Test Ride not allowed!

[Old Git]

Called into Kestrel Honda yesterday to look at a bike, phoned this morning to book a testride & was told I can't!:smt102
Is a 2nd hand bike, but they have a rule on the insurance that you have to have been riding over 1 year to be covered.
Is this normal ???
How the fork can you decided what bike you want without a test? or are we all supposed to wait over a year before we take anything out.
Said that most dealers are like this, they all have the 1 year rule.
Before anyone asks, i am old & grey.

Suggestions please

[metalangel]

Go somewhere that isn't run by ****s. Or go to a private seller who's doing the 'you bin it you buy it' thing... risky but at least you get your test ride.

I went to testride a Fazer last week and the guy (who'd been falling over himself to welcome me and suggest things and such) was the exact opposite - cold and unpleasant. He said the Fazer I'd seen previously was gone and he was NOT going to let me testride the other one he still had as it was out of my price range and he 'wasn't in the business of doing test rides' as it's a huge risk for them in case I crash, I can only have a test ride if I was seriously considering buying it, etc etc etc.

Suffice it to say I bought my bike from another dealer. In case they haven't noticed, there's a recession on so being nice to customers is more important than ever.

[Speedy]

How rubbish.

I went to my dealer when I was 24 to test ride the SV, all they wanted was proof I had a licence to ride, signed a disclaimer/agreement with a damage excess and off I went!! (then ordered one).

Never, ever, been told that!! Sounds like a load of Bo-lacks to me. Like you say, how can you make a decision as to whether you buy it or not!!

[Lissa]

Midland Superbikes is a bit far for you, but they seem perfectly happy to allow test rides. We've seen newly-qualified riders allowed out.

[DarrenSV650S]

What do you need a test ride for? Just buy an sv :D

[Dangerous Dave]

Sounds like a BS excuse to me, having a licence for one year doesn't mean you rode in that year does it?

[metalangel]

I didn't even have my paper counterpart when I testrode the SV, they ummed a bit but agreed. It paid off for them.

[Old Git]

What do you need a test ride for? Just buy an sv :D
Already got one!

[DarrenSV650S]

Already got one!
Ahh well there you go then. Sorted :)

[L3nny]

Some places are really funny. I was considering a brand new SV but the dealer had no demonstrators so they wouldn't let me have a test ride even though there were 3 SVs sat in the showroom. So they wanted me to spend nearly 5k on a bike I had never even ridden, needles to say I went elsewhere.

[hovis]

i think t,road charge £30 a test ride now

if you buy the bike it get knocked off the price.

which is kind of understandabl as if 5 peeps take out a used gixxer 1000 and abuse it, it will need a new rear tyre

[lily]

Try Bikersworld in Drakes Broughton they have loads of different bikes even tho they are a suzuki..... or Skellerns for what second hand they have?

[jimmy4237]

All depends on their insurance companies... I wouldn't buy anything especially a 2nd hand bike, or a new bike from a dealer if I couldn't get a shot on it. How are you supposed to know then if you like it or not??

Go to a place where they want your custom, and will happily give you a demonstrator to play on... By not giving test rides they're only commiting financial suicide as that's a possible lost sale in my opinion..

[Alpinestarhero]

I've been refused test rides before because of lack of experiance, but that dosn't wash now because I have 3 years under my belt. I sometimes get refused because I'm under 25 though.

[sunshine]

i went to the dealer test rode the pointy they had because one of the bikes they had in for a service was 33 bhp like me so they just borrowed the ecu for my test ride then when i asked to test ride the curvy they let me unrestricted, i had the curvy restricted they managed to sell me an sv im not sure how they managed that :S :D

[G]

The only place I have ever been that does allow test rides for under 25's and people with less than 1 year experience is MSB.

[Stewart.C]

I got the same when i went to take out my SV. i told them i wouldnt be buying from them if i couldnt take it out & they let me out with it.

if they want the sale then they will have to let you ride it

[Richie]

just answered your pm on the other forum mate.
Hope you get the bike and deal you want...

Richie.

