33BHP & test rides...

[ttr]

This may have been covered before, but oh well

Was generally wondering about how it goes with test rides on 33bhp licenses..

I know a lot of places offer test rides only to 21+ or 25+ or some drivel due to insurance, however I was told at Kawasaki in Southampton that I can get a test ride on anything under 33bhp. Great, I thought - but of course only thing they have is the wee 250 ninja, nice and all, but..

Was wondering really if there are any places that might allow me to test ride second hand bikes they have that are already restricted, so I can get a feel for different bikes and what I might really want in a road bike, over and above the cosmetic and the anecdotal!!



Other option is private sellers, but this is usually a valid insurance and cash sum jobby.. Which is fine, but "full cash value" is generally synonymous with a lot, and insurance isn't far off, haha.

Seems a ridiculously expensive way of doing things - even if you do get your money back, you need to have a lot of money there to begin with, and whilst I'm nearing the point where I might have enough to cover one, the other would be pushing it.

Whilst I understand the difficulties of offering test rides to 33bhp license holders, I do think it's irritating and shitty that we can't go out and find out what would suit us best, we have to base it on write ups, reviews, cosmetics, sound, and the theoretical stuff like performance figures...

Obviously is no match for trying it out yourself..

</rant>
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GS125-> NT400->VFR400->CRM250->Z750 + GS125->NTV650 rat + VMX1200->GSF600 + GPz550

[0ddball]

You should be able to find an example of all of the commonly restricted ones to try fairly easily. But dealers can spot a joy rider, the people who are testing a dozen different bikes, a mile away. If they don't think there is a decent chance of a sale they won't go out of their way to let you have a test ride.

Some people fanny about trying completely different bikes for months. You should already have a good idea of what you want. Just narrow it down to a couple of bikes and when you spot a good example turn up at the dealers with cash in hand. If you are serious about buying they will do everything they can to help you out and get the sale.

In the grand scheme of things there are much more important things to worry about than choosing a bike that is 100% perfect for you. Just grab a decent sv650 and hit the roads.