Why Test Rides aren't allowed

yodaisgod said:
A couple of years ago, Northbay Motorsports in Santa Rosa had a Honda & Kawasaki demo day. Some guy decided it was okay for that his girlfriend's 16yr daughter, with little to no experience should try out a brand new blue 2011 Ninja ZX-6R. He's thought was "it's only a 600cc bike. What can go wrong?!" I think she just got her license and passed the MSF course before hand or else they would not have let her on the bike.

Needless to say, she used all front break and wrecked it within blocks of the store. I think Northbay fought over it for months and I believe that was their last demo day.
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I remember that.
NBMS always had a very strict policy about not allowing anyone under either 21 or 25 (I don't remember the specific age) ride the sport bikes on demo days. You needed a license, which they photocopied in order to prove your age, but somehow that girl slipped through the cracks and got on the 600.

Dun fukked it up for ever'body. I used to love trying out the stuff.
 
The original post is a quote; where did it come from?

afalina said:
Sublimity -- is that in Oregon just off 22? Somehow I don't see this whole thing as a big problem. The dealer is sure have enough "general auto"- insurance to cover some minor scratches on dirtbikes and will be happy to total the 650. This whole thing is actually a dream of any bike-dealer to get the money back from insurance company. What insurance company is going to do to "the guy" and his mother(considering that she is the who is policyholder) is entirely different story.
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Don't forget the $15,000 Super Tenere.
 
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shortest most epic riding career ever, the dude can literally says he's wrecked more bikes than most have ridden.
 
Tim-That CX Guy said:
I remember that.
NBMS always had a very strict policy about not allowing anyone under either 21 or 25 (I don't remember the specific age) ride the sport bikes on demo days. You needed a license, which they photocopied in order to prove your age, but somehow that girl slipped through the cracks and got on the 600.

Dun fukked it up for ever'body. I used to love trying out the stuff.
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I believe it was 25yrs, M1 and insurance.

I wasn't there, but I had a friend that worked there for a couple of years and he was there at the time.
 
Coulda been worse. Many years ago, a friend of a friend went to the local Harley dealership to pick up his new bike. He'd saved a long time for it. Like this kid, he wasn't too savy on a motorcycle and he took off across the parking lot at speed......until he hit some of the parking spot tire bumper things and crashed spectacularly in the shubbery. That wasn't the worst of it, though. While wrestling the bike out of the bushes, he grabbed the front rotor and somehow got his finger through a hole or something. When he pulled with all his might to extricate the bike, he neatly lopped off the tip of his finger.
 
Hey, shit happens.

I used to own a BMW f650GS Dakar model. God I hated that fucking bike. When it was running it was awesome. But there was always some problem with it. It hated me almost as much as I hated it.

Anyways, one time I tried to repair some seal and couldn't do it. I had to take it in to Diablo BMW, which is generally a bunch of cockgrabbers witht he exception of the guys in the shop. But that fucker with the ponytail that works up front, fuck him.

Anyway, I borrowed a trailer from a friend and took it in to the shop to have them finish up the repairs. The original problem was that I had a small hole in my radiator and a leak in whatever seal separates the oil from the coolant. I had replaced the radiator and bought all of the parts, for some reason something was done wrong (cuz I am no frigging mechanic). I show up at the shop and fill out the repair estimate. Ponytail guy refuses to help me get the bike off the trailer, so I go out there and start loosening the straps.

Well fuck me, if one of the straps doesn't pop, releasing the bike and sending it flying off the trailer crashing to the ground. Damage: broken radiator, smashed shifter and a big crack right where I had fixed it. Basically everything I had just replaced was destroyed. I was so pissed off that I asked the guy if they would buy the bike from me. Longhair asshole quotes me 500 bucks. I told him to fuck off.

I hated that fucking bike.
 
mcarb said:
Hey, shit happens.

I used to own a BMW f650GS Dakar model. God I hated that fucking bike. When it was running it was awesome. But there was always some problem with it. It hated me almost as much as I hated it.

Anyways, one time I tried to repair some seal and couldn't do it. I had to take it in to Diablo BMW, which is generally a bunch of cockgrabbers witht he exception of the guys in the shop. But that fucker with the ponytail that works up front, fuck him.

Anyway, I borrowed a trailer from a friend and took it in to the shop to have them finish up the repairs. The original problem was that I had a small hole in my radiator and a leak in whatever seal separates the oil from the coolant. I had replaced the radiator and bought all of the parts, for some reason something was done wrong (cuz I am no frigging mechanic). I show up at the shop and fill out the repair estimate. Ponytail guy refuses to help me get the bike off the trailer, so I go out there and start loosening the straps.