[Holdup]

It all depends on their insurance im afraid, where i work you have to be over 21 to ride any of our bikes and also you must have both parts of your driving licence, and 2 other documents that prove your address (utility bill, bank statement etc) which the documentation only applies to demo rides but not our courtesy bikes which you still have to be over 21 to ride but no proof of address licence etc :confused: but thats just the way it goes, some insurance companies will want some one from the dealer to follow the person on who is out on the demo ride! unfortuantly its one of those things, and if the dealer allows you to ride their bike and you bin it and they are in breach of their insurance terms, well basicly the same as if you were in breach of your insurance terms and effectively your unisured which could result in fines, points on licence etc.

[Red Herring]

I guess it might also depend on your relationship with the dealer. I bought my first bike, a 125, from a local dealer and in the weeks leading up to my "test" I was in there practically every other day eyeing up what I wanted if I passed. I then rode straight from the test centre to the dealers and put the L plates on his desk.....10 minutes later I was out on their CBR 600 demonstrator. An hour after that I rode home on my own brand new CBR. Guess he knew me better than I thought!

[Quiff Wichard]

what bike is it u wantin to ride??

tell me tell me

[natcar]

Seems fair -if you were selling privately - would you let somebody with no experience/insurance take your bike/car away?

[jamesterror]

Being 18, asking for a test ride is like finding a massive oil field.

[Dangerous Dave]

I've been refused test rides before because of lack of experiance, but that dosn't wash now because I have 3 years under my belt. I sometimes get refused because I'm under 25 though.
As I said before that is an irrelevant way to filter who can and can't have a test ride. You have held a motorcycle licence for three years, doesn't mean you have ridden for three years. I haven't ridden since January, no mention of that on my driving licence.

[Alpinestarhero]

As I said before that is an irrelevant way to filter who can and can't have a test ride. You have held a motorcycle licence for three years, doesn't mean you have ridden for three years. I haven't ridden since January, no mention of that on my driving licence.

Yes, this is correct. In one year of riding, I did more miles than my dad. On that basis, if we had both passed our tests together, I would be twiced as experianced as him. But we'd still get refused.

Going back to test riding, how about asking if you can be accompianied? A honda dealer I spoke too said they dont normally let under 25's go out, but if I wanted to they could arrange someone to come along with me, as supervision.

[metalangel]

Seems fair -if you were selling privately - would you let somebody with no experience/insurance take your bike/car away?

That's why a lot of private sellers ask for the full asking price, in their hand, in cash, before they let you test ride.

You bin it, you've bought it. You don't bin it but decide it's not for you, you get your cash back. Seems even fairer.

[Old Git]

what bike is it u wantin to ride??

tell me tell me

Not until I have had my leg over (oo er!) 1st.

[Dicky Ticker]

Simples--Tell the salesperson "Your Loss,I will take my business elsewhere if you can't arrange for the salegoods to be test ridden"
Lets be honest here-----Your no spring chicken and hardly a reprobate and if they can't see that they don't deserve your money.

If I can get away with a test drive in a 911 I am sure it would work for a m/bike

[SV650Racer]

Most trade insurance policies are the same. Its not the dealer..its the insurance.

Ours is the same and I wouldnt let anyone out without insurance as chances are when they get knocked off by some idiot it wont be just them in trouble..it will be you and possibly the dealership too.

I know of a two local dealers to me that dont care..so check you are insured before riding!.

[BoltonSte]

I went to look at an ST3 at youles in b=Blackburn and the guy was falling over himself trying to get me to take a bike out.

I want to do the ST3 and the R back to back, and had just planned a day out so couldn't do it. everytime I said I needed to sort some time out, he just kept telling me I could take any bike as long as I wanted, just bring it back with the same amount of fuel, actually sir, we have both bikes if you want to take one today.

I was narked because I couldn't, but couldn't fault their attitude. Just waiting for them to get another R demo in then off I go.

Ste

[DanAbnormal]

What do you need a test ride for? Just buy an sv :D

Just don't testride one, you'll hate it. :rolleyes:

[SUPERSTARDJ01]

My local shop is 2yrs. :smt076