How do you test ride??
Discussion
Right, passed my CBT and have done the theory and 2/4 days of my DAS training. Test will be booked soon, so started looking at bikes today.
Looking for a 600, Fazer, Thundercat or similar, nothing too fast like an R6.
Anyway, guy in the shop was very helpful, and pointed out a TDM which I hadn't thought about.
However, until I pass my test I obviously cannot take a bike out, but he said they don't offer test rides anyway?? Apparently this is common??
I wouldn't buy a car without making sure I was happy with it on a test drive.
Is this a common problem for new riders wanting test rides?
I'm a 39 year old accountant btw, not an 18 year old....
Looking for a 600, Fazer, Thundercat or similar, nothing too fast like an R6.
Anyway, guy in the shop was very helpful, and pointed out a TDM which I hadn't thought about.
However, until I pass my test I obviously cannot take a bike out, but he said they don't offer test rides anyway?? Apparently this is common??
I wouldn't buy a car without making sure I was happy with it on a test drive.
Is this a common problem for new riders wanting test rides?
I'm a 39 year old accountant btw, not an 18 year old....
cheadle hulme said:
Right, passed my CBT and have done the theory and 2/4 days of my DAS training. Test will be booked soon, so started looking at bikes today.
Looking for a 600, Fazer, Thundercat or similar, nothing too fast like an R6.
Anyway, guy in the shop was very helpful, and pointed out a TDM which I hadn't thought about.
However, until I pass my test I obviously cannot take a bike out, but he said they don't offer test rides anyway?? Apparently this is common??
I wouldn't buy a car without making sure I was happy with it on a test drive.
Is this a common problem for new riders wanting test rides?
I'm a 39 year old accountant btw, not an 18 year old....
some places don't but many places do. just look around a bit more i'm sure you'll find one...Looking for a 600, Fazer, Thundercat or similar, nothing too fast like an R6.
Anyway, guy in the shop was very helpful, and pointed out a TDM which I hadn't thought about.
However, until I pass my test I obviously cannot take a bike out, but he said they don't offer test rides anyway?? Apparently this is common??
I wouldn't buy a car without making sure I was happy with it on a test drive.
Is this a common problem for new riders wanting test rides?
I'm a 39 year old accountant btw, not an 18 year old....
to be fair you couldn't pass your test and take car out for a test drive either.....plenty of dealers do test rides , last time i asked at my local triumph dealer it was no prob just need both parts of your license and a credit/debit card for an indemnity(?) of £1000 in case you chuck it downthe road , and iirc a minimum of a year (or is it 2?)on a full license
Hi
Yes I found this when I passed last April.
In the end I read around to decide on suitable bikes, sat on a few to get a feel for if I felt comfortable and then did a deal with a dealer who offered a 30 day return policy and a bike with history and a check/minor service.
Had the same concerns as you but have never looked back!
Enjoy
Richard
Yes I found this when I passed last April.
In the end I read around to decide on suitable bikes, sat on a few to get a feel for if I felt comfortable and then did a deal with a dealer who offered a 30 day return policy and a bike with history and a check/minor service.
Had the same concerns as you but have never looked back!
Enjoy
Richard
steve1968 said:
Flat out
If only!The guy let me a bit of a "sit" but that was it. If I'd just passed my driving test, I'd be young and inexperienced on the road. Bit different to those of use of more middle aged years coming to bikes.
The dealer does offer a 14 day exchange scheme actually, so thats worth thinking about.
I'm 6'3'' and want something thats not all top end and suits our crap roads - would the TDM900 suit and will I spend £3k on a first bike without even riding it?
Grommit said:
Might be worth a trip over to Chester, Bill Smiths let me test ride their bikes the week I after I passed my test, including the Bonneville & Street Triple. No deposit, the only proviso was I had to wait for it to stop raining. Very helpful & friendly.
Cheers Grommit, I commute down the M56 to LPool so thats handy. Looks like motorcycle dealers use the same web template, Bill Smiths is identical to Highbarn Motorcyles!testing in the dry is very sensible too.
cheadle hulme said:
will I spend £3k on a first bike without even riding it?
I did - virtually nowhere offers test rides unless you've had your licence a year. Apparently dealer insurance cover including test rides for newly-passed riders is incredibly expensive - may be worth asking how much it would be for them to extend it and offer to cover that cost. The silly thing is some people don't get round to buying a bike straight away and could have no more riding experience but do have that magic 1 year.
