Selling a bike -test rides Yes/No?

[DEATH_INC.]

Offer to take the guy as a passenger around the bloke. Check the car out too, had a guy throw me the keys, and when I looked in the back seat, had a car sales window card sitting there, There was a tale going around the traps awhile ago about a sales man going out on a ride with a keen young guy looking at a RC45, the last the salesman saw was the RC45 slowly pulling away from him at 200km/h on his borrowed bike. RC45 never seen again.....not sure if its just a legend or what?

Yep,this happened.The bike was used in a robbery a while later.......
I'll let people test ride,but I'll follow on another bike.Try only having a litre or so of fuel in it"don't go too far mate"and follow,if he runs at least he won't go far.....

[dangerous]

Well I think that it is one of those judgment call type situations. As this has always been something that has bothered me.

The last three bikes that I have sold the buyers have not asked to ride em maybe I scare the shit out of them or something.....duno but one was a back up bike that I had a 86 VFR and a 21yr old student looked at it with his g/f and said I'll take it (offered me less, I would of let him ride it)
The next bike was the CX500 turbo and there was no way any one was going to ride that as it was a bloody handfull just parking it up let alone riding it. I dident realy want to sell it so had an extra $1500 on it over what I paid and a Aucklander took it at the full price with out even hereing it run.
The last bike I sold was the 1100i Guzzi and once again that bike is a handfull as it feels/rides like no other bike does and with a 5 speeder in it, it realy gets away with out you relising, but once again the buyer dident ask for a ride (but offered me heaps less $)

Now if anyone of them had asked for a ride, then I would of followed them on my 2nd bike or theres thats all there is to it. Its a pitty that we cant trust our fellow humen bikers more aye.

I did not test ride the Guzzi as I brought it of the net ex Auck from a shop so I think that I had some come back if needed, nor did I ride the VTR as the shop refused a test ride on there demo..... wankers

ps: sorry bout the long winded post.

[Stevo]

Why would the shop not let you run their demo?? What is their criteria for test riding?

[Firefight]

Like most I guess its a judgment thing, more importantly for me is the issue of not selling from home, A few years ago I was selling a bike from home (we lived in Manly On the HBC) had a few dudes came round, and one inparticular seemed a bit of a scrot, never thought too much about it till a week later, you guessed it we were robbed ! he didn't get the bike, but cleaned out my tools etc, (Mr was round in two hours) not bad !

Ever since If I sell privately I make a deal with second home(local bike shop),I pay for advertising, they display the bike, If they get a contact I come down and do the deal(no OBO) and then I sling them NZ$ 100.00 for their trouble.


Firefight

[SPman]

I think it is important to test ride bikes.I've ridden bikes I was sure I was going to buy and come back totally the opposite, and taken bikes for rides that I thought I would hate and bought them. In a private situation, it could come down to intuition as well as the other things mentioned above, but, also, how about a details and insurance form like most shops have you fill out and sign, before they go off and cane your pride and joy!

[FROSTY:Me]

Actually from a buyers point of view ive generally pretty well decided I'm going to buy a bike before I ask for a test ride.
I've usually checked it over and really I'm riding it to make sure it doesn't have any nasty habits.

[moko]

There`s been a bit of a problem here with bikes being stolen on test rides so you`ll get the same advice in most of the mags,if possible get the potential buyer to turn up somewhere other than where the bike is garaged,not unknown for someone to take a look then the bike disappears the same night now they know where it`s kept so dont give your address out over the phone either,just the address where you want to meet up,mate`s place,family whatever.Try and have a mate with you for back-up and witness,full price in your hand or no test ride,probably best to draw up a brief letter beforehand saying damage will be paid for and money returned in full if potential buyer dosnt want it and returns it with no damage,covers both parties.Also important to have photo i.d.,passport or driving licence,anything without a pic can be stolen and passed off as i.d. for a crim.Any car or bike left while it`s "owner" goes for a test run is not nescessarily proof they`ll come back ,could well stolen.another biggy,not sure whether this applies in N.Z. or not but here for sure it`s vital to have proof that any test-rider has valid insurance for your bike,many here now only cover a rider for a bike he actually owns and usually the specific one in the insurance papers,o.k. so you`ve got the money for the bike in your hands if you`ve done it right but if he piles into the back of someone`s Ferrari on your bike you could be in all kinds of trouble,here at least you could well be charged with aiding and abetting someone to ride an un-insured machine.

[Posh Tourer :P]

I think it is important to test ride bikes.I've ridden bikes I was sure I was going to buy and come back totally the opposite, and taken bikes for rides that I thought I would hate and bought them. In a private situation, it could come down to intuition as well as the other things mentioned above, but, also, how about a details and insurance form like most shops have you fill out and sign, before they go off and cane your pride and joy!

Yes it is important to test ride bikes, but I assume here you are talking about distinguishing between models not looking for faults on one you are about to buy. I agree that riding a few bikes before you pick which models you want is a good idea. That can be done at a dealership, and then testing before buying private should be (to be polite) a quick check over for major faults.

