Test Riding

[guile]

Want to take an MT09 out for a test ride. What is the process? What do you have to pay for?

Seem to recall something about a £50 insurance fee and I guess you have to bring it back with a full tank of petrol.

Do they make you sign a contract saying you will pay £x excess if you crash it? How much is the excess generally?

[P.addy]

I go in to shop, ask about bike, get test ride, chuck fuel in, rag it, give it back in 1 piece.

Don't do what someone I know did, got a lend of R1, stacked it, lawl £1500 excess

[Ste]

Pay to test ride?

That's the dealers way of telling you to fuck off because he doesn't like the look of you.

The idea of filling up on petrol before returning the vehicle is equally laughable.

[wristjob]

depends on the shop.
test rode a tuono and was told £500 excess and to please bring it back with enough fuel to get to the nearest petrol stn.
i then got 500 m from shop on my way to get fuel for my test ride,and ran out .
much lols.
local yamaha dealer would let me take bikes out for days on end.
i gave bike a wash and left some fuel in them before returning them.
ducati would only let you take stuff out if it was sunny(apparently the paint runs if they get wet)

ive never had to part with money for a test ride.
i suppose it helps if you have bought bikes from them before or look like you are going to buy a bike if you like it .
if you roll up and they think you just want a jolly on thier bike i would expect them to come up with all sorts of "conditions"for you to meet.

[sabian92]

I know (because I emailed and asked about test riding bikes once I had my A2 sorted) my local Yamaha dealer won't let you test ride anything (and I mean anything, from an R1 down to one of those Aerox things) without being 25 on a an unrestricted licence you've had for 12 months.

Back to the drawing board for me

[Ste]

If you go to the showroom and are looking at various bikes then the first salesman who notices you will want to offer you test rides.

Depending on how old you are they might have to okay it with their insurance company but it's entirely possible if they think you're going to buy the bike.

[sabian92]

[Groove]

I went in to a honda dealer to get the woman some gloves and I asked to sit on a cb1000r. He offered a test ride and I said I wasnot interested...
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|| Past: 1991 Kawasaki ZXR 250 ~ 2003 Honda CBR 600 F Sport ~ 2004 Kawasaki ZX6R B1H 636 ~ 1999 Yamaha R1 ~ 1999 Kawasaki ZX6R J ~ 2004 Kawasaki ZX6R B1H 636 ~ 1998 Honda VTR1000F Firestorm ~ K1 GSXR 600 Track bike ~ K6 GSXR 1000 ~ 2006 Speed Triple 1050 || Current: 2005 R1 https://www.adrucore.co.uk

[Pete.]

I once rang a dealer to ask about test riding a new 'busa and the guy started laughing. I asked what was the problem and he said "We don't just let people out on a powerful bike like that"
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a.k.a 'Geri'

132.9mph off and walked away. Gear is good, gear is good, gear is very very good

[Eddie Hitler]

[Musketeer]

[kevin_cambs_uk]

I left the wife in the shop as insurance!

[Rogerborg]

Yup, entirely depends on the dealer and their mood on the day.

Demonstrators seem to be going out of fashion even at main dealers. I'm surprised that they sell any new bikers. I'm interested in downsizing the Nazi Tractor for a new 300-ish bike. Can I find one to test ride? I can not. Am I going to buy one without riding it? I am not.

Said tractor was bought on the back of the local Motorrad being really helpful at their opening weekend. But I've since heard that they've reverted to "Edward! This stranger covets the precious bikes of the shop!" form.
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Biking is 1/20th as dangerous as horse riding.
GONE: HN125-8, LF-250B, GPz 305, GPZ 500S, Burgman 400 // RIDING: F650GS (800 twin), Royal Enfield Bullet Electra 500 AVL, Ninja 250R because racebike

[1198]

