[SkylineGTR]

I went to a Suzuki showroom today to take a test ride of the Gixxer SF 250, a bike that has been on my list of prospective bikes for a long time. The bike was fine and all, however it was not a test ride vehicle, but it was a fresh vehicle parked in the showroom. He told me it was meant for delivery to another person. I asked when?
He said next week.

I asked for a test ride. He said he would give me one but I ought to be careful since the bike did not have insurance. The sales manager was polite and courteous: I took two rides, one short and then a slightly longer one which he allowed after i asked for a longer TD.

What's pestering me is that he is kind of asking me to buy the same bike that i test rode. He insists that its a brand new piece and i am the first person to TD it. I obviously don't believe him. The speedo wire is disconnected too so there's no way to know how many kilometres the bike has run.

I asked him about the other person for whom the bike is meant, but he says that person has not deposited money as of now so there's no issues if they give his bike to me.

I then asked him how he had ordered a bike from Suzuki if the supposed customer had not even made a booking yet? He says sir that's how we operate, and we needed a piece to display in the showroom anyway. Really? You just order a bike from the factory because some guy called you and told you he'd buy one in a few days?

I again insisted on getting a fresh, factory delivered piece but he said there are no issues with this one and again insisted I buy that one only. Is this behaviour normal?

Here are my concerns

1. What if this bike is a test ride and has already run multiple hundred kms? Test ride bikes aren't treated kindly, people would definitely have revved it hard and ruined the engine.

2. What kind of showroom just orders a bike from the factory without taking a booking amount?

3. Why can't he just say, "ok sir no problem, you pay the booking amount and we'll get you a fresh piece"?

Although the sales manager was very polite and sat with me after his closing hours to explain to me the pricing and all, I have already lost trust in this showroom. Now even if he agrees to get a new unit I will have a doubt that it's the same old TD bike, washed and cleaned. What should I do?

[Engine_Roars]

Well, you were more than happy to test ride a bike that was supposed to be delivered to someone else, I mean, if you were this worried about getting a new bike, you should not have ridden some one else's bike.

On another note, if you don't want to take this bike, simply reject, they can't force you.

[Joelinf]

Since you say you have already lost the trust in the dealer, you can walk away. For me it seems some kind of a scam going on. Now that you have experienced your dream bike, you can get it from another dealership.

[v12]

It's simple, just make a note of the VIN number of the bike you test rode and ensure you check the VIN of the new bike. The dealer cannot force you to buy the bike that he wants to sell you. If you have not already made a note of the VIN and are scared that he may try and sell you the same bike, try booking the bike afte a month when fresh stock comes in - that way you would be assured that you are getting a fresh piece.

If nothing, just change your dealer.

[KPR]

Originally Posted by SkylineGTR

I asked for a test ride. He said he would give me one but I ought to be careful since the bike did not have insurance. The sales manager was polite and courteous: I took two rides, one short and then a slightly longer one which he allowed after i asked for a longer TD.

My BIL and self test rode a Gixxer SF150 in 2018 that was standing in showroom. Speedo cable removed and it was a new bike. We loved it. Asked if there is any other blue colour available. Dealer said that the bike we drove was a new one and no stock available in yard. We checked the VIN and it was just 1 month old. So we didn't think twice and purchased it although we knew someone could've TDed the same bike. In my opinion we are the best judge. We saw no scratches no complaints in the bike. There's nothing wrong in purchasing the bike if you're convinced.

[drt_rdr]

Sometimes, manufacturers push vehicles on showrooms and ask them to sell. Other times, customers back out at the last moment and showrooms are left with stock they must somehow sell. Saying a bike on the floor is a customer's and all that is pressure tactics of salespeople to get people to commit to a buy.

If you don't want to buy that particular bike, make a note of the chassis number at the side of the steering stem. Ask the showroom to get another unit and when it arrives, compare to see if they're the same.

The manufacturing date of the tyres can also give you some indication of how old the bike is, and whether it's the same unit. It's a quick, easy check. New tyres also have thin lines of coloured paint on the surface. If a bike has been used for TDs often, the lines would have worn off or faded atleast. Check, compare and decide.

[Sebring]

Well, its good you got to test ride the bike you want to own. Most dealers wont allow it. If you have liked it and the pdi is cleared with flying colours, then go for it. But do note down VIN and decipher the manufacturing month, before paying. Bike dealers have stock always and its not like buying a car where you book and then wait for factory confirmation (In most cases)

[Ajay_the_Don]

The Suzuki two-wheeler experience is way lower when compared to their car division. My friend was looking to purchase the SF250 and opted for the MotoGP spec colour scheme. The dealer took the booking for the same but kept delaying the delivery date. He was insistent to take the showroom demo bike in matte black for delivery even after my friend repeatedly denied it.

