The rule of thumb when buying a new motorcycle is to always test ride it first to understand what exactly you are getting yourself into. This does not only apply to first-time buyers but also to experienced riders looking into acquiring new bikes.
You might have already made up your mind on the model and the design you want to buy, but test riding the motorcycle is the only way to know whether it is the right choice for you or not.
It would be quite disappointing to discover an element you might not like about a motorcycle when you have already paid for it. Of course, there are manufacturers whose policies don’t allow for test-riding but always insist on being given a chance to feel the bike by riding it.
What to Remember When Test-riding a Motorcycle
Listen to the engine: One of the things you must be keen on when taking a test ride is the bike’s engine performance. This is essentially one of the reasons you might end up buying or not buying the motorcycle. Pay attention to every bit of the process from the clutch to the gear shift process.
How are the brakes? This is the other most crucial element you must focus on when test-riding a motorcycle. Whether a novice or an experienced rider, through test-riding, you will be in a position to know how comfortable you are with the brakes. A couple of stops will be enough to know if that’s the motorcycle for you or not.
Ride quality: Test the motorcycle on different types of roads and situations and see if it offers the kind of service you are looking for. Remember that a bike might not tick all the boxes when it comes to the ride quality but it must at least offer you like 95 percent of what you would consider good.
The Bottom Line
Different manufacturers have different requirements to be allowed to take a motorcycle for a test-ride. One of them is that you must be licensed. They also allow test-riding within designated areas; check with your target manufacturer to understand what you need to do to book a test ride.