Getting a test ride...

[Feasty]

So I'm getting stuck in to look for my next bike, my 33bhp restriction period ends tomorrow wahey!!

I've just been to 2 different bike shops and one tells me I have to have had my FULL licence for 2 years before I can test ride their bikes, however they would be willing to take me to a local car park to let me take the bike round in circles...
The other (a dealership) won't let me test ride a 2nd hand bike until I've bought it, and then if it is perhaps the wrong type they 'may' consider coming to an agreement to change it. I also asked about the demonstrator bikes and was told yes you 'possibly could' in an extremely unconvincing way!

So how the hell do you test ride a bike legally before buying to make sure it's right for you?
I'm going from an off-roader sit up high bike to a low down sport tourer bike, so it's a big difference. Before I spend my hard earned I want to make sure I'll be comfy on the right bike, and as far as I'm concerned that means having a bike for an hour/half a day and riding it around including on motorways.

Anyone got an answer to this?

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Previous: Aprilia Habana Retro 50cc (beauty), Yamaha SR125 (fell apart), Honda XR125 (nippy little commuter), Honda SLR650 (Geewhizz), Yamaha Diversion 900S (Smoooooth) written off courtesy of a stupid escaped horse.
(7 year gap), BMW F650 (Relaxing ride). Aprilia Caponord ETV1000 (Big and bold). Yamaha FZS600 (got me in trouble too quick!).
Current: Yamaha TDM 900 (Comfy, light but big, power when needed).

[Ste]

If they think you're serious about buying the bike then they'll find a way to get you a test ride.

If they think you're just wanting to ride one of their bikes without any intention of buying it then they'll give some excuse about your age or how long you've held your license.

Are you looking at buying either of the bikes or are you wanting test rides to help you work out what to buy privately?

[arry]

[t121anf]

turn up with cash, that'll sort them out

[Feasty]

Well firstly I want to know if the bike I'm currently aiming at (Honda VFR or similar for around £2k) is right for me. The only way I'll know is if I take it for a decent ride, if it's not right I don't want to waste my time searching for the 'right one' first only to find it too uncomfortable and have to start searching for a different bike all over again.
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Previous: Aprilia Habana Retro 50cc (beauty), Yamaha SR125 (fell apart), Honda XR125 (nippy little commuter), Honda SLR650 (Geewhizz), Yamaha Diversion 900S (Smoooooth) written off courtesy of a stupid escaped horse.
(7 year gap), BMW F650 (Relaxing ride). Aprilia Caponord ETV1000 (Big and bold). Yamaha FZS600 (got me in trouble too quick!).
Current: Yamaha TDM 900 (Comfy, light but big, power when needed).

[Cptn. Awesome]

From a dealer I wouldn't normally expect a problem with a test-ride but private maybe. TBH if I can't test a bike in a private sale I will get the owner to ride it up and down the road to see it working, maybe a dealer might also do this?
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Rides - '60 Plate Ford Fiesta Zetec 1.25, '03 Plate Kawasaki ZX6R B1H and an '87 VFR400 NC24

Naughty Fawbish: "An eagle is but an eagle until the suns flare blinds his prey." - Fawbish, 2010.

[UKRedwing]

[Cptn. Awesome]

Yeah I kinda missed the point there. In that case though can't you just put it on it's center stand and sit on it? So long as you don't bounce up and down I can't see a problem with that and it should give you a decent idea of what to expect.
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Rides - '60 Plate Ford Fiesta Zetec 1.25, '03 Plate Kawasaki ZX6R B1H and an '87 VFR400 NC24

Naughty Fawbish: "An eagle is but an eagle until the suns flare blinds his prey." - Fawbish, 2010.

[t121anf]

[Ste]

What difference does having a wad of cash make? If they think he's not serious about buying from them then they'll give the same crap excuses.

[JP7]

The answers you got depend on the questions you asked. Speaking as an ex-motor trader, it used to wind me up when someone would stroll into the showroom, point at a car and ask to drive it. It made me think they weren't serious about buying it, they just wanted to take it away, make it dirty, drain the fuel then present it back and disappear.

I would suggest giving the salesman a bit of what he wants to hear. Let him go through some of the sales process and babble a bit, and make his recommendations based on your needs. Then go for a test ride. Hopefully by this point he will offer it, you won't need to ask!

[iooi]

[Doovy]

How about finding a friend, or a friend of a friend... or a friends friends friend that may have the kind of bike you are looking at, to let you have a go on?
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Yamaha RXS 100 > Honda CD 250 > Honda Hornet 600 > Honda CBR 600RR > Yamaha RXS 100 > Kawasaki ZX6R J2 > Yamaha FZ1

[That_Hornet]

Like its been said before. Go in and engage in a conversation with the sales man, tell him what your looking for and what you like the look of.
Then i would drop it into the conversation that you want a test ride before parting with the cash.


HTH

[metalangel]

No test ride, no purchase, simple as that. And I'm surprised at how many motor traders are quite happy to fuck off potential customers these days by refusing to budge on stuff like this. I won't go into examples but I was amazed at just how disinterested in making money some of them are.
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Previous: 2002 Honda CB500 (sold), 2007 Suzuki SV650SK6 (crashed), 2005 Yamaha FZ6 Fazer (sold). Currently bikeless
"A faired bike will get you 10x more clunge than a unfaired one." -Marlboro Matt