR1000 around the SI with us a couple of weeks ago. I know im going to be a little sore, but I trust Ill be able to handle it like others do.

You will be fine on the 650. They are similar in postioning to mine and I managed 800Km a day without a great deal of pain

[vifferman]

I've never bought a bike I hadn't test-ridden first. Not so much because I need to check whether there's anything wrong or not, but the bike HAS to "do it for me". Several of the bikes I'd test-ridden were ones that others had sung the praises of, and I really didn't like them when I rode them. Every bike I've had so far I've kept for anywhere from 18 months to 7 years (!), so I want to be sure I don't regret the purchase.

[R1madness]

Its a tough one. How do i know it will suit my battered old body without trying it? Will i like it?
Well if you read everything everyone else writes about the bike, then ignore what they say, and decide if you like the style you are reasonabley close. Still hard to do tho
Good luck.

[Hitcher]

I've never bought a bike I hadn't test-ridden first. Not so much because I need to check whether there's anything wrong or not, but the bike HAS to "do it for me". Several of the bikes I'd test-ridden were ones that others had sung the praises of, and I really didn't like them when I rode them. Every bike I've had so far I've kept for anywhere from 18 months to 7 years (!), so I want to be sure I don't regret the purchase.

So you won't be buying a Kawasaki ZZR1200 for a while then. Or a Honda VTX1800, to name but two.

[White trash]

This continually amazes me, this topic.

If You could ride without seeing, I could blindfold you, throw you on the Arse sex, Gixxer,Kumandsukme, CBR, Daytona 650 and you couldn't tell the difference to ride them.

NONE of them is a bad bike, none will get left behind with the right pilot on board and they're ALL comfortable.

If I had the money to buy a brand new K5 600, it'd be the Gixxer, no test rides needed. Is it the best? How the fuck would I know, probably not. It's just what I like. 636 is probably the gruntiest, CBR the MOST comfortable and an R6 won the NZ TT.

Test rides are bullshit, all bikes are good.

[skelstar]

viff: I have a feeling that most bikes in the 600 sportsbike class will 'do it for me'. By the time I have spent enough time on it to know better, Ill be comfortable with what I have bought (I reckon).

I reckon to a certain extent you have to rely on multiple reviews that agree on the aspects of the bike that you find desireable: ie semi-comfort (tick), excellent handling (tick), sex-on-2wheels (tick), not that far off the pace that its going to hold you back a bit later (tick), a 'known quantity' (tick)....IOM TT class win? (tick)

[emaN]

but alot of people buy without riding...infact from what I've been told most people buy without riding a bike...

how?
do they blindly go by what journos & mates say?

i don't get it.

[skelstar]

Bought my current bike without riding it (too scared - first bike)...relying on mates and predominantly agreeing journos for the next one...

[vifferman]

So you won't be buying a Kawasaki ZZR1200 for a while then. Or a Honda VTX1800, to name but two.

No.
But that doesn't mean there isn't a possibility that in the future I might buy a bike without first riding it, or without riding it first.
I've actually been thinking lately about buying an ST1300, so's the vifferbabe and I can investigate the country in comfort. Shame they look so weird.

[Devil]

I'd never buy without test riding (unless it was something totally uber cool and I had the disposable money).

While I was test riding before buying the triumph, I discovered a whole lot of little things about the other bikes that often hadn't been mentioned in reviews, which made me decide against wanting one. Vibrations here and there, particular riding positions, boring noises, engine characteristics.

If it was going to be a bike that I was going to have for a couple of years, I would definately be testing first. Why change 6 months down the track when you can find the right bike in the first place?

[Devil]

No.
But that doesn't mean there isn't a possibility that in the future I might buy a bike without first riding it, or without riding it first.
I've actually been thinking lately about buying an ST1300, so's the vifferbabe and I can investigate the country in comfort. Shame they look so weird.

FJR1300!
So nice!

[skelstar]

Good point Devil.
Can you imagine the feeling? Id be flying (or whatever) to NP and shelling out a fair bit of cash and then riding my new bike all the way home (wgtn). First >250cc, first sportsbike, first inline4, first Triumph! Crazyness...

[madboy]

Skelstar, given how you overanalyse everything to the nnnnth degree, I strongly recommend you don't buy anything until you've test ridden it first.

Me personally, I don't give a rats about the differences. I decide what price bracket and what performance bracket I'm looking at, then it just comes down to what looks best, and dare I say it, which dealer I like the best. As Jimmy said, there's bugger all between them. Hence why it'll prob be an R1 next for me.

By the way, you can test ride a 636 for a week if you like while I'm chilled out in Surfers. Darkman will need it at some stage to continue his wee little project

[Monsterbishi]

Always try before you buy, there's always little things that can be annoying, like peg height, tank shape, etc.

Only bike I'd buy without test riding would be a free one.