Payment for test ride

johnml

Evening all,

I've requested a test ride of a new model from a main dealer. They said it's 50 euro for 45 mins. Refunded only if you buy the bike.

Is this the norm?

I've test rode from BMW and KTM in the past and they didn't require payment.

My plan was to test ride 4-5 bikes from the same category before making my decision.

beachhead

Nice stroke,avnt heard of it before either

D3V!L

Who was it with?

Vestiapx

Dad bought a ktm super moto without a test drive and hated it. He had come from a bmw gs and though he wanted something more aggressive. He told me he'd. Never had a test drive, he got into bikes at 57 when I tought him how to ride my TDM so he bought a freewind a gs and then the sm each brand new with no test drive. Blew my mind as someone who always tested loads of bikes private and second hand before buying. If the dealer has all the types of bikes you want then test a few and get yer money back when you buy. I do see what their point is cos I have been known to test drive cars in dealer that I can't afford.

Kev954

that’s a pure rip off - I’ve test rode a good few new and second hand bikes from dealers over my 25 years of riding and never paid anything.

ToweringPerformance

That's an absolute scandal if true. So you take a bike out for a test ride and it doesn't meet your expectations and you've to pay them for the privilege? I'm in the market for a new bike at the moment and actually took 2 out yesterday from different dealers in Dublin to test ride. I most certainly would have told them to take a hike if they'd asked me for money.

johnml

Thanks for your input folks. I've cancelled the test ride. If they're charging for the test ride I can't imagine what they would be like if I needed warranty work completed.

Gumbo

Offer to cover the fuel costs.

WestWicklow1

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122238069#Comment_122238069

Who was it with?

johnml

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122239215#Comment_122239215

Royal Enfield

Adare

WestWicklow1

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122239222#Comment_122239222

Thanks. I'm glad I took my test ride on the new Himalayan with Bikeworld.

johnml

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122239253#Comment_122239253

Well...... what did you think of it?

omerin

As I was reading through I guessed correctly as to the name of the dealer. I don't think sales is their strong point.

On a related point, if you are a private seller, no cash no ride. It weeds out a lot of time wasters and people looking to use your bike to gauge whether it's the make and model for them. From my experience from selling a bike a few years ago, once you tell them $$$ up front, they didn't follow up

WestWicklow1

Overall I liked it. Compared to the mk1 (I had one from 2019 to 2021) it's like chalk and cheese. For some reason, RE gave it a very short side stand and it takes a good heave to get it upright. Whether it'll replace my CRF300L remains to be seen and will necessitate another test ride :)

One thing I noticed when hauling it off the side stand and moving it around in the garage is its weight. At 196kg it's lardy and a whopping 54 kg heavier than the CRF300L. If I remember correctly my 2004 BMW GS1220 weighed about the same (196kg ish).

Edit: Forgot to say, the brakes are very, very good.

Mad_Lad

To be honest I'd pay that for a day out with the bike or even 100 Quid because at the end of the day it's a small price to pay for getting a bike you know you'll like rather than end up paying thousands for something you don't like. 50 Euro for 45 mins is a bit steep but Bikeworld have a load of Royal Enfields, they might let you take one out.

I sat on some Royal Enfields yesterday in Bikeworld and my God they are gorgeous bikes, shame Honda can't make classic looking bikes like them, the Rebel 500 doesn't look as good as the old rebel with mat black and a **** digital display. Same with the Rebel 1100. Look at the NX500 ffs, ugly by comparison.

If I was to buy a bike tomorrow it would be a Royal Enfield or another gorgeous bike the Kawasaki W800

Some of the RE 350s go for around 5800 Euros, Although I love the Virago 750 too.

nigeldaniel

Its a tough business to be in regarding the bike shop. I have heard stories from sellers both in business and selling privately about increasing numbers of guys turning up to take a bike for a spin with no intention of buying. That includes one case when the prospective buyer took an sv650 for an aggressive test spin, roaring up and down the road and causing plenty of complaints from next door about noise. sometimes these guys can be spotted, sometimes not. by the sound of it, the shop in Adare, might be trying to weed out test-ride merchants. its not as though 40 or 50 euro is a heap of money nowadays.

geotrig

Nope, they can keep the pesky bike

... That the whole point of a test ride is toosee if you like it many a person take cars for test rides with no intention of buying its the nature of the business that they need to accept.

Theyll be charging you to sit on it soon

johnml

@westwick

johnml

Thanks for your comments re the test ride West Wicklow. The extra weight sounds like it will benefit the bikes on-road handling. It might just suit perfect.

I'm taking a test ride with Bikeworld. 500 deposit. Test ride for one hour. Deposit returned if no damage to bike. That would surely weed out most of the messers while still not charging those of us that are genuine.

WestWicklow1

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122295889#Comment_122295889

Enjoy and let's know what you think.

galwaytt

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122294140#Comment_122294140

The bike business is not like the car business: there's no comparison. The likelihood of damage, completely unintended, is far higher on a bike.

