I cant test ride any bikes!

When I bought my SV I had to buy it on good faith that they were a good bike as I wasnt allowed to test drive one. Now im looking at getting a new bike and ive got the same problem, I cant bloody test any of them!

I have to be over 25 apparantly to ride any kind of powerful sports bike (like a cbr600rr), I havent even bothered asking for a go on an R1 either. So what am I meant to do? I dont want to blindly buy a bike without even testing it before hand but it seems like I dont have a choice.

Its so stupid!

going outside london seems like a good plan.
I don't have any problems getting test rides (not tried for a busa or anything, though) they just asked me if I'd ridden a decent sized bike recently. I turned up on a gsx600f and they weren't worried at all.

There may be a 25-thing on the insurance, but whatever it can be hard for all of us at the larger dealers. Many seem reluctant to have test bikes of lots of kinds.

Ive always fared better by going to a dealer and trying s/h bikes, that seems the easier route. Of course BMW are the exception to this as they have a demonstrator of as many models as they can as a policy. Perhaps dealers are subsidised. Triumph seems another make where demos seem easier to get. I had to go to the great lengths to demo even a 650 v-strom. So dont feel too victimised.

One bike shop a few miles away from me is anyone with a full bike licence, the one just down the road is over 21 with a £1000 deposit, and the local Honda dealer is over 25 and you have to book a ride a week in advance.

Just read up on a few road tests if it's a new bike, www.mcnews.com.au is good for a read.

What do you fancy ?? If a GSXR is on your list I "may" be persuaded to help.....

As the Gixxer was not even in the shops when I ordered it, I went on all of the excellent reviews it recieved, plus I'd ridden a mates which was a couple of years old.

.

I am going through the same process, but thankfully (I think?) I am over 25. The reason being I have only had my licence a month. Many dealers require you to have had it for a whole year.

The exceptions have been triumph and BMW. Best to ring in advance as some have very strict documentation proceedures.

try daytona in ruislip. ask for chris

its probably a good thing . . . as im under 25 and id spend all my spare time test riding different bikes rather than spend my time posting garbage on here

Originally Posted by thor

I am going through the same process, but thankfully (I think?) I am over 25. The reason being I have only had my licence a month. Many dealers require you to have had it for a whole year.

The exceptions have been triumph and BMW. Best to ring in advance as some have very strict documentation proceedures.

I know when Tara test rode an SV and hornet she pre-booked and left a £50 deposit.. She had only passed her DAS about 4weeks before hand and not rode since..
Maybe it's something to been up north

[Skip]

A large second hand dealer in Lowestoft said that I could test ride anything as long as I turned up with my pass certificate and the correct gear on....

Maybe its if your face fits or not?!