I do think that dealers are making it trickier for test rides. I understand they won't just lob the key to a 15 plate Panigale to anybody but my local dealer are insisting you either provide your own fully comp' insurance, agree to being TPO (paying them for your own damage) or pay them about £100 for them to provide FC, still with a huge excess. When I've taken test rides before I've been asked to agree to a excess but not charged for the pleasure. I'll freely admit I've had a couple of bikes and not bought them - a GSXR1000 and Multistrada - but I said to the dealer beforehand each time I doubted I'd be buying. Their policy was its there, if you don't try it you won't know. However I have had test rides and bought them - a Ducati and my GSXR600.
I'm refusing to spend £100 for the pleasure of testing a Panigale, so until a dealer agrees to let me try one, fully comp, for nothing the 1198 lives on!
(I'm 99.9% I wouldn't need the fully comp bit. I just refuse to ride a bike costing £17k or so without it. I don't fancy paying for it for three years if it's a wreck!)

[recman]

The only issue I had when test riding was that one dealer I visited had a '12 months on a full licence' policy.

They didn't get my shekels.

[andyscooter]

I've never had a test ride

The five new bikes I have bought I hadn't even sat on before I collected them
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gilera runner vxr200 (chavped)
if its spelt wrong its my fat fingers and daft auto correct on my tablet

[Rogerborg]

[Snowdonia Rider]

That's the problem I have. I don't want to buy anything (because I can't afford it) I just want to try different models. I haven't even tried getting/asking for a test ride as they could probably tell I don't want to buy. Shame because the nearest Triumph dealer to me has a decent demonstrator fleet and I want to try a Striple to see what all the fuss is about. They are also a Ducati dealer so are probably strict when it comes to test rides (luckily I'm just not into Ducati's, apart from the Hypermotard). Interestingly my local Yamaha dealer offered me a test ride on an MT-09 without me even asking, sadly I wasn't suited and booted and the bike was going back to their other dealership miles away. I guess it depends on the dealer and also whether you come across serious or not. Personally I don't come across serious so I'm shit outta luck
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I want your clothes, your boots and your motorcycle.
Suzuki GP125 Suzuki GSX600F Suzuki SV650S KTM EXC250F SkyTeam Bongo 125
My YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/SnowdoniaRider

[chickenstrip]

[andyscooter]

[RobBert]

Guile if your in the West Midlands any where near Halesowen you could try Streetbike.

I've got a yamaha so will get offers etc from them occasionally. Had one yesterday basically saying - From April 2015 onwards - and for a limited period they're offering a "free" Akropovic exhaust and catalyser worth over £1000 on the MT-09/ABS models. We've got an MT-09 waiting in our showroom right now for you to test ride.

When i went to book a test ride the guy asked me if it was something i was interested in buying. Told him i want a bike for next year but not looking for anything right now, abit later in the conversation i confirmed to him again that won't be buying. He didn't really have a problem with it. Probably thinks i'll change my mind. And too be honest i might ask what the demo bike will go for when the come to sell it and if i'll get the the Akro exhaust. Then i may think about it .
Booked a test ride for today but didn't feel like it with the weather and the £1000 excess on my mind if anything happens so re-booked for tomorrow.

On a side note they had the new R1 in when i went up so had to check it out.

[guile]

[stevo as b4]

[Polarbear]

Triumph Woburn basically force bikes on me when ever I visit. Take this Rocket out, try the new daytona As if I can fit my fat arse on one of them. Seriously, they are very good with demonstrators.

Kawasaki were fine with my wife test riding an ER6 and George Whites, now sadly demised , used to let anybody out on their bikes.

OnYerBike in Aylesbury, I went to test a Multistrada, fuck that, the excess was in the thousands. I don't want to try one that much Mr Ducati. Oh, and you had to pay £25 (refundable if you bought the bike)
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Triumph Trophy Launch Edition

[Snowdonia Rider]

Actually sounds promising at Triumph
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I want your clothes, your boots and your motorcycle.
Suzuki GP125 Suzuki GSX600F Suzuki SV650S KTM EXC250F SkyTeam Bongo 125
My YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/SnowdoniaRider