I went to the bike shop yesterday to pic up some parts. As I was standing at the counter, I overheard a salesman trying to sell an 03 gsxr 1000 to this kid. The salesmen went to se the finance manager, and the kid walked over to me and we began talking. Come to find out this kid had only ridden a ninja 250, twice, and wanted to buy a bike. His friends told him to get a 600. The salesmen convinced him he could handle the 1000 after a few hours, and if he got the 1000 he would throw in a set of "$500" framesliders! Now I really want to know who make $500 framesliders. I told this kid to really think about a new 1000 for a first bike. The salesman comes back out and tells the kid he was approved for his loan. The kid tells him he wants to get the gsxr600, the salesman almost begs him to stick with the 1000. The kid tells the guy he is gonna have to think about it, and hes gonna ride a few of his friends bikes before he makes up his mind. Now I wonder what would have happened if after "a few hours" this kid looped or wrecked the bike. I know the salesman cant ride the bike for you, and ultimatley it up to you how you ride but isnt there some kind of ........ I dont know how to word this, but basiclly, If the kid was set on a 1000 thats one thing but to try to convince him that theres not much of a diffrence and he can handle it, thats just irresponsible in my book.

 

I think you're definately right!!! Ultimately up to the buyer but seriously it sounded like that kid was listening to the advice he was getting not bent on getting the 1k. I hope he did go back and talk to some friends before deciding. Dirty salesWhore!!!!!!!!

 

I sell motorcycles and even though there is no legal liability, sometimes, I feel I have a moral responsibilty. For inexperienced riders, I always try to stick em on the ninja 250 first. Then bump to a 500. But some kids always wanna go big, and if they have a licence, then I put them on a 600. If they ask about the liter bikes, I shy them away and put them back on a six hun. But every once and a while you get the young ******* kid(alot like myself) that wants a 1000 and has the means to get it, even though he's never ridden before. I can refuse the sale, but when I get ********* that insist on a 1000 for their first, I sell it to them anyway, not like they'll be riding long. I used to get all heartbroken when I heard about kids dumping it or hurting themselves, but I'm so over it. I never wish harm upon anyone, but when I find out that a n00b has just wreck and hurt himself, I just say, cool, when's he coming in for a new bike?
With that being said, and not to come off as a hypocrite, but I believe that one should have a valid class M licence to buy a street bike. That would cut down squid fatalities by a hundred fold. These are the kinda people that make our insurance go up. That sucks. Or even better, use the system that they use in Europe, limit the HP on new riders. I think for like the first 2 years you cant have more than 35 hp. Then 2 after that like 60, after that, you can get whatever you want. That system seems extreme, but I bet they got alot less jerkoffs riding...

 

And this is coming from the guy who hates safety ***** and wearing full leathers...

 

I agree, if some one wants a liter bike bad enough then thell get one. I just dont think it should be pushed on them so the salesman can get a bigger commision ( i dont know if it works that way, but you get my point) I think there should be a limit on cc's or hp for at least 6 months. In Texas a 16 year old cant have friends under 18 ride in the car with them for 6 months, but a 16 year old can buy a 180+ mph bike. There even trying to put a law into effect that a person under 17 cant drive a car over 6 cylinders. I would have hated it if these rules were in place when I was 16 but knowing what things I did in a car, its probably better that they do have that law. Im not a saftey **** and I hate people who constantly talk down to people taking risks, but you have to crawl before you can walk

 

ive often wondered if the salesmen ever feel bad about puttin new riders on liter bikes, just so they can "make the sale". battlehatch, i think that you got the right idea, try to get them on a six hun and if they are stuck on a liter bike, then let them buy it. They will find out real quick why u were tryin to stick them on a six hun.

 

When I was working at a Suzuki shop, I had a kid come in once looking at an 03 gixxer grand. I told him it was a bad idea to get that bike and he should start on something more civilized, like a 600. Well, he told me to "eat ****" because he knows he can ride cuz he rode dirtbikes all his life. So he ended up buying the 1000 anyway. Two days later, the bike was in our shop totalled. Lucky for him, he wasnt hurt. When he came in the shop for a new bike, I remembered the "eat ****" comment and asked him this... "Hey pal, you think if you were like 2 seconds faster, that you would have avoided this accident?" he nodded yes(dumbass) and I showed him a Hayabusa. Darwinism at it's greatest.

 

The guy I bought my bike from said that about 2/3rds of the people that buy bikes from his shop don't have a motorcycle license. . That kind of scared the hell out me. But most of the bikes are under 10 grand so you don't need full insurance. Alls you have to do is prove that its insured by someone. I rode a 1100 cruiser for quite a while before I got my 636. My reasoning for the smaller size was because I had NEVER rode a sportbike before. I am happy with my decision.

 

It took me 4 years of street riding before I let myself get a liter bike

So many mistakes I made on other bikes that just scare you, unlike on the liter bike which would kill you.

Let them learn. I had no problem going out there on an 83GS650L