I don't see it as being a whole lot different than buying any used bike from a dealer, if it wasn't a rental how do you know the previous owner didn't beat the sh"t out of it. I'd look at it as if it were a used bike with extra miles on it, for the money you're going to save you should easily be able to get an extended warranty. Factory warranty is unlimited mileage anyway so see when bike was put into service & see how much time is left on that. Just like any used bike you're looking to buy look it over really well & take it for an extended test ride to see how it rides, if you like it & the price is right buy it.

 

I picked up a used '09 that was a rental. No complaints so far. Mine had 8k on it, they had it priced pretty good. The way my dealer explained (and got me to get some comfort in it) is that renting a bike and renting a car are completely different. He said most people that rent a bike are renting it to see if they want to buy that model (this may be due to where I'm from, not really any tourism in the area). Because of this, he said that the bike was given a good inspection before anyone took it out and also when it was returned so that when someone rents one, it'll be working flawlessly (marketing). Also, he said they make everyone that rents purchase insurance. When the bikes get returned to the dealer after a rental, the service guys would go over them just looking for something that was wrong/broken, because they could make the insurance pay for the repair.

I don't know if this is true, or just a sales pitch, but to me, it made sense. Also, being that the bike still had all but 8 months of the full warranty, I figured if anything is wrong or goes wrong with it, they'll take care of it for me.

Good luck with your decision.

 

do rental bikes even have a clutch, i remember now i used it once when i slid the *** out of it when i took off.

 

Tough call.

I rent a lot. Probably 15-20 times a year. Sometimes for a day, sometimes for 2 weeks, depending on where and why.

Some rentals were in outstanding shape. Every bike I've rented at Las Vegas Harley was in awesome shape and they did a full check before it went out.

I've rented in Florida a couple of times and some were "Hot rentals". They come back, get topped off with gas, and go right back out with someone else.

Most of the rentals I have done have been pretty beat on.

 

looking to buy a rental bike is like shopping for a wife at the local whorehouse.,,

 

You say that like it's a bad thing!

 

+1 I agree. Plus if the dealer is so confident of the quality and service if the bike. They should have no proble, producing service records and providing the warranty.

 

Kind of like the rental-car scenes from 'Days of Thunder'?

I personally would not buy a rental, inspite of the service records. The service records don't show how hard that bike has been riden, how many times it's been up to red-line.

 

Service records ain't gonna show how hard it was ridden.

You said "much cheaper than other bikes on craigslist".
That tells us nothing. Lots of overpriced bikes for sale (that likely didn't sell).

Unless you are getting it for 10 - 12 thou, I'd stay away from it.
That price would at least allow you to rebuild the motor if you find out the crank is twisted (from misplaced downshifts).

 

I've rented a few times in Florida with a couple of buddies and I know the bikes we got were beat on hard...some were in service for a just a few days before we got them and they were definitely broke in when we got back. We rode them real hard but we were always carefull not scratch the paint. But if the money is right when you buy it you can drop a 124 or 131 in it and problem solved.