If you rang up C-N to transfer your insurance to a 'test bike' they'd charge you that much, or close to it. And they are offering to credit the fee into a sale, so it's not unreasonable.

Look at McCallens in N.I. : they started 'weeding' out tyre-kicking RoI test riders for the same reason.

galwaytt

funny you should mention them: I was refused a test ride on a bike by them a few years ago too. The fact I rode up from Galway specifically to them, for a particular one, didn't seem to register.

geotrig

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122310881#Comment_122310881

i fully understand that unintentional damage is risk is higher,its a tough position to be in for any shop, if anything the risks are less these days in one since ,in the past people had no training on bikes where as at least now they have a ibt ,but i do concede bikes are heavier and more powerfull so maybe that offsets the training !!

As mentioned above a refundable deposit makes since ….not charging for a test ride

IrishGrimReaper

It's interesting to see people's stories with test rides so I thought I'd share my experience.

When I bought my KTM off McCallens in 2020 they wouldn't let me test ride it but only ride it around the parking lot. I wasn't being supervised so I took a little liberty, and went out on the main roads. I rang up another time about a different bike and test ride they said no.

In contrast you can go to Charles Hurst in Belfast, they'll let you take bikes out on a Southern License with no issues and for hours at a time. I've mostly taken BMW's bikes because that's the Franchise I get my GS serviced in but the Yamaha Branch let me take a brand new MT10 out without issues while my GS was getting serviced in 2022.

I'd recommend always having a look at Charles Hurst if there's a bike you're interested in tbh because it's worth the trek up alone to get a proper test ride and so far, my experience with them has been absolutely excellent and why I keep going back.

I had this out two weeks ago and put about 200 miles on it that day over 5 hours - common courtesy though put fuel in the bikes when you return them. I'm BMW biased at this stage but have had the following bikes out for hours with no issues, R1250 RS (below), K1600, MT10, 1250 GS Adventure, normal 1250 GS model.

Dunno why anyone would test drive a bike tbh, unless you are incredibly tall or short.

I have always just bought bikes I like the look of. I bought my S1000RR new without having every riden one 🤷🏼‍♂️

thebullkf

I suppose it's good to stop the rtyre kickers , and save time ( and potential off). But as a recent returnee , I'd like to sit on and get a feel for it, just to confirm / validate it's right one.

In saying that, I never did before !! But looking at different bike types now so.

galwaytt

I booked and test rode an Africa Twin at the NEC bike show a few years back, and ultimately bought a new one. Test rides do sell bikes imho……

MSVforever

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122601282#Comment_122601282

Do they still offer test rides at the NEC?

I am thinking about heading over for a day this year but heard conflicting information about not accept Irish license holders.

Is this show better than the one in the RDS?

Cheers.

Mad_Lad

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122467389#Comment_122467389

Well I suppose I look at it like this, I got a lesson on the instructors CBF600 and then on his new CF Moto 700 CLX and the Honda was without doubt a lot more comfortable. After a 2 hr lesson on the CF Moto I couldn't wait to get off, my wrists were sore and the indicators were an absolute B1tch to use, it's certainly not a bike I would like to sit on for more than an hour maybe.

No 2 bikes are really the same.

RobertM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122606827#Comment_122606827

This.. When I was looking at a few 600's I couldn't decide between a CBR600RR or a ZX6R after trying both, I found the ZX6R more comfortable for me as the Honda felt way too "cramp" with it's higher pegs.

What works for 1 person doesn't necessarily work for the 2nd person.

galwaytt

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122604366#Comment_122604366

Well they had no problem in 2018 and I bought a new one based on that experience.

Motorcycle News posted this week they were still offering test rides:

https://www.motorcyclenews.com/news/2024/september/updated-motorcycle-live-show-plan/

I booked mine in advance, and enquired directly before I booked flights that it was possible to do so.

Lyndsey3000

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122604366#Comment_122604366

I was at this in Nov 2023 - no test rides to anyone without a UK Licence then anyway

Banzai600

The NEC is well put planned. Its a show worth visiting if you can get to go.

Off the plane, mono rail from airport terminal direct to NEC, couldnt be easier. all indoors.

the RDS show was ok for the country we are, but the gouging by the RDS for the floor space was shocking what the vendors had to pay from what one guy told me, probably 5 desk spaces of floor , paid thousands, and not just 2/3 either.

galwaytt

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122675695#Comment_122675695

For a change, a couple of us are heading to EICMA in Milan at beginning of November, to see what a continental show is like.

Banzai600

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122676637#Comment_122676637

funnily enough I looked at going but it looked a bit of hassle to get there from airport so blanked it. Might just go lazy to NEC

galwaytt

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122677226#Comment_122677226

there's a train from the airport, so that's what we're doing (I think… )