[moko]

I think it is important to test ride bikes.I've ridden bikes I was sure I was going to buy and come back totally the opposite, and taken bikes for rides that I thought I would hate and bought them. In a private situation, it could come down to intuition as well as the other things mentioned above, but, also, how about a details and insurance form like most shops have you fill out and sign, before they go off and cane your pride and joy!

to be honest I prefer to buy from dealers,rather pay a bit extra and have some comeback if anything goes wrong,plus I`ve met some real dorks both buying and selling privately.Worst buyers are those who ask loads of questions,come back from the test-ride then slag the thing off totally to try and knock you down.Sellers?I once looked at a really nice CB250 advertised as o.n.o.,all was well then i made an offer slightly below the asking price and the guy got all offended,told me i knew what the price was when I asked to look at it.I pointed out to him that o.n.o. meant or near offer and why put that if he was going to stick to his price?He got the hump,things got heated and at my suggestion he did indeed piss off.Silly part was that it was well worth the asking price but his ad stated that he`d haggle a bit,didn`t know what o.n.o. meant would you believe,so why stick it in the ad?now I always ask over the phone"what`s the least you`ll let it go for because that`s how much I`ll bring with me",saves a lot of hassle,I`ll either have it at the stated price or not.ifthey wont budge at all I`ll still take a look as twice I`ve done that and found the bikes for sale to be in exceptional condition,just like to get the potentially awkward bit out of the way before meeting face to face.

[dangerous]

Why would the shop not let you run their demo?? What is their criteria for test riding?

Cos they are wank's
Four years ago I brought my Guzzi 1100i sport, but before I did I was in the local Honda dealer looking at a VTR1000, serious I was it was time to ask for a ride but the idiot sales guy was sitting on it side saddle the hole time, so it was very hard to even see the bike so I was thinking that a ride was out of the question. I buggered of thinking that he was one rude SOB and went and brought the Guzzi.

Now my current VTR came from the same shop (the pricks have ya by the balls here as there is only one other Honda shop in the S/I that sells these bikes and they arnt much better) After I'd been in there a few times looking at the bike I asked for a ride as one was not offered, I was told to come back on Sat and I was booked in. Well on that day I rocked up at 11 as booked in and was told that the 'D' plate was out on another bike....... after waiting for ever I pissed off.
The next Sat I booked a ride in at 11 again, rocked up and waited for the demo bike to arive 45min later, after the salls guy finished wanking on to that guy he nattered to a mate of his till 12:15 and then said "ohh you can take the bike out now but we close in 15min so just go around the block"
Now no bastard is going to buy a bike after just going around the block hell ther aint even time to get it warmed up, but I did and I'm still not impressed by this shop but as I said they have us south Islanders by the balls.

sorry but you asked

[geoffm]

Before I got the beemer, I was lookign aroudn at seveeral bikes. Red Baron had a ZZR11 I was interested in. Test ride sure. Have to follow this route - out of shop, on at Newton gully to motorway, off at Western Springs and back a gain. About a 5km loop. at 5pm, in Auckland traffic. First gear was ok, never used any of the others... Insurance reasons apparently.
There was no way I was going to spend $10k on a bike I couldn't ride. Especiallly since the main reason I was changing was that the missus had problems going on the back of the GSXR, so a once around the block wasn't going to cut it.
The BMW was here are the keys, please be back before we leave...
Geoff

[dangerous]

The BMW was here are the keys, please be back before we leave...Geoff

Sport zone Suzuki Chch will often say pick up the bike on Sat and have it back on Mon, now thats good PR work and if I was after a Suzuki then I'd pay more just to deal with them.

[Jackrat]

I don't normaly let people ride bikes I have for sale but I have let a couple.
The price I advertise is my bottem doller and I don't budge.
Most of my triumphs,my Ducati and an HD I never let the buyer ride them.
I don't mind taking people for a ride but if your buying a bike like that you shouldn't even need to ride it,These things are not bought by newbies so they should be able to tell what they need to know without riding it.
When I look at a bike myself I ask to ride it but if they don't want me to I don't mind.I think the situation is different for a shop because people might be trying to make up their minds between models ect,but for a private sale they should be past that.Of the twenty odd bikes Iv'e sold about four of them I let people ride.One was my last Bonnie that a girl arranged to see an then came up from Nelson riding a 500 Daytona.she actualy stayed the night and a friend from AK rode back to Nelson with her after she bought it.Iv'e had a few sales where the buyer took one look and just handed over the bucks.My SD 900 ducati,The guy listened to it start up an run,walked around it a couple of times and pulled the cash out of his back pocket,deal done.
I sold a mint TR6R Triumph the guy wanted before I even kicked it over.
They should all be like that,but their not.
A good mate had his uninsured Goldwing found in the Tamaki river a month after the scum bag didn't come back.
I NEVER TAKE CHEQUES.

[MikeL]

Before I got the beemer, I was lookign aroudn at seveeral bikes. Red Baron had a ZZR11 I was interested in. Test ride sure. Have to follow this route - out of shop, on at Newton gully to motorway, off at Western Springs and back a gain. About a 5km loop. at 5pm, in Auckland traffic. First gear was ok, never used any of the others... Insurance reasons apparently.
There was no way I was going to spend $10k on a bike I couldn't ride. Especiallly since the main reason I was changing was that the missus had problems going on the back of the GSXR, so a once around the block wasn't going to cut it.
The BMW was here are the keys, please be back before we leave...
Geoff

I have test ridden lots of bikes from Red Baron. The salesmen suggested that circuit as being appropriate but I was never given to believe that I had to stick to it (I didn't). One of the guys there even told me that it was a bit pointless trying to get a test ride done after 4 pm because of the traffic and suggested I come back the next day at 10 a.m. - good advice (managed to get into second gear! - j/k)
No complaints at all about any of the bike shops in Akl when it comes to test rides. Each bike I have bought was ridden at least twice (sometimes 3 times) before I made my mind up. Indecisive bugger that I am...

[Firefight]

Was down at Greg Boyds a few weeks ago, took a new VTR out for a test ride, all I had to do was show my DL, sign disclaimer form thingy, and away I went, Gregs said "yeah ,go were you like", so I did .No restriction on distance, speed or route, Shot out to Gordonton road, half way to Morrinsville and returned, guess I was gone about an hour.


Firefight