Selling a bike--buyer anoyed the heck out of me

[Flting Duck]

My buddy Stan was selling his ZX-6 last month and a guy showed up on a Shadow 750 to have a look at it. Stan let him take it down the street, and the guy promptly crashed it.

None of the dealers around here allow test rides, so I think if I was selling a bike I'd adopt that same policy.

Someone wants to test ride a bike I'm selling, they hand me 100% of the money, in cash, and I hand them the keys. The title's still in my possession.

• They like the bike, they come back and I sign over the title.
  They don't like it, I trade them the money back for the bike & keys.
  They drop the bike, I keep the money.... they just bought a bike.

Yep, I'm about to sell one of my bikes and that's how it will be listed on Craig's List so anybody who wants to ride it will bring cash - it also weeds out non-serious buyers.

As for Stan: Tell him to look into small claims court and keep detailed receipts of everything he spends to repair his bike. Also tell him to RIGHT NOW write down every detail of what happened.

[flw]

Around me there are only 3 dealers. No test ride at the Harley, Honda is a parking lot circle drive and the Kawa/Suzuki/Yamaha will let you take it only to the dead end subdivision only.

I understand why dealers hesitate. The same reason as this post and some of the threads here. But would you buy a car without a ride around the block as a min. ? Dealers can also pay to get a legally sound damage hook and bodily harm wavier. Buy as individuals we get stuck and have to hope for the best.

It makes sellers req to see a drivers licence and some cycle insurance before any ride with speed and location limits with no trick moves or no deal at any price. I'd also make it part of the test drive that I follow in his vehicle as the driver to keep him honest. Its guys like that which make the rest of us do things we would rather not do.

[migbike]

The Dealers near me will run your credit card if you want to test ride. If you wreck it, you bought it.

[niterider]

When i went to buy a 454ltd vulcan, the seller would not allow me to ride the bike. But he did offer to take me for a ride. Reluctently I agreed. He took us to the hiway where he run it up to about 100 mph. rode it hard. I bought the bike.

Maybe you should of followed the "jerk" with his bike.

[tortus]

But would you buy a car without a ride around the block as a min. ?

Nope. Yet every bike I've bought I've bought without first riding it. That's why I tend to stick to bikes that are very popular and get stellar reviews, less risk of me not liking it. So far I'm batting 100.

[jonbailey19808]

well thanks for all the advice, today i sold it to a nice lady.

Now i can go bike shopping!

So in general dealers wont let you test ride unless its used?

[Dichotomous]

dealer wouldnt let me test ride either of my bikes when I bought them, which royally pissed me off, but they ended up ok. next time I am going with a different dealer though.
I took a guys bike for a test ride for my friend though. I had my gear in his car and didnt bother taking it out till after my friend asked the guy politely if we could both test it, I had been riding more than him so he wanted my opinion. I just took it out and was real nice to it, super short ride but it rode nicely, then he took it out for the same little loop, he didnt buy the bike but at least we weren't dicks like that guy you are talking about. I woulda grabbed his bike, and caught up to him and pointed for him to pull over, at which point I would take my bike back, let him have his, after a stern yelling, and if he tried to come back with me to see his friend he'd learn a painfull lesson

[Kal]

Should have reported it as stolen.

Hell yeah.

Don't let them test ride it unless they put the CASH in your hand first. Don't let them sit on it with the keys in the ignition.

No harm done this time and thats the important thing.

[PioneerUrban]

If my buyer hoped on one and took off on it, I'd be pissed too.

Too her credit, she asked me if she could sit on it and her uncle asked if he could take one around the block. She handed me $1500 cash, before he took a spin.

Glad that you sold the bike. I'm shopping as well!

[Falkenheld]

:O

Nobody NOBODY rides my bike much less sits on it without my explicit permission!

Gaaah!