Buy without test ride?

[Gone in 60]

You make a good point, M. I have bought and sold several used bikes. As a seller, I always have the pink slip, registration and insurance proof, as well as any manuals and my maintenance record out and visible to the buyer, and go through it before a test ride. I want to show that I have everything buttoned up and that I take good care of the bike - puts the buyer at ease and hopefully gives them some incentive to want to buy. When I bought my CB, the owner took me in his garage before I even looked at the bike. He had everything neatly laid out on a table, including stock parts he had taken off of the bike. I was impressed.

As a seller, it's important not to get too excited about a potential buyer. My CB owner? Yup, he showed me all of the stuff on the table, but although I told him I had cash, he never asked to see it, or my license. He just said "I trust you." As excited as I get with an easy sale, I just think about someone riding off with my bike.

As far as insurance, it's important to know your policy, and what the rules are in your state or area. In California, a potential buyer could say "Don't worry, I'm insured if anything happens", but that would not matter. Insurance here follows the vehicle, not the driver. If someone crashed or stole my bike during a test ride, it would be on me. Also, if you've got a "named driver only" policy, you are the only person insured to ride your bike. If a potential buyer wrecked it on a test ride, there would be no coverage.