[phoenix.rider]

I was looking for an entry-level bike to start riding. I shortlisted bikes to test ride and find which ones fit me best. I am more of a sport-tourer kind of guy. I like a little aggressive position but also comfortable enough to take it on long rides. I shortlisted below bikes:-

1. Duke 390(not RC because it is way too committed and the hardware is also outdated compared to duke).
   
   
   
   
2. Dominor 400( because it is good value for money if compared with duke)
   
   
   
   
3. RE Himalayan (because it is very versatile, you can see it as a take it everywhere bike).
   
4. Suzuki Gixxer SF 250(because it is a good sports tourer)

After shortlisting the bikes, I started test riding the bikes and I was mostly looking for a bike that is sporty enough but also comfortable.
I liked Suzuki Gixxer SF 250 because it matched all my requirements. It made me feel like that I need to learn how to control a 26HP machine because when I was test riding and gave full throttle my heart start pumping I was scared of that 26HP only.

I wouldn't talk about all other bikes because this post is mostly about buying a test ride vehicle. I will write about the overall test riding experience and owner experience in separate posts.

After test riding Gixxer, I was about to book the bike but I was not sure which colour to book. I came back after a few days to book the bike but when I reached there, the salesperson introduced me to the BS4 test ride bike which they wanted to sell because the BS6 model was released and the showroom had a BS6 bike for test rides.



I test rode the BS4 bike which only had 1000km on the odometer and it was almost the same as the BS6 bike. BS4 and BS6 have only 1 difference. BS6 has a little more refined engine(less vibration) than BS4.
I was instantly hooked on the idea of getting an almost exactly same bike at half the price without going bankrupt.

After taking the test ride I did some preliminary tests.
I checked the below points to make sure that 1000KM on the odometer are real and not tempered.

1. Check the RC and make sure that the bike is registered in the name of the showroom.
2. Checked the tire tread to make sure that tires are not used a lot. I also compared the tire manufacturing date with bike manufacturing month year and they were from around the same period.
   
   
   
   
3. I also checked the sprocket teeth to make sure that there is no unusual wear to teeth and they were in perfect condition.
4. I also checked for any scratch marks on the lever, body panel, mirror, exhaust because these places can tell if the bike fell. one loophole here is that showroom guys can change these parts.
   
   
   
   
5. I checked bike service history to check whether any part was replaced and was bike services at the right time or not.

After checking all the above points, I was convinced that the bike was not used a lot and it is the best deal I can get.

One suggestion I will make to anyone who is buying a new bike is that he/she should try to look into test ride vehicles because they are a lot cheaper compared to the new one and depreciation will be very low.

The biggest concern when buying a test bike is that they all are ridden in the high rev range during the break-in period but I don't think this makes such a huge difference to bikes performance because my bike runs smooth and gives good economy(always 35kmpl+)(have done 12K km in 6 months). Here is the link(

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xpoglovyy_8&t=1s

) to the test conducted by motorcyclist magazine which shows that the break-in method doesn't make such a huge difference.

Once you have the bike in your possession only thing you need to worry about is getting the bike transferred in your name.

[ebonho]

Originally Posted by phoenix.rider

Once you have the bike in your possession only thing you need to worry about is getting the bike transferred in your name.

Congratulations on a great deal.

Doppie and Figgy, my 2 Bullet 500s, were both ARAI company test bikes, purchased directly from the company. No dealer involved.

ARAI test bikes are handpicked by the companies. You are getting literally the cream of the litter.

Cheers, Doc

[condor]

Showrooms typically give short test drives, and these happen to be in city traffic. So I dont think even that high-revving you have mentioned would be for longer durations.

If you are satisfied, go ahead. Try get some warranty for the bike.

[Shonith]

Congrats on the new bike.
Test ride bikes are a good bike to buy if your planning to keep it for few years. You can actually sell it for a good price if it's a bike with high demand. One of my friend had bought a test ride MOJO in 2019. But, he asked the showroom to change all the body panels. The showroom did all the work, the bike was delivered at an on road Price of 1.45laks. I think he will use it for about 5 years and sell it asking 1.5 laks.

Engine wise it will really not matter much if the bike has been revved hard unless the warm up has been done properly. Warm up is the most important factor which will effect the engine life. Also change the engine oil and do other basic service it may give you a peace of mind.

[phoenix.rider]

Originally Posted by ebonho

Congratulations on a great deal.

Doppie and Figgy, my 2 Bullet 500s, were both ARAI company test bikes, purchased directly from the company. No dealer involved.