Finally, he went for a car (talk about a frustrated buyer) and canceled the booking. Suzuki has some great bike but the dealer attitude needs to be corrected.

[SkylineGTR]

Thanks guys for your responses. I did think about taking a note of the VIN number but I didn't know where to locate them. I looked around the bike and took found two numbers that I will be posting below. Please tell me if you can derive any information from them. One is a sticker on the crankcase and one was stenciled on the exhaust hang.
I guess I could have checked the engine oil color to see how much the bike had run, but that didn't strike my mind then.

Originally Posted by Engine_Roars

Well, you were more than happy to test ride a bike that was supposed to be delivered to someone else, I mean, if you were this worried about getting a new bike, you should not have ridden some one else's bike.

On another note, if you don't want to take this bike, simply reject, they can't force you.

I asked them for a TD bike, they said they didn't have one and said it was no problem, I could TD the delivery bike. It didn't feel like a best practice but since they were offering and I didn't want to waste my time, I took one. I drove sedately, too.

Originally Posted by v12

It's simple, just make a note of the VIN number of the bike you test rode and ensure you check the VIN of the new bike. The dealer cannot force you to buy the bike that he wants to sell you. If you have not already made a note of the VIN and are scared that he may try and sell you the same bike, try booking the bike afte a month when fresh stock comes in - that way you would be assured that you are getting a fresh piece.

If nothing, just change your dealer.

I live in a small city, not many people buy 250 cc bikes here so he might not get fresh stock. Plus there's just one Suzuki dealer since like I said its a small Tier-3 city. Please take a look at the two pictures and tell me what these numbers are.

Originally Posted by drt_rdr

Sometimes, manufacturers push vehicles on showrooms and ask them to sell. Other times, customers back out at the last moment and showrooms are left with stock they must somehow sell. Saying a bike on the floor is a customer's and all that is pressure tactics of salespeople to get people to commit to a buy.

Can't they return the bike to Suzuki, saying the customer backed out?

Originally Posted by KPR

My BIL and self test rode a Gixxer SF150 in 2018 that was standing in showroom. Speedo cable removed and it was a new bike.

I don't even care about minor scratches. My issue is regarding the engine. A new engine needs to be broken it properly and no way people taking TDs would have kept that in mind.

Originally Posted by Joelinf

Since you say you have already lost the trust in the dealer, you can walk away. For me it seems some kind of a scam going on. Now that you have experienced your dream bike, you can get it from another dealership.

No other dealerships here. Only one per company; some companies like KTM don't even have a dealership.

Here are the pics. The white sticker says: EJA1 - 148989 MXGX252

[neil.jericho]

Originally Posted by SkylineGTR

Here are my concerns

1. What if this bike is a test ride and has already run multiple hundred kms? Test ride bikes aren't treated kindly, people would definitely have revved it hard and ruined the engine.

2. What kind of showroom just orders a bike from the factory without taking a booking amount?

3. Why can't he just say, "ok sir no problem, you pay the booking amount and we'll get you a fresh piece"?

Although the sales manager was very polite and sat with me after his closing hours to explain to me the pricing and all, I have already lost trust in this showroom. Now even if he agrees to get a new unit I will have a doubt that it's the same old TD bike, washed and cleaned. What should I do?

SkylineGTR, there is an old saying, what is good for the goose is good for the gander!

You cant really have it both ways, buddy. You were fine with riding the bike to be delivered to another person, even when it was without insurance (What if you had an accident on the way, even if it was no fault of your own?) However, you arent fine with taking delivery of that very same bike. That doesnt seem very logical.

This is not to absolve the dealership of any responsibility. If they are willing to give another customer's delivery bike to you for a test ride, how do you know that they wont order another bike for you, give that for test rides and then hand it over to you at the time of delivery? Life finds a way of coming full circle.

If you like the SF 250 and you enjoyed this particular unit, dont overthink it. Put it down to a lesson learnt and buy the bike. Within a few days, you will forget all about the dealers antics.

If you like the SF 250 but are hell bent on not getting the bike which you have test ridden, then order it in another colour.

If you arent comfortable with how the situation played out / is playing out, given that there is no other Suzuki dealer in town, then you are probably better off going in for another brand with an equivalent product and much more honest dealers.

Look for the area sales managers number in the showroom and talk to him if you have any concerns.

[SkylineGTR]

Originally Posted by Sebring

Well, its good you got to test ride the bike you want to own. Most dealers wont allow it. If you have liked it and the pdi is cleared with flying colours, then go for it. But do note down VIN and decipher the manufacturing month, before paying. Bike dealers have stock always and its not like buying a car where you book and then wait for factory confirmation (In most cases)

My main concern is a badly broken engine in case the bike was used as a TD vehicle. Is it possible to check for that in a PDI?

