Test Ride

[Silver Shadow]

Howdy,

Can anyone know what I should expect from the test ride I've got booked this week (with Park Lane BMW). From previous experience most dealers are reluctant to even let you sit on a bike, whereas I get the impression from these threads that I'm likeley to get quite a long, "unescorted" ride from BMW, is that the case or am I just reading too much between the lines?

Cheers
SS

 

[Roge]

You are not reading between the lines, you should be getting a long unescorted test ride. BMW bikes are different to the usual Jap/Italian bikes so a short test would not give you time to settle to the differences that so confuse the average dipstick journalist ( I use the word guardedly)

Roger

 

[dfulgosi]

RIGHT!!!

In fact, I bought my 1150GSA without any testride before and, I warn You, during the very first 10 miles driving her home, my brain was continuously telling me <<...hey.., this is not a bike for you..., stupid soul..., buy a bike just for what you read on that damn UKGS'ER forum...>>
Well, believe it or not, since the mile number 11, I'm sure, this is a fantastic bike, ...I should have bought her before!!!

 

[kitchenpete]

How did it go?

Yes, they're unescorted etc. (I tried an F650GS from Park Lane last Saturday for about 1 hours - got 3 hours booked on an R1150GS this Friday.)

What were your first impressions?

 

[Commuter]

So how's the credit card?

Did you end up buying one.

I saw the demo bike back yesterday evening, has Roy relieved you of the money.

Let us all know and when is delivery.

Cheers, Nick

 

[~Stef~]

Dont know about down "sarf" but up here in Scotland most dealers are more than happy to let you take a unescorted test ride, most stipulate a 1 hour ride, but Moto-Cal in Edinburgh where I test rode 2 R1100GS's were happy for me to take as long as I wanted.

~Stef~

 

[MikeO]

My dealer (Lind) let me take their K1200LT for a full day.

A mate of mine got Clarks (Aberdeen) to give him their Adv demonstrator for the weekend. Despite the fact that he pranged it , they let another mate of mine take their R1200CL demo away for 6 days and 1500 miles (he didn't prang it ).

A good salesman will do whatever it takes to sell you a bike (an excellent salesman will be planning to sell you 5 bikes over the next 10 years). Problem is, with demand for GSes out-stripping supply, somes dealers just aren't bothered about building a decent relationship with potential cutomers.

Mike

 

[Silver Shadow]

Bugger!

Sods law came into play and my Thundercat (that I want to use as a trade in) broke down on Tuesday!!!!!!

Have re-scheduled the ride for Saturday so will let you know how it went next week!

Incidentally, thought I'd better try something else just to compare so tried to organanise a test ride with my local Honda dealer on a new VFR - couldn't even seem to find a demo bike for me.....................