Test Riding Bikes....nobody Will Let Me!!

[Lurch]

Manchester innit, you're all shifty!

 

[sixmiffedy]

Very true. Maybe I should put on a brummy accent and walk into a showroom. Might make it worse though and they call the fuzz on me.

 

[Lurch]

What marque was it you wanted to test?

 

[GHOSTNINJA]

I've never heard of a dealer used or new bikes letting anyone test ride a bike. :s

As others have mentioned C2W does and makes great videos. Seems to have a deal with the dealership most likely because of the size of his audience.

 

[Jason P.]

As mentioned above - audience for their dealership in return for letting them ride bikes is pretty common. I think it's how some of the car guys I watch on YT also do it, because of their audience base.

If you have trouble with it and with methods above mentioned - try asking some of your friends to review their bikes. Luckily for me my friends ride a diverse bunch of motorcycles so it wouldn't be too hard pressed to ask.

 

[TheFloridaRider]

We have different events in the USA, like Bikeweek, where you can test lots of bikes. Some manufacturers like Yamaha have demo events different dealerships throughout the country too.

 

[Sailormoto]

I'm doing my DAS through a training school that's part of a dealership. They have a policy of no test riding if you haven't been qualified for at least a year. When I questioned my instructor that I had no idea what I wanted or what kind of thing I'm looking for without testing he said when you're ready to buy just come and see me and we'll dress it up as a lesson but put you on the bike you want to test.

 

[Drudivlogs]

i need to do something like that but i've had my full licence for over 2 years and is totally unrestricted so it must just come down to age i'm 19 going on 20

 

[Clint Love]

Forget the dealers. Fewer and fewer will let people demo the bikes. When I bought my first Ducati and my Triumph, the place where I bought them gave me a loaner helmet and let me ride. The Harley and Honda shops would let me sit on the bike but not ride it.

You might get to ride a demo bike if you have a YouTube channel with a million subscribers, like someone else mentioned.

Best bet is to go to demo events the bike companies put on. They let people ride the bikes and test them out.

 

[GHOSTNINJA]

Hey, now i havent done much...(any) research at all but as a noob vlogger i feel like a good way to get my YT channel of the ground would be to test bikes that arent my own...
recently i've seen C2W do millions of them, i guess he goes into a dealership pretending to be a potential buyer and they give him the show one.
At 19 (20 in september) with a full and totally unrestricted licence is there any chance for me to be able to test bikes new or used without 'finding a mate's to borrow'?
also i tried ducati (i know i didnt stand a chance) and they said i had to be at least 26 as i remember

While test riding can be great for your channel there are plenty of other ways. Do gear reviews, and things of that nature. Being that you are so young you will most likely not be able to get many test rides. You could rent bikes if you want to go that route.

 

[RealRider]

Depends on the stealership as well. They let me ride with camera on the 2010 R1 but held onto my camera while riding the 2015 model.

 

[Lurch]

Depends on the stealership as well. They let me ride with camera on the 2010 R1 but held onto my camera while riding the 2015 model.

Moral of that story, keep another camera in your pocket

 

[RealRider]

Moral of that story, keep another camera in your pocket

BINGO

 

[BluePixel]

I'm on my 6th bike and other than one which I was able to ride up and down the street before buying. I've never been allowed to test ride before buying. I've just come to accept that now and do plenty of research beforehand. It sucks but there's not much you can do about it.

 

[SwissMotard]

Moral of that story, keep another camera in your pocket

Or stash it somewhere around the corner if it won't fin in your pocket or they get funny about you having a bag.

 

[Marbro_za]

why wouldnt they allow a cam?

 

[SwissMotard]

Because it's obvious that you're just using them for a video and not wanting to buy a bike.

 

[AmpdMoto]

Riding experience is the biggest factor i.e. age. I'm 25 and have had a motorcycle license since I was 18. I got no hesitation when I asked to test ride. To be honest if I were a salesman I wouldn't let someone young test ride if I got the feeling they just wanted to make a video. I wouldn't want to be responsible if something happened.

 

[Grimfaith]

Hey, now i havent done much...(any) research at all but as a noob vlogger i feel like a good way to get my YT channel of the ground would be to test bikes that arent my own...
recently i've seen C2W do millions of them, i guess he goes into a dealership pretending to be a potential buyer and they give him the show one.
At 19 (20 in september) with a full and totally unrestricted licence is there any chance for me to be able to test bikes new or used without 'finding a mate's to borrow'?
also i tried ducati (i know i didnt stand a chance) and they said i had to be at least 26 as i remember

You could try a demo day if they have one near you!

 

[BbqRider]

C2W has a deal with Mountain Motorsports. He advertises them to his subscribers and they let him testride and review their bikes - it's a win-win situation. To be fair though, if you are a legitimate buyer, then not being allowed to test ride the bike is just ridiculous. I would never buy a bike without riding it first, even if it just up and down the street. Most dealers should have insurance for that anyway, so I don't see what the problem is on their side