Notice that my local Suzuki dealer (was looking on their site regarding the 0% finance) has an ex-demo 650 Bandit with 270 miles on the clock for sale, it's about £1k cheaper than a spanking new one which is a pretty big saving.
However, are ex-demo bikes as abused as ex-demo cars? or is there less of a stigma around bikes?

would have thought it will be fine, most folk buying a bandit new, won't be loons, older blokes wanting a 'real' bike, for a 1k less than list + warrenty = bargain.

Pud

It will be fine, the first 100miles will have been gentle as people will be worried about throwing it. An engine is an engine after all and is designed to be revvd so it will be fine. Wouldn't worry me in the slightest, that grand would pay for a year or twos insurance. People in the 1st world worry too much about treating machines nicely, it is amazing how much stick an engine (even a brand new one) can take and is more than any punter will have given it.

I'd avoid it like the plague:nono: . Bike engines need to be properley run in to last well. Who's going to take a demo bike for a test ride and keep it below 3000 revs? That was 57mph in top gear on my gsxr, for 200 miles, then 4000 revs for next 200 and 5000 revs for next 200. I got overtaken by scooters!

Demo bikes will have been horsed out from cold from their first ride.

I'd avoid it like the plague:nono: . Bike engines need to be properley run in to last well. Who's going to take a demo bike for a test ride and keep it below 3000 revs? That was 57mph in top gear on my gsxr, for 200 miles, then 4000 revs for next 200 and 5000 revs for next 200. I got overtaken by scooters!

Demo bikes will have been horsed out from cold from their first ride.

how many people do you think run their new bikes in properly??

I bought an ex-demo bike (06 plate) with a few hundred miles on it. It's been absolutely fine and how it was run-in hasn't worried me in the slightest.

My neighbour has a 1999 ZX9r which has now covered an impressive 75,000 miles, this was an ex-demo. He is a despatch rider and used the bike for a while for work. It has been ridden hard in all weathers but serviced regularly. The engine is still fine and has not required any more work than basic maintanence.Bike engines are much stronger than your local dealer will ever admit.

Lucky people. The 3 engines my last gixxer went through really p1ssed me off. I thank the lovely Mr Suzuki for his warranties but it was still a real pain in the ass.

Some ex demo bikes may be fine and modern engines are very strong but the way they are run in directly affects there lifespan.

As for who runs there bikes in properley? I know I'm not the only one but having had many bad experiences and felt the difference it makes 1st hand... Anybody who's raced 2 strokes can tell you this; you can feel the engine change as you ride it. The effects are far less noticeable on a four stroke road bike due to much heavier engine internals and a much heavier bike but the same process is happening within the engine.

There are a million other affecting aspects but as a rule of thumb the faster an engine is freed up (run in) the faster it will wear out.

This is not a racing engine! I think you are talking Bol**cks.

Demo bikes are, in my experience, generally run in for the first bit by the dealer before having the punter let loose on them.

I always used to buy ex demos as the savinmgs far outweighed the risk. In something over 200,000 miles I had no mechanical failures whatsoever.

My last 3 gixxers, though all bought new, have been treated the same way - gently for the first couple of hundred miles and then I've used the running in guide as just that; a guide. None of them have missed a beat, consumed alots of oil or had any other problems..

SB

The vast majority of dealers do the first 250 miles on any demo bike by their own staff, The most important part of running in any Modern engine is not to labour it for the first 250 miles, purely to bed in the crank and no other reason, the running process on the modern stuff is less important than what used to be the norm. I would always buy a well priced ex demo with no hesitation.

I know of an ex-demo bike for sale, R1, and thats been round the TT track being riden by Rutter!, not all are as they seem.

I know of an ex-demo bike for sale, R1, and thats been round the TT track being riden by Rutter!, not all are as they seem.

i would buy it , as its been maintained regardless of cost by top spannermen . i know what you was getting at but an ex works team bike , was a poor example . {not to mention the fact that they fetch 4 times + , what a normal bike would }
as for the ex demo bike , they still have the same warranty so it wouldnt bother me . buy it and spend the money you saved , on making it go/sound/look better :thumb: .

i would buy it , as its been maintained regardless of cost by top spannermen . i know what you was getting at but an ex works team bike , was a poor example . {not to mention the fact that they fetch 4 times + , what a normal bike would }



How is it a poor examle?, you've got the wrong end of the stick, this was a regular red and white '07 R1, never did i say it was a race bike, i said demo.
They'll hardly be fourth coming telling you how it spend it's demo miles being raced, so it is a good example.

why was rutter running round the tt course on a standard r1 , when hes contracted to kawasaki , and before that honda :wonder: . very curious ! .

No idea, a friend booked a test ride on it, went to collect it and couldn't use it as it was still at the TT, i maybe wrong and it might not be Rutter, but it was certainly there being riden by a known rider.