Selling a Trike

[mgwtrike]

When selling a Goldwing trike, what is the proper response to a prospectus buyer when they ask

to take your trike for a "test ride"?



I am against the idea.



Your opinion is important to me, Cheers!​

 

[rhino 2]

When selling a Goldwing trike, what is the proper response to a prospectus buyer when they ask

to take your trike for a "test ride"?

I am against the idea.

Your opinion is important to me, Cheers!​

No way no how......Unless they hand you the asking price in cash.....But a way to avoid the question is to take the plates off and just say...Can't ride it...

Think about the Allstate Mayhem Man....

 

[paws]

When selling a Goldwing trike, what is the proper response to a prospectus buyer when they ask

to take your trike for a "test ride"?

I am against the idea.

Your opinion is important to me, Cheers!​

I find this a dilemma also because I know I would not buy a trike before driving it. I guess the best scenario is to first make sure the person has a motorcycle license and then try to accompany them on another bike or vehicle. I don’t know how insurance works about this. I’m sure several folks will chime in here with some good information. Glad you brought this up.

 

[peteg59]

Pretty simple answer: As long as you have current, full coverage/comprehensive insurance that covers anyone who may ride your trike, its all good.

I'd make sure they handed the "deductible" amount on your policy over in cash before any "test" along with their drivers license as well, for safe keeping until after the test ride. All of that being "non negotiable" if they want to take a solo ride.

If you no longer carry insurance on it, No test pilots allowed...

 

[3W-lonerider]

here's my take on the situation.

before I would let anybody test ride my trike I would want to know, positively have they ever ridden a trike before.

if not then no way.

most people feel that just because they've ridden a bike for 20 years they can handle a trike.

they are not ready for the difference between the 2 vehicles.

if they are experienced with a trike then I would definitely at least want the deductible in my hand before they take off.

with a signed paper stating that if they wreck it or damage it the deductible is kept to repair said trike.

if you don't have full coverage on the trike then I'd want the asking price in my hand before them taking it out.

with a signed paper of course.

if they still insist then I tell them hop on the back seat and i'll take them for a ride.

 

[Jack Klarich]

I dunno how I would handle this

It can be a double edge sword IMO

This will be an interesting read to follow for sure

 

[vwbug72501]

Let me relate my experience when selling one of my trikes. Even back then I wouldn't let anyone test ride my trike, period! I had a VW trike for sale and a prospective buyer came over to look at it. He had never ridden a trike before and wanted a test ride so I accommodated him by letting him ride on the back. During the test ride I took it through all the gears, took it through some twisties, used the brakes, etc. I also stressed the differences between trikes and 2 wheelers like Think Wide (Don't hang a rear wheel on something.), DON'T PUT YOUR FEET DOWN WHILE STOPPING, how a trike leans "the wrong way" in a turn and especially how a trike's handlebars move when you come out of a driveway on an angle (usually causing a novice rider to freak out and roll the throttle on). He was satisfied and we completed the transaction.

He happily hopped on the trike and headed of down the street and pulled into the gas station lot at the end of the block to turn around and go back down the street the way he had come. The whole world went into slow motion as he came back out of the gas station lot on an angle, the front end wobbled, he freaked and rolled the throttle, pulled the front wheel, went across the street on 2 wheels, caught a diagonal guy wire for a power pole, and flipped the trike completely upside down in the street! Needless to say, the money was already in the house out of sight.

He came out of the crash with a pretty nasty scrape/road rash on his leg but otherwise OK. His first response upon reaching him was "I don't think I want this thing." at which time I informed him that he broke it, he bought it and hoped things wouldn't get ugly.

Luckily it all worked out. He went to the hospital and got his leg fixed up and returned the next day with a trailer for the trike. Luckily the damage was all cosmetic and the trike was mechanically sound. Never saw the trike again but did hear it was still on the road 6 years later and by the same owner.

My advice: Put them on the back and put it through the paces that they want so they are satisfied. If that's not good enough, there will be another buyer.

 

[LadyonaMission]

My advice: Put them on the back and put it through the paces that they want so they are satisfied. If that's not good enough, there will be another buyer.

Sounds like good advice to me.

 

[PosseRider]

NO NO NO... A guy I worked with let someone test ride his 2 wheeler. Last he saw it ,it was turning the corner !!!!

 

[LadyonaMission]

NO NO NO... A guy I worked with let someone test ride his 2 wheeler. Last he saw it ,it was turning the corner !!!!

That happened to a friend of mine. The prospective buyer arrived via car with a female driver who took off right behind his Harley. Her license plate was MIA so he never saw his Harley again.

 

[pioneer11]

I will never buy any vehicle without having a test drive.

 

[poppajim]

I think I would allow a parking lot test drive only.

 

[paws]

We bought both of our trikes here in west Texas from private sellers. Both sellers allowed us to test drive the trikes without any obligation and without chaperone. I might add that when Jim bought his Piper Cherokee it was the same...in fact the owner offered to let Jim take it for a week and then decide (which we did not do). I don’t know...maybe west Texans are a little more trusting than should be. Like Pioneer11 I would never buy any vehicle without a test drive. Having said this, in selling a trike or bike I put it on consignment at the dealer as he told me his insurance takes care of any possible negative scenario. I feel his fee is well worth my not having to deal with the sale hassles.

 

[Wingrider55]

I would not buy a used bike or tike without being able to test ride it, private or dealer. Also may allow a test ride if selling a bike or trike as long as the buyer has proper credential, then only in a open parking lot.

