Test Rides

[Bob_Defly]

It's incredibly difficult to get test rides of bikes here (Canada) due to insurance reasons, so you do have to go off a lot of reviews etc. I bought my last two bikes unridden, and they were both really great, so just lucky I guess.

Question is, what have you thought was going to be a great bike UNTIL you test rode it, and then said NOPE!?

I remember just sitting on a Ducati 999 and wondering how anyone could ride something so uncomfortable!

[Steve Bass]

GS1250TE

The 'Nope' came after 2500kms....

[black-k1]

I've done a few over the years. I now do test rides for all the bikes I buy. No test ride, no buy!

BWM R1200S - I really wanted to love it and was all set to buy one but it was rubbish. It was worse than the R1100S it replaced.

Honda "Jelly mould" CB1000F - was so bland it just sucked all the life out of me.

Triumph Sprint ST1050 - On paper, the perfect bike for me. Lots of good reviews but the vibrations had drained all the blood out of my fingers in less than 10 minutes.

[TurboHatchback]

Triumph Trident 660, just not my cup of tea. Too small, too stiff, too revvy, didn't like the noise or the throttle.

Suzuki GSX1000-GX. I thought being a big tall bike it would be good for a tall rider, turns out not at all. Great bike, but the riding position was intolerable for me, pegs too high, tank too fat, bars too close. It felt like it was designed for someone a foot shorter than I.

[Biker9090]

I attempted to test ride a 1290SA from a KTM dealer near Oxford until he told me "we don't allow test rides at this time incase they breakdown". Seeing as the dealer couldn't even stand by the bike that put me off of it completely....

[airsafari87]

M1000R

Despite owning 2 S1000R’s previously I took the M1000R back after 20 minutes because I hated it.

[Freakuk]

I think the last time a test rode a bike was when the original Hypermotard came out. I took it for a hoon and the thing broke down on me, had to push the thing back to the dealer for a few miles. Turns out the first Hyper didn't bolt the battery in place, it kind of rested under the seat so the cables eventually vibrate loose, fixed with a foam wedge apparently.

I've ridden a few friends bikes though and some I have really enjoyed and some I haven't.

Tuonos - Great smoother power, but too small for me
CBR1000 - Like riding a triffle.

[bogie]

Test rides with high hopes that didn't result in a purchase:

Ariel supernaked - a bike designed by non bikers, the frame dug into your legs just where you wanted to grip the bike, was supposed to be a comfy naked

Tuono V4 - not as comfortable as hoped for, cramped legs and still some forward lean

1299 Panigale - uncomfortable, cramped legs, burning inside of legs in traffic, had it for a long weekend unlimited mileage test ride, didn't even manage to run through a full tank of juice before it was sat back in my garage

899 Panigale - smaller version of above

Diavel 1st generation - nice power delivery, but seemingly fixed riding position due to seat that felt like riding a jetski more than a bike

Superduke 1290R 1st gen, crazy power, but needed electronics wound up or it was hard work all the time, quality of finish seemed like a plastic KTM dirt bike with stickers on coloured plastic and they still wanted £16k for it in 2015

[trickywoo]

Bought a street triple 765rs without riding it.

Hated it. Sold within months and a few hundred miles.

[Bob_Defly]

trickywoo said:

Bought a street triple 765rs without riding it.

Hated it. Sold within months and a few hundred miles.

Really, why? I've only ever heard good things about them.

[Ian Geary]

I very rarely change bikes, so only have a couple of examples.

An SL1000 falco on paper seemed a brilliant fast road bike to commute up motorways and give me a different view from my then zzr600.

But I found the test ride massively uncomfortable, as i was just too stretched out on it, and stuck with my zzr (which was massively comfortable for me.)


Second was a 1250s bandit - again on paper it seems to have power and comfort, but it was just so damn unwieldy for me. After the test ride I tried pushing it back into a space and it put me right off, and I wasn't bowled over by it dynamically.

I spotted a street triple 675 at the place, rode it and bought it on the spot. I never actually clicked with it, but it was superb to ride and fitted me pretty well.

Before the bandit I had seen a delivery mileage gsx-s1000f with delivery mileage for £8k, but the dealer couldn't be less bothered about a sale and with it's challenging looks and lack of luggage capacity, I let it go (somehow thinking the bandit 1250s would fill the same spot).

[trickywoo]

Bob_Defly said:

trickywoo said:

Bought a street triple 765rs without riding it.

Hated it. Sold within months and a few hundred miles.

Really, why? I've only ever heard good things about them.

Wasn’t just one thing but the biggest issue for me was it felt like the tyres were 60psi. Combination of suspension and steering but it just didn’t work for me. Turns out I’m not a triple person either. I scoff when people say they don’t like a v twin (they are plain wrong) but I just don’t like a triple.