This bike seems to be made in either Jan or April of this year, going by the white letters on the exhaust hang(i am not sure if it says 01/2022 or 04/2022) although in person it looked more like a 04.

Originally Posted by Ajay_the_Don

The Suzuki two-wheeler experience is way lower when compared to their car division. Suzuki has some great bike but the dealer attitude needs to be corrected.

Actually, their staff behavior was good. My only issue is that I suspect they're trying to pawn off a TD bike on me. The fact that they didn't have a dedicated TD vehicle is also a let down, although in fairness there's not much point in investing on a TD SF250 when 90% of their customers walk in to look at the Access

Originally Posted by neil.jericho

SkylineGTR, there is an old saying, what is good for the goose is good for the gander!

You cant really have it both ways, buddy. You were fine with riding the bike to be delivered to another person, even when it was without insurance (What if you had an accident on the way, even if it was no fault of your own?) However, you arent fine with taking delivery of that very same bike. That doesnt seem very logical.

This is not to absolve the dealership of any responsibility. If they are willing to give another customer's delivery bike to you for a test ride, how do you know that they wont order another bike for you, give that for test rides and then hand it over to you at the time of delivery? Life finds a way of coming full circle.

If you like the SF 250 and you enjoyed this particular unit, dont overthink it. Put it down to a lesson learnt and buy the bike. Within a few days, you will forget all about the dealers antics.

If you like the SF 250 but are hell bent on not getting the bike which you have test ridden, then order it in another colour.

If you arent comfortable with how the situation played out / is playing out, given that there is no other Suzuki dealer in town, then you are probably better off going in for another brand with an equivalent product and much more honest dealers.

Look for the area sales managers number in the showroom and talk to him if you have any concerns.

Maybe my behavior could have been more ethical. But then, the responsibility of not giving booked bikes for TD to random people is the dealership's responsibility. If they confirm over phone that they're offering TDs for a particular model, then I reach there and they say the bike is meant for another person but its okay I can TD it and if I want I can even buy it the next day, am I really a bad person in this scenario? They could have just outright refused like the Yamaha guys did. Why are they being so coy about the whole situation?

As far as the question of riding the bike exists, I hope you will agree with that there's a world of difference in how a BHPian will treat a new machine and how common people would treat a machine. We are all motorcycle lovers here and treat the machine gently(as I did), most regular people however won't think twice before redlining a TD vehicle. Hope you see my perspective.

[RedTerrano]

Originally Posted by SkylineGTR

He told me it was meant for delivery to another person.

This itself should have been a big red flag and huge no no.
If you wouldn't like someone else laying their hands on your vehicle, it is fair you extend the same courtesy to others.
This also is a reflection on the dealer's ethics.

I have already lost trust in this showroom. What should I do?

Simple. Walk away.
This dealer has already demonstrated they will go to any extent to make a sale.
Find a new dealer.

[MT_Hyderabad]

If the dealer is so persistent on selling this bike to you, I am rest assured that he will not keep any TD bike for more than a week.
You can go blindly with this purchase, it would be a new bike.
Get confirmation from him about its manufacturing date.
I for one would be happy to buy something I tested, and is readily available, rather than something that was booked on my name.

[NTab]

Originally Posted by SkylineGTR

My main concern is a badly broken engine in case the bike was used as a TD vehicle. Is it possible to check for that in a PDI?

You are overthinking about this whole engine break-in thing. Just check the VIN no and see that it’s not a very old piece. You rode the bike and if it felt good, that’s all. Do your own PDI and if there is nothing concerning just go for it. These are modern machines and engineering has evolved a lot. A few kms of squid driving isn’t going to damage your engine.

Ps- I have purchased pre-owned Standard500 and Himalayan, and have been regularly touring on them without any issue. I don’t even know how they have kept it before for ~20k kms. The bike felt good to drive and that’s it.

[drt_rdr]

Originally Posted by SkylineGTR

As far as the question of riding the bike exists, I hope you will agree with that there's a world of difference in how a BHPian will treat a new machine and how common people would treat a machine. We are all motorcycle lovers here and treat the machine gently(as I did), most regular people however won't think twice before redlining a TD vehicle. Hope you see my perspective.

Your concern is understandable. But these days, breaking-in procedures are more for the safety of the user than the safekeeping of the vehicle. I broke in my vehicles on the harsher side, and haven't been treating them kindly either. They're still doing okay many years later, with only the necessary maintenance, nothing overboard, and I hope to keep riding them for some more years.

Treating a bike gently is not necessarily desirable or a sign of culturedness or something. These bikes are designed with Indian conditions in mind. They're designed to be hardy, they can keep doing their jobs even with a fair bit of abuse heaped on them. No need to baby them, especially Suzukis.