ARAI test bikes are handpicked by the companies. You are getting literally the cream of the litter.

Cheers, Doc

Thanks.

how did you came to know about ARAI bikes? ARAI bikes is also a good place to get test ride vehicles.
i came to know about test ride bike through salesman.

[ebonho]

Originally Posted by phoenix.rider

Thanks.

how did you came to know about ARAI bikes? ARAI bikes is also a good place to get test ride vehicles.
i came to know about test ride bike through salesman.

Directly through company sources. That's how it works.

These bikes never come into the market or are visible. They are usually stored in company godowns (Doppie) or sometimes brought in for inspection to a dealer showroom (Figgy).

But the deal is directly with the company. You are the FIRST owner. There is no dealer or any other middleman in the loop. And there is zero warranty. You buy it, you break it, you pay for it. You are on your own.

Media bikes are a different ballgame. As are showroom demo bikes.

ARAI bikes like Doppie are not even ridden on the road. Just the dyno/rollers. And tested for electricals.

Cheers, Doc

[i_rock098]

Originally Posted by ebonho

Directly through company sources. That's how it works.

These bikes never come into the market or are visible. They are usually stored in company godowns (Doppie) or sometimes brought in for inspection to a dealer showroom (Figgy).

But the deal is directly with the company. You are the FIRST owner. There is no dealer or any other middleman in the loop. And there is zero warranty. You buy it, you break it, you pay for it. You are on your own.

Media bikes are a different ballgame. As are showroom demo bikes.

ARAI bikes like Doppie are not even ridden on the road. Just the dyno/rollers. And tested for electricals.

Cheers, Doc

What is the price difference that we are looking at for the ARAI and showroom demo bikes respectively compared to the normal dealer bought new bike?

[ebonho]

Originally Posted by i_rock098

What is the price difference that we are looking at for the ARAI and showroom demo bikes respectively compared to the normal dealer bought new bike?

Its very fluid and depends on the bike, the company and the negotiation.

Some companies like Bajaj give barely any cut down.

Some like RE used to give huge discounts (of course this was before they exploded and became a mass player).

[Ashwintona675]

Congratulations on your new beast. It is a sweet deal at just 1000km odo. Since you're planning to ride, do invest in safety gears.
My issues with test ride bikes are from my personal experience. More than the customers, it's the sales staff who seem to abuse the bikes. I've personally witnessed the way they handle the bikes. There was a Diavel in the Ducati dealership which was sort of a local legend as it could be seen in all tea shops in the vicinity of the dealership.

[phoenix.rider]

Originally Posted by Shonith

Congrats on the new bike.
Test ride bikes are a good bike to buy if your planning to keep it for few years. You can actually sell it for a good price if it's a bike with high demand. One of my friend had bought a test ride MOJO in 2019. But, he asked the showroom to change all the body panels. The showroom did all the work, the bike was delivered at an on road Price of 1.45laks. I think he will use it for about 5 years and sell it asking 1.5 laks.

Thanks.

one thing I have observed is that you wouldn't find the most popular and high sale volume test ride bikes for sale. you will find fewer sales volume bikes for sale.

Gixxer is also a low sales volume bike and even showroom staff was not ready to own that bike but I think Gixxer sf 250 is a good deal for a bigger rider.

Originally Posted by Shonith

Engine wise it will really not matter much if the bike has been revved hard unless the warm up has been done properly. Warm up is the most important factor which will effect the engine life. Also change the engine oil and do other basic service it may give you a peace of mind.

not sure if the salesperson in the showrooms know that they need to warm up the bike before giving a test ride(most probably not) but yeah I got my bike serviced after riding roughly 300 km.

[phoenix.rider]

Originally Posted by Ashwintona675

Congratulations on your new beast. It is a sweet deal at just 1000km odo. Since you're planning to ride, do invest in safety gears.

Thanks.

yeah, I invested in a good helmet way before I bought this bike because a helmet is the most important safety gear. I have Axor apex series helmet(DOT and ECE certified).



Here is my Thread on buying riding gear for the first time.

https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/ride-...irst-time.html (A Beginner's Guide to purchasing riding gear for the first time)

Please give it a read and feel free to add any suggestions which I missed.

I just bought my other riding gear. I bought a Moto Marshall Valor jacket.



I bought Bikeratti Equator Gloves



I have used the jacket and gloves for a 1000km ride and I will write a gear review post once I have used them for a fair amount of km.

[TheHelix0202]

Do keep us updated on the bike! A nice ownership log would be wonderful for prospective owners and enthusiasts.