Just curious, What would happen if you were out test riding a bike and a deer jumped out in front of you? You lay the bike down and cause let's say $1,000 in damage to paint and chrome. The bike had been unregistered (like many for sale are). If you weren't interested in buying it are you going to hand the seller $1,000 out of the money you brought to buy it? I doubt many would. And how about the people who have sold bikes for many years with no problems? If you were selling that same bike and the potential buyer laid it down then told you "I think something was wrong with the brakes, it's not my problem. Are you going to say "Ah, no problem guy, things happen" I think it's better to avoid scenerios like this in the first place. The world isn't perfect. I would agree that a test ride could be in order if you gave the guy the money for the bike to hold while you are riding it around. If I were selling a bike that a guy demanded he test rode but refused to let me hold the cash I would be questioning his motives. As far as thinking you are going to LOOK at someone and feel him out let me pass on a short story. I worked for Lotus cars, We had a dealer who got a car stolen, How? A well dressed man came in and inquired about buying one. Showed a drivers license, looked proffesional. He wanted the salesmen to drive it off the lot since he wasn't familiar with it's steering. Once out of the road they pulled over, switched seats. After the test drive the guy pulled over to switch seat back again. Soon as the salesman got out the guy took off in the car. They never recovered it. The Lotus executives in Atlanta were just wondering what someone would do with a car they could never register, Maybe just part it out?

 

Sold one on eBay and the other or Craigslist this year. The one on eBay (a Texas Chopper) was sold without the buyer seeing it in person, much less riding it. He lived 450 miles from me. He sent a bank transfer for 100% of the price and I trailered the bike to his place (NYC) a few weeks later. He paid for gas, food, hotel, parking etc...

The one I sold on Craigslist, I rode the bike half-way between my house and the buyer's house. He test drove it on the parking lot of Walmart in the middle of the afternoon. I stayed with his wife next to his car. When he told me he'll buy it, he gave me a $500 check, and he asked me to bring the bike back 3 days later to the same place and he'd bring the balance cash. 3 days later, I rode the bike, my GF drove her car. Gave the buyer the keys of the bike and all maintenance records, I signed the title, he gave me the cash and everything went well.

I'm still in touch with both buyers. Great people.

 

We all have our ways of approaching things. I bought my current bike over the Internet without ever seeing it, from someone I never met, and had it shipped to me via a motor carrier. But I had three phone conversations with the guy (who had a very good eBay rating), and I found him to be a straight up guy and credible. I also had him email me a copy of the title to check out, I had him email me many pictures, and I had a relative who is a former PI who lived nearby look into him a bit. I got comfortable, then wired the money. Ended up very satisfied.

I know a local contractor who is kind of a tough guy. Kinda scary if you don't know him, big mean looking guy. Does great work and is really a good guy. Once I had him working on my house and before he got started, I commented, "Would you like me to give you some money now?" He looked at me and kind of smiled, and said, "Mark, that's not necessary, we get paid." And he kind of chuckled. I knew what he meant, and I had to laugh. "I bet you do," I said. ... I'm not that guy, but for different reasons, I don't worry. I know how to fix problems.



Well put. And I could think up a hundred other bad scenarios. What if you let some guy test ride a bike and he hit a pedestrian and kills them? Could happen, even at relatively low speeds. Say, a small child runs into the street chasing a ball and the bike hits him. You owned the bike, you're on the hook. Possibly for a wrongful death action. Did you know that a wrongful death civil judgment cannot be discharged, ever, even in bankruptcy? Your life is ruined now. Ruined.

I could go on and on with possible scenarios, probably because what I do involves risks and risk analysis and also dealing with these things when they get beyond the level of risk.

I would not let anyone test ride a bike except maybe someone I know fairly well, who I trust, and then only up and down my own block or maybe a parking lot. A stranger? Never.

 

Certified or Banks Check or cash, Craigslist, and ride only when I have the money in my hand.

 

Thanks to everyone for their experiences/opinions. Fantastic! I've never sold one and of course the dealer says do you really want to let someone test ride?? Answer of course not. Is it worth the extra 2 or 3K dollars a private sale makes versus trade in to suffer the private sale gauntlet? That is the decision I'm making. Many thanks... fun forum.

 

Jeese, I don't know,Still have'nt sold my shovel.Don't know if it's the economy or what!!!

 

I myself would never buy anything without a test-ride, nor would i expect someone else to buy mine without it either. I have to wonder about all these guys who are proudly proclaiming about "no test rides", do they go out to a car dealership and plop down money without a test. I doubt they do, but for some reason they think their "gold" is something special.

 

Life is full of "what if's". What if I had a heart attack while sitting at this computer, what if I walk out the door and get hit by a bus. I have never and will never live my life waiting on a "what If", that being said I carry enough insurance to cover just about any possibility. And besides on a short test drive on city streets I don't think I have to worry about a deer. I don't know about the state you live in, but in Ohio when you make a privat vehicle transaction all sales are "AS IS", once the money trades hands you have no legal recourse.

 

Sold 4 bikes; newspaper, Cycle Trader, eBay. I advertise them in all places!! Regarding test rides; I've never had someone ask for one unless they were very very serious! The 'lookers' know better and you can easily tell the 'lookers'!

I've given one test ride for each bike, each time they purchased it. Unusual but nice!