Looking at 600's and a 750 soon but have heard that some dealers won't allow a test ride before buying. Is this true/common? How do you buy a bike without riding it first?

Just wondering if you guys have any experience with this. I'm in Los Angeles but I'm sure this is the similiar all over...

Thanks!

 

Have'n presented yourself as a serrious buyer, w/ an endorsment... no test ride= no biz... leave. Clean and free, Ripp'n

 

At our dealership we don't test ride until you've already had a loan approved so if you do wrech it you bought it. Bikes are just to powerful and easy to wreck, and they don't know how well you can or can't ride so all they do is protect their investment.

 

most dealers don't allow test riding a vehicle before you buy it...

that's just the way it is mang...

 

It's sad, but true...alot of dealers won't let you test ride anything due to insurance costs, etc., and the dealers that do will be following you on another bike or vehicle. Lucky for me, I'm in good with the dealership, so if I want to test ride something, they just throw me the keys and tell me to be careful. That's why you should do A-L-O-T of research before buying a bike. Look at the companies websites, read articles in mags, online, etc. Go to the dealership, sit on them, start it up...the way a bike "fits your body" is a HUGE factor! I personally DO NOT like Duc's, a friend of mine owns 2 of them, and I was looking into buying one myself, but the second that I sat on his bikes, and the one at the dealership, I didn't like it, the gas tank feels like it's racking my ***** every time, lol. The body position didn't fell good as well, NOW, when you ride a Duc, it's amazing, the handling is awesome, etc...Suzukis worry to much about quanity than quality, Yamaha wants to look the best, Kawasaki is trying to play catch up...and Honda's are the total package. You get looks, performance, reliability, everything in one package. NOTHING beats a Honda! Just as someone mentioned above, if you go to your dealership (MAKE SURE YOU HAVE AWESOME CREDIT!!!), you find a bike that you like, they draw up the paperwork saying," This guy is credit worthy", then most likely, they should allow you to take one for a spin. Living in L.A. probally doesn't help that much as far as getting a test ride, they're probally worried about someone taking off with something and never returning it, and so on...you'd probally find a better deal living there though. Anyways, good luck to you man. Keep the Forum UTD on your bike interest/purchase!

 

He brings up a good point, what to say if you take a bike on a test ride you actually bring it back. You can steal a bike and have it stripped down in less than two hours and their out $10,000+.

 

no test ride but you can sit on the bike all you want before you buy

 

dealers around my area wont let you test ride because they say it's too easy to steal the bikes..which is true

 

My dealership let me take my bike out for a good hour before I came back with it and boght it. I wouldn't of bought it without trying it out first. They just photocopied my license and wrote down my cell number before letting me go. It helps if they also know who you are ( I bought a snowmobile from them ). If they won't let you test ride it at least find a friend with the same bike that will let you take it out for a ride. No point in buying a bike if you don't enjoy being on it once you've bought it.

 

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