selling a bike and test rides

[damz]

Going to be selling one of my bikes quite soon and I am wondering how everyone goes about test rides. I'm paranoid someone will write off the bike or just steal it but then some buyers wont buy unless they can test ride it. What is the general consensus o test rides for potential buyers
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Current Bikes RVF400 - 94
Cars: RX7 FD, Eunos Roadster
Former Bikes: FZR 250R 89, ZX7R 98

[blurredman]

full asking price in hand, i believe you're legally obligated to see insurance details too.
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CBT: 12/06/10, Theory: 22/09/10, Module 1: 09/11/10, Module 2: 19/01/11
Past: 1991 Honda CG125BR-J, 1992 (1980) Honda XL125S, 1996 Kawasaki GPZ500S, 1979 MZ TS150.
Current: 1973 MZ ES250/2 - 18k, 1979 Suzuki TS185ER - 10k, 1981 Honda CX500B - 91k, 1987 MZ ETZ250 - 40k, 1989 MZ ETZ251 - 52k.

[Polarbear]

I'll take people on the back. I won't allow test rides simply because the bikes I normally sell are high value end bikes, maybe a couple of years old and I don't want them damaged in any way. If I was to sell my wifes 600 fazer road legal cat C, I couldn't give a toss as long as he gave me the money first and showd me insurance.
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Victory Cross Country American tractor.

[fozzym]

Have just bought a second hand bike off ebay, obviously if it was as described I was happy to take the bike. I insured it before hand for just a day 18quid.

When i got there I looked over the bike and was as described, so far so good.

I handed over the cash with the previso that I'd then test ride the bike and if all was well we'd do the paper work, i also showed the guy the insurance document.

Test rode bike, all was good so did the paper work and rode the bike home.

Jobs a goodun!

[jimspeed]

I sold my EL250 to a bloke who lived 50 miles away and all he did was sit on it and rev the engine a bit, he then paid me the full asking price and asked if I would ride it to his house if he gave me a lift back .
When I bought the GPZ I went to his house and looked it over and offered him the money to hold on to while I took it out for a spin on a mutually agreed basis that if I damaged it I'd bought it for the full amount, which I thought was a fair way to do it (he was trusting tho and didn't even take the money off me till I said I would have it).
I would at least ask for some form of bond before letting anyone take it out on a test ride to if its worth good money and any genuine buyers shouldn't be put off by asking mate
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Hyosung cruise 125(passed test on, sold) Kawasaki el 252 (better than expected but sold on) Kawasaki GPZ500S first "big"bike.(sold) ZZR600 E5..Z750 2007,ER5, currently on a 2008 Enfield bullet electra x and loving it..
,"Alpha-9: Is there any correlation between dyno rod and dyno kits?"

[mossi123uk]

i take my brother with me and he holds onto the money while i test ride the bike, seller never seems to mind

[Rogerborg]

[Ericck]

I personally wouldn't buy a bike without riding it first.
You can start it and sit on it as much as you like but IMHO that tells
you very little without riding it.

When looking at bikes last year I gave the seller the keys to my bike while I took theirs for a spin. As I was looking for a winter hack my bike was worth a fair bit more and no one seemed to mind.
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Current Bike: 2004 Suzuki Bandit 600S
Previous Bikes: Yamaha FS1E, Mobylette Moped Thingy, Suzuki GS125, Kawasaki Zephyr 550, Kawasaki Zephyr 750, Kawasaki ER500, Suzuki Bandit 600, Honda CBR600F, Triumph Street Triple 675, Suzuki V Strom 650, Suzuki Bandit 1200, Suzuki SV650N, Honda CB500F.

[Marmalade]

[Vincent]

I've bought and sold a few bikes and only test rode a couple that I bought off friends. I've never let anyone test drive a bike I was selling. I find it best to be honest, if the bike has any problems, small or large, tell the buyer. Let them hear the engine running, bounce up and down on it to show that the suspension works, let them look underneath, sit on it, look under the seat maybe, but not a road test on their own. Explain that the bike is "sold as seen" and write that on the reciept. I've seen and heard of people having nasty experiences over the years, my brother once bought a car, (1600E cortina), he was followed home and later to the cinema where the car was stripped - that same day. I've known of cases where someone has come to look at a bike for sale and case the house while there, only to return later with a key for the bike and ride off with it. I've had people attempt to bully me into dropping the price, people write the bike off then attempt to get their money back saying it was defective, the list goes on. When selling, I find honesty is deffo the right policy. Don't let the buyer see where you keep the bike and try and have a mate hovering around in the background and you'll be ok.
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