Well fuck me, if one of the straps doesn't pop, releasing the bike and sending it flying off the trailer crashing to the ground. Damage: broken radiator, smashed shifter and a big crack right where I had fixed it. Basically everything I had just replaced was destroyed. I was so pissed off that I asked the guy if they would buy the bike from me. Longhair asshole quotes me 500 bucks. I told him to fuck off.

I hated that fucking bike.
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Bring More Wallet.
 
mrshaky said:
... I personally think test rides should be legally required (I believe they are for autos). We are dropping every bit as much on our bikes as we do on cars and should have the right to know how they handle/perform. The motorcycle dealers and their insurance companies sure would fight that though.
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:laughing Yeah, they'd fight it because it would be financial suicide.

Once you grow up and start paying your own way tax-wise you might just start to notice a change in your attitudes regarding the nanny state.
 
mcarb said:
Anyways, one time I tried to repair some seal and couldn't do it. I had to take it in to Diablo BMW, which is generally a bunch of cockgrabbers witht he exception of t......

I hated that fucking bike.
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:rofl

(Laughing with you not at you)
 
tuxumino said:
shortest most epic riding career ever, the dude can literally says he's wrecked more bikes than most have ridden.
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In fact, he's probably wrecked more bikes than he's even ridden.
 
Teddy said:
Lots of people that want demo rides find it hard to understand how much a dealer really puts on the line to allow test-rides. Believe me, we want to believe you when you tell us about all the experience you have....we really have no way of knowing your skills...and this possibility is always on the horizon. Not to mention what a nightmare it is to deal with despite any disclaimers you may sign....
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Would riding in on my own bike give you any more inclination to my skill or provide more of an opportunity to test ride.

It really kinda sucks not being able to test ride. I've been riding for ~15 years yet had seat time on a 600rr exclusively for the last 3 years. I'd really want to test ride if I were shopping for a completely different class of moto before I purchased.
 
About 13years ago I was working at a local dealership that was renting BMW motorcycles. This guy shows up and rents a F650GS. He had his permit only at the time. Goes to leave, stalls it, stalls it again and again. One of the mechanics tells him "give it a bit of gas man"
:laughing:laughing:laughing
Next thing the dude is across the street with his elbow thru the windshield of a parked car smashed between it and the bike. We had to call the ambulance for him.

Another time working around 06', if I remember correctly, at SJ CG I walk out to get a soda from the gas station. As I walk back I see a big touring Harley on its side and a old woman talking calmly on the phone with an old dude in fetal position on the ground at her feet.
Turns out dude in his 60's bought his first bike a big ol' Harley on the other side of the parking lot at HD SJ. Rode it to CG, stopped right in front of the store put his right foot down and leaned the bike to the right slightly as he was reaching for the side stand. Caught his right ankle between the floor board and the sidewalk and snapped his ankle.
We had to call an ambulance also.
Best part was how his wife was pissed because they already had a Alaska trip planed in a months time!
 
russ69 said:
It reminds me of the Harley dealer when I went to rent a big ass Electra Glide. After we filled out all the paperwork, then he asked if I have ever ridden a big bike. I said I had a Kymco 9s 50cc. He was sweating bullets. I finally admitted I probably can handle it unless it's harder to ride than my Busa.
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:laughing

I've never had a problem getting a test ride when I roll up on my ST1100 wearing my HiViz Darien.
 
mrshaky said:
Does anyone know which party is on the hook for this? I remember reading something under title 2 of the Uniform Commercial Code regarding sale upon approval, i.e. test drives, that said risk of loss remains with seller.

Isn't that in line with what you guys are always saying on here about not letting strangers test ride your bikes before sale for fear of them dropping it?

Just curious. I personally think test rides should be legally required (I believe they are for autos). We are dropping every bit as much on our bikes as we do on cars and should have the right to know how they handle/perform. The motorcycle dealers and their insurance companies sure would fight that though.
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I don't believe car dealers are required to let people test ride. They certainly don't have to let whoever wants to test drive whatever car they want.
 
yodaisgod said:
A completely staged stunt where Jeff Gordon didn't do most of the driving? :rolleyes
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How can you tell, because there were right hand turns?

rimshot.gif
 
I've only test driven two bikes, my current F800GS and a Yamaha SUper Tenere, and for the Yamaha it was a demo day and they said I didn't have to put down a CC or deposit...but what if I did, would I be liable for the entire amount of a smashed bike or just the $500 I give them?
 
To date, every time I was seriously looking to buy a new bike, the dealership let me ride it. I don't try to ride one if I'm not serious.
 
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