[Crudeoink]

899 Panigale. Took it for a test ride and needed to be going daft speed before it became exciting.

[KTMsm]

To give the opposite point of view

I'm a small dealer, I don't allow test rides unless I'm holding the money

Firstly, because the insurance for sole test rides is horrifically expensive and I have a duty of care to have checked their driving license, that they are capable of riding it etc and if they hurt themselves, somehow it can be my fault

Secondly you end up with a load of joyriders who have no intention of buying the bike and there are costs to your time, petrol and cleaning etc

Back to the point, after completing a sale they have the opportunity for a test ride and if they don't like the bike, they get a full refund

No one has ever bought one back

Which I'll admit I'm quite surprised about as I don't like lots of bikes - at least not enough to buy them

[Crudeoink]

KTMsm said:

To give the opposite point of view

I'm a small dealer, I don't allow test rides unless I'm holding the money

Firstly, because the insurance for sole test rides is horrifically expensive and I have a duty of care to have checked their driving license, that they are capable of riding it etc and if they hurt themselves, somehow it can be my fault

Secondly you end up with a load of joyriders who have no intention of buying the bike and there are costs to your time, petrol and cleaning etc

Back to the point, after completing a sale they have the opportunity for a test ride and if they don't like the bike, they get a full refund

No one has ever bought one back

Which I'll admit I'm quite surprised about as I don't like lots of bikes - at least not enough to buy them

I think that's fair enough, especially as a smaller dealer. Don't most people buy on finance nowadays though?

[KTMsm]

Crudeoink said:

I think that's fair enough, especially as a smaller dealer. Don't most people buy on finance nowadays though?

I sell bikes £2-7K and looked into offering finance but I've only been asked for it a couple of times a year so haven't bothered taking it any further.

So in my experience, with my bikes no.

When I visit places like SuperBike Factory where only the monthly price is shown and you have to ask for the actual price (last time I went)

I guess I'm seeing the minority

When I asked Superbike Factory about test rides, I'm pretty sure they said the same - once you've paid you can have a ride - quite how that works with their finance and arrangement fees, I don't know

Edited by KTMsm on Friday 25th October 09:36

[ujio]

bogie said:

Test rides with high hopes that didn't result in a purchase:

Ariel supernaked - a bike designed by non bikers, the frame dug into your legs just where you wanted to grip the bike, was supposed to be a comfy naked

Tuono V4 - not as comfortable as hoped for, cramped legs and still some forward lean

1299 Panigale - uncomfortable, cramped legs, burning inside of legs in traffic, had it for a long weekend unlimited mileage test ride, didn't even manage to run through a full tank of juice before it was sat back in my garage

899 Panigale - smaller version of above

Diavel 1st generation - nice power delivery, but seemingly fixed riding position due to seat that felt like riding a jetski more than a bike

Superduke 1290R 1st gen, crazy power, but needed electronics wound up or it was hard work all the time, quality of finish seemed like a plastic KTM dirt bike with stickers on coloured plastic and they still wanted £16k for it in 2015

I think you have discounted 4 of the bikes on my shortlist there of next bike to get!

I know first impressions count but I wonder how many of these bikes you would subsequently 'click' with after a few months. i.e. get used to their foibles because you discover some new USP about them. I also get it's somewhat subjective.

[CaiosH]

yes 100% - bikes often dont ride like expected.



V2 Panigale - felt much slower than expected, and obviously uncomfortable & hot. Trade off in comfort for excitement wasn’t worth it.

Supersport 950 - very viby through the bars, hurt my hands and felt too similar to V2 Panigale.

V4 Diavel - unexpectedly loved this bike. Best version of the Ducati V4 engine. Very versatile and fun bike...sadly just out of price range. 100% next bike in a year or two.

V4 Streetfighter - odd bike, gearing ridiculously long to make 200+hp behave. Doesn’t sound that great low in the revs and impossible to get too high in revs. 1st gear does nearly 90mph....2nd gear who knows...130mph? Although just using 2nd everywhere, like a twist and go makes it somewhat fun. But odd using 1st on a motorway. I don’t understand why no reviews mention the gearing. Its far from the animal you expect it to be. It’d be a better bike with the V4 & gearing from the Diavel/Mutlistrada. Not saying I didnt like it, would perhaps have bought it if I didnt test the Tuono, its a cool bike. Just not as expected.

V4 Tuono - Took a bit of messing to get the settings right. But loved this and bought it. Close to the V4 streetfighter, but sounds better, gearing more intuitive and the torque everywhere makes a great versatile road bike. It even sounds great when riden slow. Perhaps not as nice to look at as the Streetfighter and a little cramped for a very tall rider. Im 5' 10" and its fine for me.

Edited by CaiosH on Friday 25th October 10:25

[bogie]

ujio said:

I think you have discounted 4 of the bikes on my shortlist there of next bike to get!

I know first impressions count but I wonder how many of these bikes you would subsequently 'click' with after a few months. i.e. get used to their foibles because you discover some new USP about them. I also get it's somewhat subjective.

Definitely subjective, also much depends on your physical size, weight, fitness levels too. What type of riding you will do.

These test rides were 8-12 years ago and later models may now be different e.g Im looking at a Ducati multistrada for touring duties and note the rear cylinder deactivates in slow traffic and at a standstill to address the heat issue on warm days. I read that later model Superdukes are "tamer" with better quality finish.

It can be surprising how the riding positions and comfort levels can differ between bikes in the same marketing category. Ride all the different "naked" bikes and some offer roomy, almost adventure bike riding positions, and others are like sportsbikes with flat bars.

Unless you go to a brand main dealer that has an insured fleet of demo bikes, it is really difficult to get test rides these days, for all the reasons mentioned above by KTMsm. Manufacturer sponsored events are often good to get test rides, I went to a Suzuki event at Cadwell earlier in the year and their demo fleet was available.

[itcaptainslow]

TurboHatchback said:

Triumph Trident 660, just not my cup of tea. Too small, too stiff, too revvy, didn't like the noise or the throttle.

Glad I'm not alone in thinking that - all of the reviews were brilliant, but I hated it for all of those reasons you've outlined above. Shame, as it looks great and is reasonably priced.