Bath Road Motorcycles not interested in selling bikes

[North]

Toys,

It's unbelievably that they would not let you take a used bike out for a test ride. They must be nuts.

When I was looking to buy my bike last spring. A dealer had a new 2004 Adventure with everything on it for a great price. They had a demo 1200, but only the one adventure. I really wanted to buy it and asked to take it out for a test drive and they said no. I told them that I had never rode an adventure and was not about to spend a lot of money on a bike that I had never ridden.

There answer was that it was a new Bike, you can't ride it. My answer was, I can't buy then.

I cannot imagine anyone buying new a bike without riding a demo first. As far as a used bike goes. It's just common sense, a given, that you would ride it first.

I am glad to hear that you ended up with a great bike that you got to test ride first.

 

[Cheesy Mike]

I bought my 1150 from Coopers after the salesman in Bath Road called me "Sonny". I was livid.

However, I have been back many times for service (and frequent repair!!) and have not had a single complaint about the way I have been treated.

Mike

 

[ric]

Guess it depends how well their sales are going at the time, or what they think they need to do to clinch a sale.
A few years back when I was looking at a new purchase they let me keep a test bike out overnight,
I ordered an 1150 a few days later.

My only complaint about the servicing is how much grease they leave behind after lubing up all the pivot points.

 

[ant]

There seems to be no consistency in who dealers are willing to let out on a test ride, but it must be difficult to tell the punters from the joyriders. I know a multi franchise jap shop where they charge £20 per demo ride and refund it from the purchase of any bike you buy. It does seem to sort out who wants to play and who is serious.

 

[Zoton]

Geeeeet your ass 2 Cardiff that i'll sort it.

 

[PCH-101]

Vote with your feet... it's the only way.
Doesn't take long to go out of busniess these days.

PS... he who dies with the most toys.... still dies.

 

[ELIMINATOR]

SPC, CW, Kawasaki Southampton (now gone) Crescent Suzuki, Bournemouth & Verwood, Honda Portsmouth, Yamaha Ray Dearden. All of these test rides no problem.

3X motorcycles, wanted to accompany me & virtually asked for a deposit!!!

Southern Motorcycles,(gone) Southampton accompanied me. Kawasaki Eliminator 900

Honda Bridge Motorcycles, very reluctant, didn't bother.

Harley, Dockgate 20 no problems whatsoever.

So this would have been, in no particular order in the last 3 years. 1200 Harley sportster (twice) Dynaglide 1450. Suzuki SV1000, Yamaha Fazer 1000, Honda Hornet 900, Suzuki V-Strom 1000, GS1100,GS1150, RT1150, F650, R1150 (naked one) R1100S, K1200 (naked one) Suzuki TL1000S, Kawasaki Ninja 900, Kawasaki Z1000.

Professional test jockey, before settling on the GS1150. 2 of the BMs were curtesy bikes, 2 of them I rode whilst getting mine worked on.

 

[tfdodo]

I got my last bike from them and was not impressed by either the sales or service department . I now use BVM - much happier

Sorry, newbie here, BVM ?
tfd

 

[Ming]

Sorry, newbie here, BVM ?
tfd

BVM is a BMW dealer in stroud

 

[Dick Dastardly]

Boycott, Boycott, Boycott...............

What's Yorkshires finest son got to do with motorcycles...??

 

[Dick Dastardly]

Hey Toys, your avatar.......

....is that a camouflaged back on the brightest RED cab i ever did see....

 

[Deleted Member MS]

dealer bother

I cannot vouch for dealers "darn Sarf" but Rainbows up here near Sheffield, and Robsons in York have good reputations. I know its a long way to travel for a new bike though ???
Yeah, take your £££££££'s elsewhere, but let the B...s have a bit of your mind first (mention that you have "advertised them on here !!!)

 

[Deleted Member MS]

dealers

A mate of mine asked for a trade in price recently on his year old 1150 GS against a new 1200. He got £1000 difference offered at 2 BM dealers 50 miles apart >???????
Hows that work then ???

 

[BBB61]

A mate of mine asked for a trade in price recently on his year old 1150 GS against a new 1200. He got £1000 difference offered at 2 BM dealers 50 miles apart >???????
Hows that work then ???

Easy, he goes for the one that offered a grand more

 

[Brian V]

Trouble with all this is that now Prestige in Bexleyheath are closing, I believe there are only 37? (could be wrong open to correction) official BMW franchised motorcycle dealers country wide.
That's less than one per county. Which would appear to put the ball firmly in their collective courts when it comes to warranty work, franchised dealer servicing etc.

Notwithstanding comments re the use of non franchised independants not voiding your warranties. It seems that some of us will be faced with long trips to 'decent' dealers or at least dealers that we feel reasonably happy with.

 

[tonyw]

I went and had a look at the GSA 1200 on Tuesday at Bristol Motorrad (Bath Road Motorcycles offshoot) and was interested to see that they had one for sale immediately. I went home, did some sums and phoned to book a test ride. This was arranged with the salesman Rob for Thursday at 10.

No difficulties with arranging the ride, we agreed that I would be back by 2 p.m. which I thought was a generous time allowance. (The immediately available bike had actually been snapped up on the Wednesday but not all bad news as the pressure for an immediate decision was gone).

When I got back we discussed price and options and I thought that the part-exchange on offer was fair, having looked at the asking/selling price for 2003 1150 gs on this site.

Overall very good service I thought.

Will I order a 1200GSA? Well I was impressed by the bike-looks, performance, handling- in fact all the things I like so much about my 1150. Big enough improvement to justify the expense-the jury's still out on that one.

 

[JohnP]

Bristol Motorrad offered me £6450 against my June 04 1200 GS as trade in for a new 1200 GS in the New Year. BVM offered me £7260 the same day for the same spec new bike. Needless to say I accepted BVM's offer. Took delivery of the new bike last weekend. I find BVM very friendly and extremely fair.

 

[fredkat41]

Bath Road

For what it's worth,

I bought my first BMW from Bath Road after they almost insisted I take the bike out for at least 3 hours, I have just traded in my 2005 ADV for a 1200 and I am most impressed with the deal. I kept changing the spec of my new bike with no quibble from Des or Kris, patience of saints.

The after sales is top draw too.

Fred the happy cat

 

[Britishbeefy]

Just picked up my bike from Bristolmotorrad today after having clutch work done on it. As far as this particular experience went I couldn't have asked for more...well done Darren et al. Not a sales experience admittedly, but good service.

 

[matt_bailey]

I think it was 1999 / 2000 I went in to BRM to see about a GS, trading in my Yamaha Fazer. The salesman was more interested in telling me how crap the Fazer was than selling the GS. I was confused by this bizarre approach to sales, and I was put off BMW completely. So, I looked at Hondas instead, and bought a Varadero. BRM lost a sale.

When I eventually bought my 1150, I bought it from Sawbridgeworth in Herts. So far I think their service and attitude is pretty great. I was hoping they'd run for parliament so I could vote for them.