And I completely get this. I think I have bought every bike I have test ridden. I think I just like to affirm my gut feel and the decision has already been made.
If that’s the case then they get about £110 for each test ride. Not too bad a deal in my opinion - what’s a test ride, a hour, two at the most as a rule?
This might sound childish , or petty .... .... but I'd have wanted to drive that BMW round to the first dealer and say " See that , BMW just sold a bike , and you didn't .... .... so have a word with yourself ! "
my Ducati dealer gave me the then new 1299s and said ' bring it back tomorrow and try it on roads you know'... needless to say when i went back the next day i ordered one.. no charge and i filled the tank before returning it.
to be honest he probably prepped the paperwork for my return.. but as you say its the package, of what and where you buy, and to open the garage door in the morning and see the new bike sat there is a powerful mode of persuasion... and i fell for it lol
I've never had a test ride in my life, always just buying a bike that I like the look of. My local dealer has offered me a few, but I've never had the inclination. It always seems to be with a view to selling me something when I'm not looking to buy.
Any dealer with savvy , experience and some street-smarts should be able to tell at a glance the difference between a serious potential customer and a time-waster / wannabee / tyre-kicker . What they roll up on , and how they drive says a lot .... just for starters . It's a long time since I went to a dealer for a test drive , but I would be offended if I was asked for cash , a liability agreement or a card-swipe .
No charge, checked licence and took reg number of my bike, 1200s Monster, escorted ride but at an OK pace through a good variety of roads, duration about 40 mins Ducati Worcester.
Much my experience when I bought mine three years ago except it wasn’t overnight. To be honest I wouldn’t have wanted it for so long - the three hours or so I had their demo was more than enough to convince me and get me signing up without the concern of it sat in my possession overnight. As an aside surely if a dealer lets you have a test ride from their point of view that would be a bonus - wouldn’t most people feel a slight obligation to purchase from them? Maybe at least a pang of guilt if they don’t and even more so if they bugger off elsewhere and buy? Wouldn’t most test from the dealer they expect to do a deal with (subject to no £60 fee, obviously! )
The £60 policy seemed quite inflexible, if it’s the same for a bloke who’s had a few bikes off them, each serviced by them through ownership I obviously don’t know. Maybe such a customer gets treated differently? If I do buy a new V4 it’d be my third new Ducati (1198, 1299 and then the v4) and my sixth in total. I’m still slightly confused by the policy, but a quick Google search has shown two or three others within the same kind of distance from home (50 miles or thereabouts). I’m pretty sure that Ducati number six won’t be sourced from them...
Rained on the way there, no rain on the test ride but roads were damp in places. Great bike, if I had room for two I'd be very tempted. Nice and dry on the way home too.
Only in the UK... Here across the pond Dealership are required too carry insurance to cover test rides ... All you need is your Motorcycle indorsment ... So sorry ...
Returned to Ducati Worcester today for a service on my Multistrada. Loan bike for the day, was asked what I'd like... How about a V4S says I... Certainly sir, you'll need to pay £10 insurance contribution. I don't have a problem with that TBH. Did about 100 miles, looked like I'd taken it green laning given the weather. That engine, in a 'softer' state of tune, in the Multistrada will be superb, I want one
I know, would be the first thing in the bin. Hopefully Ducati will have taken this into account and made it removable without leaving any ugliness like a tapped hole... An extraordinarily capable motorcycle, many magnitudes more so that I, I was not worthy...
