Right, having only just passed my test, but being 31 and 'presentable' what should I expect in terms of securing test rides from dealers?

Having never had a bike test drive I have no idea what to expect.

I am looking for a 2nd hand 748s Ducati and naturally will want to test it before parting with 4 grand, but I may also test a few alternatives at the same time like a 98 gsx4750 and a CBR600.

Two questions:

Is it dealer discretion who they give test rides to? Should I admit it's my first sports bike? What info will they need from me before the ride? I assume they cover the insurance? Do they just give you the keys and off you go? For how long?

Other question is what am I looking for on a test ride, aside from the obvious?

thanks
Ed

go for the cbr 600 fantastic allrounder and a good first bike it will be far cheaper to insure

there is a nice 04 a for sale a few threads below
i dont think i would ever buy a second hand bike off a dealer unless it was something special

Last time I went to a dealer for a test ride, they already knew me so I had my pick of whichever bike, I showed them my license, they gave me the keys and off you go. Another time I was escorted en-route, I suspect on the off chance I'd take liberties with scameras.

What are you looking for on a test ride? Well, you'll know it when you find it. You want to know whether you want that bike or would rather hang onto a rather meaty wad of cash. You want to check what you've read about a machine and what the salesman has told you about this particular example is true or not.

When buying any complex expensive device you should research it as much as possible first. Each one will have a number of particular known faults or troublesome features, though these can be tricky to narrow down on Ducatis...

Screwd.

Cheers, I spent numerous hours last night reading the 748 section of ducatisti.co.uk and it seems the 748 is surprisingly reliable. I had built this image in my head of this Alfa-esque beast but depsite trawling back many months of threads it seems to be remarkably niggle-free!

I've learnt all the spec nuances between the models and the price differentials etc and am now looking for a 748 s for about £4k. I've seen a few good ones for sale with FSH, so will start ringing around this week.

Will I be forced to wait til my license comes back or will they accept my pass certificate?

Hi i would go for the cbr600 if i was you .This was my first big bike and was easy to get on with . the 748 is not the best bike to start on think they look ok but thats where it stops good luck :thumb:

Cheers for the advice :)

Unless the 748 test ride proves to be horrible, that's where my money will be going...for now. The bike for me is a weekend special, I want something that is going to excite me before I even start it up, and I just can't be passionate about a CBR I'm afraid, great bike though it may be.

Besides I have heard some great things about the 748 in every review I've read the chassis is highlighted as one of the best out there, and also great for track which is where it will be spending some of its time.

I'm also 5ft8 and about 9stone 5 so its nice and compact which suits.

Ed, the 748 is a fantastic bike but it needs commitment to get the best from it.

Is it a Biposto, an S or an R? Or, if a little older, an SP or SPS? Because they are rather different animals.

The Bip is in the lowest state of tune and is the most understressed. It's also got the cheapest suspension and brakes, but we're talking relative terms here - even the humble Bip will run rings around comparable Jap machinery straight out of the box. The S (or SP) is a halfway house with better suspension and brakes but the basically the same mechanicals while the R or SPS got lots of carbon, a revised airbox for racing, revised engine and gearbox internals and absolutely top notch suspension and brakes.

The SPS/R is a real thoroughbred but is very hard to get even a satisfactory ride out of unless you're really charging. The SP or S is probably the best compromise, but the Bip is still far more capable than, I'd say, just about anyone on here.

The 748 is beautiful and is one of the few sportsbikes that is genuinely improved by fitting aftermarket cans (but they must be Termignonis and you must get the EPROM reflashed or changed) and, at least in Bip form, can be ridden reasonably gently and still bring a smile to the face. It isn't as good, technically, as the 749, but it's probably fair to compare the 748/916 generation Ducati to an E34 M5 while the 749/999 is an E39 M5. Technically far better but also more complicated and perhaps slightly less soulful, though far more accessible.

Reliability is OK as long as they're serviced properly by people who know what they're doing. Being ridden hard is good for them. Look for starter clutches going (BIG job and a right royal PITA), rectifiers (later ones had Jap ones which were better) and cracking instrument glasses from the vibration. Oh, and the usual crash damage, of course...

Cheers,

SB (Ex 916 owner and former Ducati racer)

I didn't know a 916:notworthy: appeared in your ownership history Simon:thumb:

Are they the archetypal Italian, electrical gremlin ridden, temperamental beastie that the magazines would have us believe then:wonder:

Excellent feedback Simon, thank you.

Former budget range I am looking at an S model, with the TiN coated front shocks, although I have seen a very nice BP.

I didn't know a 916:notworthy: appeared in your ownership history Simon:thumb:

Are they the archetypal Italian, electrical gremlin ridden, temperamental beastie that the magazines would have us believe then:wonder:

I had a '94 916 as part of a job I was doing, which I rode about as hard as I could over the 8 months or so I was involved.

In that time it ate the starter clutch, which was a bind, and that's about it. The battery was pathetic and liked to be kept on charge if the bike wasn't ridden for a bit and the tacho glass cracked through vibration. Twice.

I did, I think, 9 track days on it and covered something over 22000 miles. Not especially comfortable but acceptably reliable... But I did make sure it got serviced properly.

SB