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Old September 13th, 2018, 01:49 PM   #1
saber63
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This is why people ask for cash in hand for test ride

So last winter, I was THAT guy... I showed up to test ride a bike for sale, 2012 Street Triple R. 14K miles. guy was asking on the high side for it.

Issue, It was a Cold, WET November in Washington. So I grabbed my wet weather gear. threw a leg over, noting the 14K mile 6yo crappy tires.

10 min later, at about 60mph while braking, I rode over a wet tar snake, and the front end drops out from under me, and bike and I slide down the road....

I of course bought the bike, full asking price. borrowed a friends truck the next day to get the bike home.

mainly cosmetic damage, thought I bent the bars. but was actually just the mounts shifting. Burned holes in my ~10yo fieldsheer cyclone suit and waterpoof gloves... and my new Astar boots grrr

Oh well. live and learn

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Old September 13th, 2018, 02:49 PM   #2
Zaph42
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Did you actually put cash in the guys hand before you rode it or did you just be a nice guy and pay him when you got back.

Or did you play it cool and say I like it! Great bike, I'll take it! as you pull up on a flat bed truck.

I don't think I would have taken an unfamiliar bike out in the rain myself.
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Old September 13th, 2018, 03:47 PM   #3
Triple Jim
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Originally Posted by Zaph42 View Post
I don't think I would have taken an unfamiliar bike out in the rain myself.
It wasn't my first choice, but it was raining when I went to buy my 250. I negotiated a price and told the young owner that I needed to ride it before I closed the deal. He started to scrunch up his face, but I handed him the cash amount we had agreed on and told him that if I crashed it, he keeps the money and I keep the bike. His face looked better right away.

I rode very conservatively about a mile or so in the light rain, checking that the transmission was OK, there weren't any odd sounds, etc., then came back and loaded it onto my van.
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Old September 13th, 2018, 11:20 PM   #4
saber63
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Yes, I put cash in the guys hand before riding.

I did return with a triumphant "well im buying your bike! ... Cause I crashed it!"

We laughed about, and chatted about when he was available for me to pick it up via truck.

I've commuted/joy road in the rain a lot. But always on nice pilot roads or the like. Not 6yo 14k mile squared off hard OEM tires.

It got new tires asap!
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Old September 14th, 2018, 06:22 AM   #5
jkv45
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I test rode my son's Ninja 500 around the block before he bought it - and it handled really sketchy.

I knew the tires were low, but the PO didn't have a compressor. We did buy it, and I rode it home about 8 mi to find it had only 15 psi in the tires.

There are so many things that can be wrong with a used bike it would be hard to draw the line as to who is at fault.

If I would have crashed it would it have been my fault with 15 psi in the tires?
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Old September 14th, 2018, 06:38 AM   #6
Triple Jim
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If I would have crashed it would it have been my fault with 15 psi in the tires?
This is not meant to pick on you in particular, Jay, but I believe so. I believe that it's up to the rider to determine if the motorcycle is safe to be ridden. After all, the owner didn't ask you to ride it.

I recently sold a motorcycle that was not currently registered or insured. I knew if the buyer went for a test ride and hit a pedestrian, I could be liable for a ton of money. This could happen if the transmission suddenly locked and sent the bike careening off the road, as a far fetched example.

I explained this to the buyer and told him that if he wanted to ride it, we would both sign two copies of a bill of sale, and he'd pay me. Then the deal was done. Then he could ride ride it, and if he didn't like it he'd bring it back undamaged, we would tear up the bills of sale, I'd give him back the money and pretend it never happened.
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Old September 14th, 2018, 07:43 AM   #7
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This is not meant to pick on you in particular, Jay, but I believe so. I believe that it's up to the rider to determine if the motorcycle is safe to be ridden. After all, the owner didn't ask you to ride it.
No problem TJ - was just tossing it out there to see what others thought.

I would say it is your responsibility to determine if the bike is safe to ride or not.
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Old September 14th, 2018, 12:06 PM   #8
saber63
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Speaking of tire pressure and test rides...

The 250 I just bought, Owner hoped on, took it around the block "make sure its all still in order" because "it has sat a couple weeks"

I hope on, make one turn, go straight back, check tire pressure... 11psi front 18psi rear.... -_-

pumped them up and went on my way. and bought the bike

Felt like the fork was not connected to the bike at those low tire pressures! How they thought it was OK I have NO idea.

ALWAYS do a safety check before you test ride/drive.

Hell a coworker just bought a car, brake fluid had NO CAP! WTF! (its getting replaced and new fluid...)
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Old September 15th, 2018, 06:29 AM   #9
Triple Jim
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A lot of vehicle owners have no idea what maintenance is, and it's worse now than it was when I was young, although it's always been bad.

The guy I got my 250 from told me he didn't know why the chain got rusty. I told him it was because he never lubed it. Apparently he though that O-ring chains didn't need the user to regularly lubricate them.
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Old October 29th, 2021, 09:12 PM   #10
IndestructibleNinja
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Apparently he though that O-ring chains didn't need the user to regularly lubricate them.
It's crazy how them hearing on fortnine or some other motorcycle media that "o-ring chains need less often lubrication" translates in their head to never needing any lubrication or checking. And how do people let brake pads get down to the metal? Shoot the peepers on em once in a blue moon.

When I bought my bike, it was missing one of the caliper mounting bolts. Why? I'm not sure how you lose a two or three inch long big shiny bolt

I wonder how the rest of the non-mechanically inclined world isn't terrified of being consumed by their dangerous, needy mechanical things. Then I remember that ignorance is bliss

I went to buy this truck and the brake light came on as I was pulling back into his driveway during the test drive. The brake pedal got really soft while backing it back down his hill. Come to find out a brake line was rusted through. And it quit running because it ran out of gas.

I'll never trust vehicles during a test drive anymore. People will say it needs nothing when they have nothing to lose
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