I can see both sides of this argument/topic but I can't quite get over what happens to the likes of hire/courtesy cars and the kicking and abuse most of those take and that's low powered vehicles not the supercar beating machines most bike manufacturers make these days! People know its not there own vehicle and some tend to kick there brains in!(simply put I wouldn't treat my bike the way we treated the cbr600's at Ron Haslams school few months back!) By the end of the last session Colin's bike did not sound healthy at all and was making all the sorts of noises you don't want an engine to make! I test rode a bike out of saltire up in Edinburgh before I bought my bike few weeks later, I made it clear I was plannin on buying either a blade or the bike I was testin if I liked it but not from them as they didn't have the colours I wanted, guy was pretty disgruntled bout that n after quite a bit of hummin n hawwin I finally was given the keys to the bike with no down payment only photocopy of licence and time was noted when I left n got back as there is a lot of speed cams in the area! I'm not so sure I would really trust anything any salesperson says with regards to how a demo bike was run in, at end of the day it's there job to sell the bikes and they pretty much say anything in order to get the commission for the sale! Can't say all salesman are like this but I have just never met any other type of salesmen to alter my perception! But all that said today's bikes/cars are made really well and have come a long way from the old days when "reliable" and "vehicle" was not mentioned in the same breath!
Surprised you were given it mate, considering you said that! Never test rode a bike yet, are dealers obliged to give test rides even if you make it clear your not buying from them? Saltires seem expensive for 2nd hand bikes, always seem to be better deals south of the border for some reason?
Agreed. I don't know where this myth that demo bikes get flogged comes from? Anyway, what exactly are these demo riders doing that's so bad? Bikes are designed to rev and the engines have limiters to stop over-revving
Don't see the issue with demos myself, unless you buy a bike out the crate, how do you know how any used bike has been treated, so whats the difference? Secondly, by the time I have finished with a bike, I really can't see how a few hard demo rides will cause any more damage than I do during my lifetime of ownership..
Not too sure about being obliged to give test bikes out, there was a good 15mins of the guy trying to deter me and send me on my way but after phoning in the booking beforehand and traveling to there premises I wasn't leaving without a ride on the bike! Miby it was persistence or miby I just have a trusting face either way I got my test. I had said I was buying a bike in next few weeks and if he had the colours I wanted or could get it I would probably get it from them but after the test run they took my number n never got back to me, so few weeks later me and ColinBr travel the 170mile to Preston to visit Shorrocks motorcycles and left after putting a deposit down on my new bike! Few frantic weeks later trying to get the tradein bike stripped of all my additions and a resprayed done on nose cone (already bought the paint n was sitting on garage shelf). Me and Colin set off on the bikes him on a nice big blackbird with heated grips (the FU%*€%) again traveling the 340mile round trip in sub zero temps (he has pics of me trying to get some heat in my hands using his grips in services!) Anyway I got my new bike and tbh as far as Saltire's prices go I wasn't much different in price for comparitive bike by the time I included the fuel traveling up n down to preston twice! The guys at shorrocks were good tho!
A variety of answers! Still undecided.... On holiday just now and seeing loads of bikes, but as soon as I get back to the cold weather ill probably wash and polish mine and lock it away till march! Maybe wait and see the 2014 offering to see if the ABS is better
I've brought demo bikes before and had no problems but you can't beat buying a bike brand new best feeling in the world When I was thinking of selling the blade I went to Farnham honda test drove 2 motorcycles all I had to do is have my licence with me which they took for safe keeping the sales man didnt even pressurise me to buy either bike after I don't know what honda do about demo bikes but my dad is a good friend and customer of jack Lilly's ( triumph dealer)and quite often gets asked to run there demo bikes in
Saltire Suzuki (previously Moto-Cal) have a great (deserved) reputation for customer service (including Ride magazine awards). For example, in the past, the owner has insisted I take his own personal bike when they realised they didn't have a courtesy bike available for me.
All this talk of not wanting a Bike that may or may not have been thrashed from the off doesn't stack up. When you read the Bike Mags tests of new model bikes often laid on by the OEM in some far flung Hot countries Race Track of choice the Mags often state how the Bikes engine feels tight and will undoubtedly improve with mileage! These Bikes, as many as 30 odd due to the OEM inviting Journo's from a worldwide stage, invariably have only 100 miles or so on them and yet the OEM's know full well the invited Journo's will be thrashing their new wares to within an inch of their lives and are not bothered in the slightest! If 'Running in' was such a BIG DEAL then OEM's would have at least 750 miles on any TEST BIKE offered up wouldn't they? On a separate note most Supersport Bikes from all the various OEM's are Power Tested at the Factory so have already been Redlined before they even leave the Gaff!
Mines just been run in proper and as per the book ! That's my job done ! now I can enjoy my bike knowing that I have done my best and have also ticked the duty of care box on the 10 grand sat under my bum.
+1 My last 5 ( inc the new Blade ) have been brand new, no feeling like it seeing 5/6 miles only on the clock, id never buy a second hand or demo bike, but thats my choice
I run in bike engines using the hard run in method, always have and I do know there is plenty of stuff out there that now says that there is a better ring seal due to hard run in over the gentle manual method with modern engines. so if the demo bike got a few good power loads before I got it then they saved me the hassle of doing it lol.
