Total Motorcycle Community Forums

So, we're at the parts counter at Las Vegas Charlie's, Naperville, on Saturday, April 5, when we overhear the conversation between a salesperson and a guy sitting on a Ducati 750 race bike in the showroom:

"So, I want to buy this bike, but I can't ride it home. I don't know how to ride a motorcycle. Where can I get lessons?"

Salesperson: "jljljosdufoasdfusd8we0r8" (Mumbling, couldn't understand him)

Future organ donor: "Or maybe that one! It's got more ccs than this one!"

Salesperson: "jljljosdufoasdfusd8we0r8" (Mumbles, couldn't understand him)

Me, to person at parts counter: "You're not going to sell that bike to him, are you?"

Parts counter person (sensing our distress, and thinking of his compatriot's commission): "My first bike was 750 cc. Well. I personally wouldn't sell that bike to him."

My TMC friends, I don't know Ducatis from a hole in the ground, but I think LVC's salespersons have indulged in some unethical behavior. A 750cc cruiser is a whole different animal from a monkey-humping-football racer, and LVC has an obligation to educate the uninformed.

I'd be glad to be proved wrong.

What goes in Vegas, stays in Vegas?

I absolutely agree Wordherder. I also think that if you walk in off the street and ask a saleperson what kind of bike to buy without doing any kind of research on your own that's not very smart either. Some dealers just want to move inventory regardless of wether or not the bike meets your experience level. Don't ever let the dealer dictate to you what they think you should buy.

I went to the dealership I bought my bike from a few months later when my brother in law wanted to buy a bike and the salesman that i had I liked him (ethical) the first things he would ask was how much experience do you have, what style of bike..cruiser, sport... and base his recomendationa off that.. when i went back he did not work there anymore and the new guy was telling my 18 year old B-I-L to buy atleast a 600cc yamaha (yami dealer) sport bike or bigger as he would want to return it in a month...

We went to another dealer and bought him the Ninja 250... He listened to me instead... He also did his research on here (TM).. After the visit to the yami dealer as he had it stuck in his head that he was more capeable of driving a larger bike..

I also had him call insurance companies to see the difference..
Basic coverage Ninja250 -$350 a year
" " FZ6- $2,100
(give or take a few dollars)
No accidents or tickets on his record

Just bear in mind that LVC has ZERO obligation to do anything other than sell products. You have to realize that they are not, in any way, obligated to keep the saftey of purchasers in mind. Not that they SHOULD sell to big a bike to a newbie, but they are not obligated to do anything.

MrShake wrote:Just bear in mind that LVC has ZERO obligation to do anything other than sell products. You have to realize that they are not, in any way, obligated to keep the saftey of purchasers in mind. Not that they SHOULD sell to big a bike to a newbie, but they are not obligated to do anything.

This goes back to the keeping your customers alive so they come back and buy another bike later

Fast Eddy B wrote:What goes in Vegas, stays in Vegas?

Including organs?

RhadamYgg

There was a woman (fortunately not a salesperson) who indicated that I should wait until taking the MSF course before buying a bike (good) and then indicated that I would probably want a 600 after the course.

The funny thing is that I'm fairly decided on getting a 250. Despite being a learners motorcycle - they have a very low number of fatalities compared to motorcycles of other displacements, other than motorcycles with displacements > 1500 cc - which have extremely low fatality rates.

I think there are good laws and bad laws, but a good law might be to regulate the sales of motorcycles for some presentation of knowledge to first time owners - about what they should and should not do - from a safety perspective.

RhadamYgg

RhadamYgg wrote:I think there are good laws and bad laws, but a good law might be to regulate the sales of motorcycles for some presentation of knowledge to first time owners - about what they should and should not do - from a safety perspective.

Forget trying to regulate a sales pitch. It can't be done. As long as clueless newbs are allowed to buy and ride any bike they want, they will continue to make bad choices. The only thing you can do in this realm is to legislate what type of bike a new owner can ride. To be fair, that should also include legislation to prevent newb drivers from driving 500 hp sports cars.
http://www.ocala.com/article/20080204/B ... /261837791

BTW, I'm not in favor of trying to legislate common sense. It never really works well. The best place for education of the newb biker is during rider training. Maybe that should be mandatory.

Only one dealership tried to sell me a big bucks bike after I declared my newbieism.
I won't say what type, but it wasn't Honda or Ducati. wink and a nudge

why does having a small member make you want to rattle peoples windows?