Bad Start to Riding
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Elite HDF Member
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 3,906
Likes: 145
From: SE Louisiana
Bad Start to Riding
While I was at my local dealer today picking up some parts some guy bought a Sportster 1200. I know this because every time a bike sells the sales staff rings this damn loud bell that hangs outside the finance mgr's office(!), and a bit later I saw a couple of the staff walking the guy out to his shiny new bike. I walked out into the parking lot a few minutes later, just as the guy started to leave. I overheard one of the staff say something like "this ain't gonna end well" and looked around to see the newby wobbling out of the parking lot at about 10 mph, trying to make a left turn across a 5-lane (two east-bound, two westbound, seperated by a turn lane) street. He managed to get about half-way across without getting hit, then appeared to goose the throttle, shot directly across the far lanes, almost collided with a passing car, and centered one of those concrete storm drains built into street curbs. The bike flipped and the rider went flying, thankfully into a patch of grass. End result for the bike was at least (that I saw as the bike was rolled back into the dealer lot) a bent front rim, bent forks, bent front fender, broken clutch lever, broken left mirror, some damage to left side of the tank, and I'm sure more that I didn't spot; the rider seemed to have gotten away with just a few bruises and seriously damaged pride.
I just couldn't help feeling sorry for the guy, but one has to wonder how much responsibility the dealer actually has in a situation like that. I don't know anything about the guy or his transaction with the dealer, but I'm assuming the guy at least had a MC endorsement. If he took a test ride someone should have seen that he wasn't really ready for that bike...
I just couldn't help feeling sorry for the guy, but one has to wonder how much responsibility the dealer actually has in a situation like that. I don't know anything about the guy or his transaction with the dealer, but I'm assuming the guy at least had a MC endorsement. If he took a test ride someone should have seen that he wasn't really ready for that bike...
Last edited by PPBART; May 14, 2013 at 05:23 PM.
Road Captain
Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 717
Likes: 1
From: Deatsville, AL
Looks like a textbook case of a salesman putting profit over common decency. When I went to pick up my wife's bike from the dealer, the salesman tried to talk me out of leaving just because it was raining a little. I've been riding for years and he knew that. He just honestly cared for my well being and didn't want anything to happen.
Cruiser
Joined: Aug 2012
Posts: 224
Likes: 0
From: Hallsville TX
Saw a picture of a fellow that left a dealer, croosed 4 lanes of traffic and crashed into a new car lot burning up his bike and 2 new cars.
i'm not sure who is more at fault the buyer who can't ride but doesn't know any better or a dealer that would let them leave knowing they are going to crash
i'm not sure who is more at fault the buyer who can't ride but doesn't know any better or a dealer that would let them leave knowing they are going to crash
Ultimate HDF Member
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 6,508
Likes: 169
From: WPB, FL
I put the blame SQUARELY on the biker, not the dealer. WTF are the dealers supposed to do, deliver EVERY bike that rolls out of the shop? The dumb *** that bought the bike didn't know how to ride! How can anyone say the dealer had poor judgement?
Where I bought my bikes, the dealer made sure I had the proper endorsement AND insurance before letting me leave. He never asked me if I knew how to ride. It's not his place to ask!
Every year lots of wannabe bikers jump on their bike and crash, get hurt or worse. If you have ridden for any length of time YOU KNOW that you and only you are responsible for your safety.
It reminds me of the days when I was a student pilot. A guy walks into the FBO main office and states he is ready to fly! After all, he rode up on a motorcycle. How much harder could flying be? We all just nodded and agreed that it's not that much harder. You got your throttle, your left and your right. You "lean" into your turns. All you had to do was throw in an up and down and you had it made!
Where I bought my bikes, the dealer made sure I had the proper endorsement AND insurance before letting me leave. He never asked me if I knew how to ride. It's not his place to ask!
Every year lots of wannabe bikers jump on their bike and crash, get hurt or worse. If you have ridden for any length of time YOU KNOW that you and only you are responsible for your safety.
