| Author | Message | ||
     Vortec57 |
Had a "customer" call today, sadly his question wasn't nearly as funny as he thought it was going to be. Said he'd purchased a 600CBR and was heading to pick it up. Then told me he's never sat on or ridden a motorcycle before and was wondering how and when to shift it, including what/where was the clutch, shift pattern and such. I was so flabbergasted by the question the obvious answer of DON'T skipped my mind. Gave a quick lesson in how to shift, and emphasized that being able to stop was more importaint (yeah, had to give instructions for that too) Just hope him at the new bike made it home in one piece! | ||
| Rotzaruck |
Just be glad he didn't buy a helicopter. | ||
| Indy_bueller |
Thats frightening. | ||
| Glitch |
I'm Although WTF comes to mind. I've told many friends NOT to buy a bike, to take a class first. One person told me, "Do you think I'll wreck?" I answered, "If you don't know how to ride, what do you really expect?" I hope your friend, thought twice, and never left the dealer with the bike. He's an accident waiting to happen, and by the sound of it, it may not wait too long. | ||
| Natexlh1000 |
Oh god. | ||
| Woody1911a1 |
geez , come on guys , that was more instruction than i had 35 years ago when i learned how to ride . bought my hodaka as a basket case , pushed it home with the engine in a milk crate on top of the seat . put it back together . got on it and away i went  how'd you all learn ? | ||
| Bcordb3 |
I think he was stroking you. | ||
| Buellfighter |
I never worried about those guys like I did the ones who swore they knew everything. | ||
| Diablobrian |
Reminds me of being in Navy "A" school. One of my (VERY drunk) roommates woke me up when he came in from being on liberty. He said that he'd bought a motorcycle with a bonus that all of the Boiler Techs got. I said "cool, what kind of bike?" and he said A suzuki, but he couldn't remember the letters... This was 1987 and there was only one Suzuki that went by a more than 2 letter designation. It was a GSXR (750 I found out later). I said great and thought that was the end of the conversation, but he then told me that he needed me to come with him to pick it up, since he didn't know how to ride. I ended up teaching him how to ride in the parking lots just outside of the base. Should have seen his face when the first thing I did was strip all the fairings off of it before letting him on it. He didn't realize how much the plastics cost. I chewed the salesman's butt because he took an active role in directing my buddy towards the gixxer. My buddy would have been thrilled with a gs500. | ||
| Natexlh1000 |
I crashed into a bush on a Suzuki RM125 with no brakes. The next attempt, I was able to go far enough to turn around. (almost made it back too!) | ||
| Rainman |
10 years after my first ride (Honda 90 and then a 250) a friend built me a bike a thte H-D dealer. I read a book on all the controls and how to ride a bike then borrowed a friends GS 350 to practice on while I arranged financing through the credit union for my customized, souped-up, breathed-upon 1200 Sportster. I still put it in a pile of pinestraw trying to make a U-turn and gave it too much gas, popped a wheelie and ran up a California curb into a guy's front yard. Oh well. I rode very quietly and very softly for two months | ||
| Ironhead1977 |
Had a 125 Indian dirt bike in my early teens.Wish I still had it. | ||
| Ft_bstrd |
I guess when there are people lining up out the door to buy the next spec sheet racer, why would you tell them no. Sign the paperwork, collect your money, and move on to the next buyer. You can't blame the sales guy. He's doing exactly what he's paid to do. The problem is that there is no expectation of skill or preconceived penalty for inexperience on the part of the buyer. I don't think the learning curve even enters some people's mind. Honestly, how many do the power to weight ratio comparisons. "Now if my current car which has 260HP and weighs 3,500lbs weighed 606 lbs it would have the same power to weight ratio as this bike which produces 150HP and weighs 350lbs. I might should take it a little easy." I blame the rider for making a poor decision. | ||
| Slaughter |
That's all cool - where do you think we get all our spare parts for the race bikes??? | ||
| Diablobrian |
The salesman was a sleazy snake oil type that led my roommate to the most expensive bike he could afford so that he (the salesman) could collect a bigger commission. I know that my buddies lack of any experience came up. The salesman admitted to it. He had a young, semi-drunk sailor that he saw as a way to make a quick buck off of, and damn the consequences. After all he wouldn't have to clean up after the wreck or call the parents. In most cases the salesman would have no culpability, but in this one he was a predator that knew exactly what he was doing. He had a steady stream of young, naive sailors to fleece. My buddy went in there to look for a bike, he was not a spec sheet racer type. He wanted to get a motorcycle to try riding since his mother would never allow it at home. In the end he decided he didn't like riding and sold the bike for a loss. At least he didn't finance it. (Message edited by diablobrian on October 26, 2007) | ||
| Slaughter |
he was a predator that knew exactly what he was doing. All too often the case - clinch the sale above all else - consequences be damned. | ||
| Ft_bstrd |
There is an antidote to the "sleazy salesman". "NO" Adult enough to drop the hammer on someone, but not to fend off a sales guy with questionable ethics? C'mon. (Message edited by ft_bstrd on October 27, 2007) | ||
| Bad_karma |
I support the idea of a safety course first and recommended it to all new people that I get involved with. But, with that said how many of us had a safety course before we rode? Joe | ||
| Corporatemonkey |