Only place near near me that would let me test ride wasn't that near - 45 minute drive away. Also they wouldn't let me walk in and test ride. I had to go in one weekend, sit on things then tell them what I wanted to ride and come back the following weekend when they would let me take the bikes out. But,. it only involved 2nd hand bikes and they didn't have any 2nd hand ones I was interested in. So in the end i asked on here, read reviews and used my limited experience of the two bikes I rode on my DAS, sat on bikes in the showroom and bought from there.. Did worry me a bit but as it happens I think what I bought is an ideal 1st bike.
cheadle hulme said:
I'm 6'3'' and want something thats not all top end and suits our crap roads
You can probably satisfy the size question by sitting on it - most bikes will start to get uncomfortable after a while. As for the delivery of power question, I suspect that all large bikes that you ride will feel enormously powerful at every point in the rev range compared to smaller capacity bikes. Without wishing to offend, you are unlikely to be assessing the finer points of a flat spot at 3500 revs - you are probably going to be grinning from ear to ear and thinking how fast the thing is!Poor road surfaces are a problem to all bikes albeit to varying degrees, so don't expect to be able to ride over potholes with impunity (Paris Dakar veterans excluded). Some bikes will be more comfortable on rougher roads and a TDM would seem to fall into that category. You are not looking at race reps presumably, so dont get to tangled up in the sort of tripe about that might apply more to a fast lap around a track than a run through a city.
Good luck and enjoy - whatever you choose will probably blow your mind!
I recently purchased a speed triple new and upon requesting a test ride i was refused due to my age (24 needed to be 25 for insurance purposes). So i went to another dealer who said if i am serious about purchasing the bike they can take a deposit(£500) and they will arrange a test ride prior to purchase that would be fully refundable if i didn't like the bike. I negotiated on price spec everything up front on the assumtion that i would like the bike, I placed a deposit test rode the bike a week later and the newer shape just to be sure 
and opted for a speed triple SE.
and opted for a speed triple SE.I passed my test a couple of years ago at the age of 37. I knew what 'type' of bike i wanted although i had never ridden any.
I found the one i liked for sale and booked a test ride with no issues, but as i had never ridden before did i really know what to look for?
Anyway, these were my findings from the test ride;
- I did not feel uncomfy on the bike.
- I liked the look / stlye / colour of the bike.
- The price was within budget.
- 30 minute test ride, i bought the bike
There may be other bikes out there that are more comfy / better handling / faster, but i'm happy
I'll know what to look for in a little more depth next time, but i still think it will come down to those same things.
I found the one i liked for sale and booked a test ride with no issues, but as i had never ridden before did i really know what to look for?
Anyway, these were my findings from the test ride;
- I did not feel uncomfy on the bike.
- I liked the look / stlye / colour of the bike.
- The price was within budget.
- 30 minute test ride, i bought the bike
There may be other bikes out there that are more comfy / better handling / faster, but i'm happy
I'll know what to look for in a little more depth next time, but i still think it will come down to those same things.
i've also faced this same problem, but there doesnt seem to be a standard reply amongst dealers, with some saying 1 year, some 2, and one even saying 4 years. Who the f
k do they ever sell bikes too in that case.
I eventually found 2 dealers who were friendly to deal with, one had no limitations to time the license has been held, and the other had a common sense policy of certain limitations that could be over ruled at the managers discretion, who let me test ride bikes. I bought from one of those garages, and will probably buy my next bike from the other garage.
SOOO, vote with your wallet, and make it well known that the garages poor customer service is costing them a sale, its the only way things will change.
k do they ever sell bikes too in that case.I eventually found 2 dealers who were friendly to deal with, one had no limitations to time the license has been held, and the other had a common sense policy of certain limitations that could be over ruled at the managers discretion, who let me test ride bikes. I bought from one of those garages, and will probably buy my next bike from the other garage.
SOOO, vote with your wallet, and make it well known that the garages poor customer service is costing them a sale, its the only way things will change.
mckeann said:
I bought from one of those garages, and will probably buy my next bike from the other garage.
SOOO, vote with your wallet, and make it well known that the garages poor customer service is costing them a sale, its the only way things will change.
I feel the same. A Honda dealer was very helpful to me and let me test ride two 600s, even though I had just passed my test. Unfortunately I didn't buy from him as he didn't have the right bike at the right condition/price, however I will certainly go back to see him when I'm looking for a new bike.SOOO, vote with your wallet, and make it well known that the garages poor customer service is costing them a sale, its the only way things will change.
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