 

[FRR]

I never buy a used anything without trying it out. Why would I think others wouldn't do the same thing?

 

[mgwtrike]

I would not buy a used bike or tike without being able to test ride it, private or dealer.

Except your talking apples and oranges here.

If a buyer abuses a dealers cycle, brings it back, they get to resell a abused bike and moves on.

If they abuse my cycle, I'm stuck with it.

 

[mgwtrike]

Honestly people, sometimes I think all the aggravation you deal with selling it yourself,

your better to get less $$$$ and sell it to a dealer.​

 

[1dn5up]

Sold quite a few scooters/bikes, my policy is to tell the looker to bring selling price cash as that will get you the test ride. Crash/brake it you own it. Also ask to see there m/c license, at least ya got a chance it will come back in one piece.

I trust NO ONE!

 

[1dn5up]

Back in 2000, 5 of us went to bike week in Daytona and ate at the Red lobster. Parking lot was full in front, so we parked on the side, all locked up , steering locked etc. After dinner one bike was missing. Local LEO said the outlaws drive around in extended vans, put the front wheel on a skateboard and into the van it goes never to be seen again.

Do Not Take Any Thing For Granted. :nonono:

 

[rhino 2]

Honestly people, sometimes I think all the aggravation you deal with selling it yourself,

your better to get less $$$$ and sell it to a dealer.​

Out of all the bikes trike i had , I only sold two off my driveway and both of them were in Pristine condition , I took the plates off, so no test rides... I did start the bikes and ''I'' rode them up and down the street while the buyer looked on..

[Me I Didn't need plates i know people]..No haggling over price..Like i said the bikes were pristine...Once when i tried to sell my VTX 1800, It was well used and thats when the hagglers came out...AKA The great un-washed....

So i traded it in to a dealer, They have more patients dealing with the kind of people that buy used stuff.....

That was in 08.....Since then i got rid of 3 bikes and two Trikes all traded in to a dealer...

 

[MikeyTX]

Pretty simple answer: As long as you have current, full coverage/comprehensive insurance that covers anyone who may ride your trike, its all good.

I'd make sure they handed the "deductible" amount on your policy over in cash before any "test" along with their drivers license as well, for safe keeping until after the test ride. All of that being "non negotiable" if they want to take a solo ride.

If you no longer carry insurance on it, No test pilots allowed...

How is the person going to take a test ride w/o their dl on a public street ?

 

[peteg59]

How is the person going to take a test ride w/o their dl on a public street ?

A. If they got into an accident or somehow did something to get pulled over by the law, would be the only time when a DL in hand would be needed. Think about it, a reasonable, short test ride is not likely to involve either scenario above.

IF they were required to produce said DL, they'd have to explain they were on a test ride & the bike owner is holding their credentials. Today's technology, the LEO will know almost instantaneously if the operator is licensed or not, simply by typing in a name in the computer in the squad car. Life's nothing more than a series of gambles, some good some not so much. Chance they take...:Shrug: ....Or not.

 

[MikeyTX]

Test ride would be better done in a large un used parking lot on a weekend. Like at a school.

 

[rhino 2]

Test ride would be better done in a large un used parking lot on a weekend. Like at a school.

No test ride for you!!!!!!

 

[MikeyTX]

No test ride for you!!!!!!

Why is that ?

 

[rhino 2]

Why is that ?

There aran't any unused parking lot's around here, Weekend or not.....And if you should be able to find one that is lightly used the way people drive though them from all directions its like being inside of a pin ball machine...:xzqxz:

Besides if anyone wants a test ride i tell them 'Go buy a bike from a dealer.....:cxtv:

 

[MikeyTX]

Such is life.:laugh:

 

[wingit]

Its risky

I sold an LT BMW to a long time rider, told him its snaky at slow speeds, and honestly he didn't make it 7 feet on cement, on the side spinning the rear with his boot stuck under the side. There was only a couple underside scratches. Those were made with a side fairing bumper. I wonder when that bumper was added by BMW. The big thing ? what's the buyers age and occupation ?

I bought this wing trike with no trike rides. Riding since the 60's and doing radical ATV exploring in Utah, owning many cycles. Seller said OK to test in a snowy windy Michigan day. Its nice of them to trust us before handing the money, but he should have held the cert check in case we wrecked. I think it's best to give the buyer a demo ride on the back. Its funny but look at interviews of people on the street, and if thats average intel ? 1/2 of us are dumber than that ! and Voting..

 

[Burnerboy]

Last year I was riding with a semi new friend of mine, [2nd time riding w/him] he had introduced me to a friend of his [that I never met] that had a Suzuki Hayabusa (spelling) for sale.. His friend asked me if I wanted to try out the bike, (lucky 4 me) I declined because I hate riding another persons bike... Well, he wanted to ride it, he got on the bike, and apparently it was way tooooooooooooooooo much power for him, he gave it too much gas, and away he went, way too fast, as he crossed the street, too fast, he clipped a telephone pole, lost control and smashed into a passing car, causing that car to smash into another oncoming car, loaded with kids...

Well, by the time this was over, we had a smashed up Hayabusa Motorcycle, and two smashed cars, and three/four people rushed to the hospital....all in pretty bad condition, then to top it off, this motorcycle was not even insured, I understand, that the owner was responsible for all the medical expenses, plus what ever??? As I stood there watching all this, all I could think, was Thank God, that I declined, ......Since then NO BODY will ever ride/drive my bike(s) or car......true story!

by the way, I have never seen this guy again, since that day!! I did hear that he was in very bad condition, hitting that pole, at the speed he was going..OUCH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ronnie