geez , come on guys , that was more instruction than i had 35 years ago when i learned how to ride Woody, that is a completely different situation. By having the skills to rebuild your bike, I bet you had more knowledge of the workings of a motorcycle then a lot of experience riders. Learning to ride/drive today is lot different than 35 years ago. Rarely today do you see young people who can actually handle a manual transmission, or understand how the machines work. I learned to drive with a 1974 ford courier truck. It had a billion miles, worn brakes/clutch. It required focus to drive. Today with power brakes, ABS, auto, stability control, etc, people do not have to have even basic skills to drive. This applies to motorcycles as well. People buy overpowered bikes thinking they are as easy as a modern car. They require skills. Skills I am not so sure people are willing to learn. | ||
| Glitch |
how'd you all learn ? On a Honda Mini Trail in the back yard. I would never feel right if a friend asked about riding, without out saying something. After all, I don't have enough friends, so I'd like to keep the ones I'm fortunate to have. Now if said friend didn't take my advise, at the very least I would know I tried to do the right thing, and point them in the right direction. | ||
| Aldaytona |
The "sleazy salesman" issue is a tough one. After trying to steer "idiot customers" away from a bike that was way above their riding skills and loosing a sale of any bike, you would see that same "idiot" in your shop buying parts for their bike they bought from some one else (the one you were recommending they not buy) after they crashed it. After a couple of those I would only recommend once that it might not be their best choice and then sell them the bike they were going to buy anyways.  I had forgotten the first rule of selling: Don't feel bad about "slaying" the customer, if you don't the next guy will. | ||
| Cochise |
Whoa, whoa whoa. We're supposed to RIDE our bikes? Crap, had it 2 years, guess I better get to ridin' it instead of pushin' it. Kinda explains the funny looks at the last Motorcycle Rally. All seriousness aside,  the first motorcycle I planned on buying, I test rode and had never been on a big bike, I had only ridden on bicycles and my buddy's three wheeler 8 years pryor. Next bike was about 10 years later and it was my X-1. | ||
| Lost_in_ohio |
You guys are silly. Ever heard of personal responsibility? I am a huge opponent of legislating personal responsibly. Either thru laws or lawsuits. Giving a guy advice on how to ride over the phone? I understand he is your CUSTOMER, I am gonna say that giving advice over the phone was a bad choice. Maybe make arrangements to meet him in a parking lot some where. But then if you give him lessons then your liable. a no win for sure. Glitch.....He said customer.....Not friend. Big difference in my book. You can say almost anything to a friend. A customer will walk if you answer wrong. IMHO the customer should have never asked that question. It was buyers choice to make the purchase. Lets face it most major cities have a number of motorcycle dealers. If that salesman said no......then he would have gone to the next to make his purchase. So were are this guys friends? They should be helping guide him. But then we have the issue of dealer responsibility. Was the rider properly licensed? Was he properly insured? Was he properly instructed on the functions of his new bike? I still have fond memorys of my buddys rupp mini bike. No helmet, the centrifical clutch would cut your ankle if you wore low top tennis shoes. ahhhhh what a great memory. | ||
| Rick_a |
I remember getting on my new to me S1 for the first time at the age of 23 trying to remember those brief dirtbike sessions I had at age 15. After stalling it a couple times in the driveway and a few shaky turns later I was off! You've gotta start somewhere. Ultimately it's the consumer who's responsible for their own decisions. I've come across a guy running off the road at 15mph (in a 35) on a new Sportster right after dropping it in the parking lot at 5mph. He refused any help. It doesn't matter what you ride, an unskilled rider is an unskilled rider. | ||
| Barker |
Personal responsibility a lotta of my clients are car/boat/bike dealers, most have this motto. If I dont sell them the car they dont need and the one they cant afford, the guy down the street will. (Message edited by barker on October 27, 2007) | ||
| Glitch |
He said customer.....Not friend. My bad, I misread. Customer beware, can mean more than just trying not to get ripped off. No, I never blame someone for selling anything to anyone. I'm a capitalist. Sorry about all that. The responsibility of riding is in the rider's hands, no one else. If someone is stupid enough to buy too much bike, and has no clue how to even begin, well, I'll still hate to hear about it, and will hate it even more when my insurance goes up, I'll feel for his friend's and family if the worst happens, but, I won't feel as bad for him and his stupidity. Personal responsibility, is what I'm all about and what I hope I'm passing on to my boys, it's one of the most important things a Dad can teach. | ||
| Ft_bstrd |
Ever heard of personal responsibility? Zactly! The same applies to people who pour scalding hot coffee in their crotch because the cup didn't tell them not to. Sometimes poor judgment early in life manifests as wisdom later in life. It's easy to blame the sales guy just like it's easy to blame the poor slob at McDonalds for serving the coffee or the Ace Hardware guy for not telling you you can't trim your hedges with a lawnmower. | ||
| Lost_in_ohio |
Glitch.....I am in that situation.....I had a dad who wasn't a dad.....I learned a lot of life lessons the hard way. Like you I hope I am teaching my son the lessons in a less harsh manner. | ||
| Johnnylunchbox |
I was at a local multi-brand delaership about 2 years ago, when I see a kid (21 maybe)eyeing up a GSXR 600. I started talking to him, and learned that he had never ridden a motorcycle before but was planning on getting the GSXR that day. I explained my opinion that he might be better off starting on a katana 600 or a Ninja 500, or an SV. He half-listened, considered what I said for about 15 seconds, and stated that he had made up his mind and was going for the GSXR. I saw him leave the sales office about an hour later and he told me that he couldn't get the financing, and walked out bikeless. I was secretly pleased. | ||
| Wile_ecoyote |
Although I hope he lives long enough to learn to ride well and wish him absolutely no harm, would love to be the beneficiary of his life insurance policy. |