It reminds me of the days when I was a student pilot. A guy walks into the FBO main office and states he is ready to fly! After all, he rode up on a motorcycle. How much harder could flying be? We all just nodded and agreed that it's not that much harder. You got your throttle, your left and your right. You "lean" into your turns. All you had to do was throw in an up and down and you had it made!
Last edited by jeffreydsilver; May 14, 2013 at 05:35 PM.
Club Member
Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 66,126
Likes: 51,457
From: Niles Canyon Ca.
Forum is still funky , double posting .................
Last edited by TwiZted Biker; May 14, 2013 at 05:38 PM.
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Club Member
Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 66,126
Likes: 51,457
From: Niles Canyon Ca.
While I was at my local dealer today picking up some parts some guy bought a Sportster 1200. I know this because every time a bike sells the sales staff rings this damn loud bell that hangs outside the finance mgr's office(!), and a bit later I saw a couple of the staff walking the guy out to his shiny new bike. I walked out into the parking lot a few minutes later, just as the guy started to leave. I overheard one of the staff say something like "this ain't gonna end well" and looked around to see the newby wobbling out of the parking lot at about 10 mph, trying to make a left turn across a 5-lane (two east-bound, two westbound, seperated by a turn lane) street. He managed to get about half-way across without getting hit, then appeared to goose the throttle, shot directly across the far lanes, almost collided with a passing car, and centered one of those concrete storm drains built into street curbs. The bike flipped and the rider went flying, thankfully into a patch of grass. End result for the bike was at least (that I saw as the bike was rolled back into the dealer lot) a bent front rim, bent forks, bent front fender, broken clutch lever, broken left mirror, some damage to left side of the tank, and I'm sure more that I didn't spot; the rider seemed to have gotten away with just a few bruises and seriously damaged pride.
I just couldn't help feeling sorry for the guy, but one has to wonder how much responsibility the dealer actually has in a situation like that. I don't know anything about the guy or his transaction with the dealer, but I'm assuming the guy at least had a MC endorsement. If he took a test ride someone should have seen that he wasn't really ready for that bike...
I just couldn't help feeling sorry for the guy, but one has to wonder how much responsibility the dealer actually has in a situation like that. I don't know anything about the guy or his transaction with the dealer, but I'm assuming the guy at least had a MC endorsement. If he took a test ride someone should have seen that he wasn't really ready for that bike...
You guys carrying on about who's at fault or has responsibility , here's the plain facts as long as the buyer shows a drivers license and passes the money part the dealer is done with you . Once your leg goes over that bike it's yours and your responsibility for whatever happens be it 10 feet or 10 yrs . Why do you think so many dealers deliver new bikes to the buyers homes now ? They got tired of seeing guys go bump in the lots and then getting jammed up for the lack of ability on the fresh meats part .
Last edited by TwiZted Biker; May 14, 2013 at 05:44 PM.
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Stellar HDF Member
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 2,806
Likes: 1,754
From: New Bern NC
The dealership I bought my last bike from offers everyone within a reasonable distance a free delivery to their driveway. That just means some of them crash closer to home.
If you elect to ride it off the property you have to have a motorcycle endorsement and show proof of insurance. Some still drop them in the lot or crash them in the street. It isn't the dealer's responsibility to decide whether or not you can ride it, he's there to sell a product.
Elite HDF Member
Joined: May 2009
Posts: 4,904
Likes: 9
From: Streetsboro, Oh
Not the dealers fault at all, the guy wanted a bike, did not know how to ride and bit off more than he could chew. I always hate when I hear soemone say i'm going to learn how to ride a bike, maybe that's because I have been on bikes 29 years started when I was 6 and now 35 so when I started to ride street all I had to do was get use to all the traffic. There was a guy around here about 6-7 years ago that bought a big metric bike like a VTX1800 I think and took off out of the dealer like a bad *** and then right down the road lost contol and hit a guide wire for a phone pole and died right there.