I've been looking around some Ducati dealerships with the thought of a test ride. I've had a couple in the past, and have sometimes bought the bike, sometimes not. Am I right in thinking things have been tightened up regarding them? The dealers want you to leave keys of your own vehicle, and seem to need so much I.d. now. That's fair enough, I'd not loan a bike to a stranger without decent checks either. The killer for me though is one dealer wants a potential customer to either purchase their fully comp insurance ((£1000 or so excess) or agree to repair / replace all damage at their standard rates, not trade purchase price for the bits either! I'm sure I remember the supplying dealer providing the insurance, albeit with a fairly large excess when I last took a bike out? I must say I'm not prepared to ride a £15k Ducati what is in effect TPO, equally I think asking for a daily charge for insurance on a bike they hope to sell is a bit of a cheek. Incidentally, the same conditions apply to courtesy bikes. Rather than loaning me a £12,000 bike to go home I wonder if they've a few £500 heaps for use by the likes of me, who don't fancy 3 years paying off a bike that wasn't even mine! I'm pretty confident if I turned up tomorrow I could keep a bike rubber side down, and not lob it down the road. But it doesn't need to be my fault - a dog / cat could run out and wipe my front wheel then I'd be laid under a bent Panigale facing a rather large bill....
When I test rode the 899 all I needed was paper and photo card licenece and to sign a waiver that if I damaged the bike I would pay the first 1k excess.
I had four test rides two weeks ago. Three of them were on S/H bikes. In all cases all I had to do was bring a utility bill as proof of address and both parts of my licence which the dealer retained during the test ride. Fowlers of Bristol wanted a £100 deposit (to make sure I turned up for the ride and they weren't taking the bike off sale for nothing) which was refunded in full when I declined to buy the bike. A Ducati main dealer will have demonstrators. Test rides shouldn't be a problem. If its a S/H bike it is courteous to ring in for a weather check before the ride and re-book if the weather is filthy.
The test rides aren't the issue. I think any dealer would love to have his fleet out every day. It's the insurance companies laying down the law. Mine went mental with rules and regs last year about all sorts of shit that had never been brought up before....and I just run a workshop! The liability issues with letting public out on a £20k SBK are boundless. There's also the issue with the bikes going out and not coming back. The dealer has to be sure that'll happen as the insurance company hold them responsible and would more than likely try and squirm out of a pay out... Insurance/liablity is a joke and it's not going to get better until the "no win no fee" culture is kicked in to touch...
Dealer I Bought my bike from, is pretty strict, they state insurance only allows 30 min ride, 30 mins is not long enough, but to be fair to them I went back, and asked for another ride and was given the ok for a far more extensive ride. I did buy a bike off them. I agree with Nelly it is the Insurance Companies that are killing it. My Said Dealer do not offer loan bikes, and tbh it is not a problem if you have no problems, but if you have warranty issues it is a pain.
Went for a test ride on a multi at JHP , 30 min for me then 30 min with a pillion, no problem didn't have to leave keys or sign anything either.
I'm not saying it's right but I'm sure some dealers will look at the 'individual' and decide on what rules to lay down before a test ride.
I agree that the rules and regulations are being restrictive, but a £65 or more charge for the insurance on a demo / courtesy bike? That stinks of money grabbing to me - or it's designed to deter test pilots and time wasters? Either way it's detered me. I don't know if I'd have bought the bike I was looking at testing (Multistrada), but as the Suzuki dealer said when I tested the GSX-R, 'if you don't take it out you'll never know if you like it'. As it happens there's another dealer a similar distance away who do test rides, so I'll bring them a ring in the near future - and they'd be the selling (and servicing!) dealer if I choose to purchase one.
As a matter of interest for me to visit a (franchised) dealer is 1 1/2 hours ride. If they need to keep the bike overnight as they want to for a cold engine for the top end service, I'm either wasting 3 hours or more and £15 of a friends time and fuel (twice!) to pick me up and drop me off or backed into a courtesy bike. As I said earlier - wonder if they have a £1000 heap I'd feel happy TPO on?
Maybe the sh*tty weather (understandably ) makes the dealers hesitant, but in the summer I never required any more than both parts of my driving licence?
I'm confident it's a year round routine. Oh well. I'll test the Multistrada from a city centre dealership rather than one near decent roads!
None of them. I was after an adventure style touring bike with genuine off road ability for going on hols. Rode a KTM 990 Adventure, two BMW GS 1200's (14 plate and 07 plate) and a Triumph Explorer. I've made my choice. I want the GS but the new liquid cooled one, which means I've got to save another 3 grand.
Good choice, I test rode the GS ( and an R9T ) first time on a BMW and have to say I loved it. I'll be buying a GS at some point.
I always look at those massive adventure bikes I can't help but think they're like offroad starships. I'd have thought you'd be better off with something like an 800cc if you actually wanted to go offroad?
i have a 990 adventure...test rode the 800xc, bmw didn't want to know me and the gs is a f*cking monster to pick up. can't see me replacing it. i don't want to replace the dealers time, so i won't test ride just for kicks....well maybe a little go on a 1299
I've never had experience of test rides from Ducati dealers as I've bought all my three from private owners. But my Triumph dealer who I bought my Speed Triple from about four years ago let me take the bike for as long as I wanted - I had it for close to three hours... when I came back I paid for a new one there and then! They also always lend me a bike to get home on if they need to keep mine for more than a couple of hours - I've even borrowed a bike to get home on and taken it back the following day. I also only have to sign a doodaah which ensures I pay the first £1k of damage as well. I'm planning on taking the new Multistrada out this year from a Ducati dealer (I haven't chosen the dealer yet, but I probably have a choice of about three at equal distance from me). I will expect to be treated the same way as I am by my Triumph dealer as I am not making a £16k buying decision based on a 90 minute ride - I want and expect to be allowed at least a half day or a minimum of two hours riding time! and if I don't get it, no matter how much I think I want a new Multi, there ain't no way I'm gonna be giving a cocky inconsiderate Ducati dealer £16k of my hard earned cash . Mind you, I'm not a 20 or even 30 year old youngster and I never turn up with loads of mates. I will always turn up on my own and so I will be very disappointed if I am not treated as a serious customer. Are all main Ducati dealers heading down this road?!... I hope not, but as I said earlier, I have no experience of Ducati dealers' behaviour with new bikes....
Won't they collect/deliver in a van? I know that JHP do. Others might not want to advertise the fact but surely they must all have a van?
