Check out your new bike before riding away

[Musgofasa]

I just bought a brand spanking new motorcycle a short while back and learned a lesson on my way home with it i won't soon forget.

When I signed the papers on it, it was still being put together. The crate was still in the floor next to it and the ODO said 0 miles. The next day when I came to pick it up, the shop had just rode it out back and put 4 miles on it to test everything. It was still hot. I went over all the bells and whistles and was so excited to get it on the road that I "assumed" everything was working just like a new bike should. Lo and behold I was almost killed 3 times in just a few miles on the way home. The sphincter pucker factor was high by the time I got home and I was wondering what I could have possibly forgotten while not riding for some time.

My wife looked at me funny when I took off my helmet and asked if I had forgotten how a bike's turn signals worked. Turns out the front signals were hooked up backwards! When I went back the next day I was told the guy who assembled my bike was new. Now that inspires confidence when buying a new ZX10R! I have checked everything on the bike with a fine tooth comb since and all appears well. I did go over the suspension and the rear predamper needs to be adjusted. That will be the subject of another post though.

Moral of the story, always look the bike over before leaving with it. You never know what might not be perfect. (or who might have done the work) I will remember this if I ever let anyone service it too. (I usually do all my own so maybe this won't be a problem)

Take care,
Robert

[GeorgiaRider]

Glad you're OK. I think I'd have them recheck everything as long as it wasn't the new guy.

[Saleenguy]

Honestly I have found that new bikes are the worst.....from your lights hooked up wrong, to chains so tight they ruin a countershaft seal in 100 miles, to bolts left loose.....brakes not bled properly, oil so overfilled it was pumped out like crazy on the ride home.
Triple clamps left loose, axles not tight, and i love the 17 drops of gas in the tank trick.
About 3 blocks from the dealer it dies as it runs out of gas......ya that impressed me , NOT.

Tire pressures too low, or too high.
and the list goes on and on.

[NCDave]

well, now that you mention it. I bought my 650 used with only 427 miles from a dealer. my front turnsignals were reversed too. apparently its a plug in the front thats easy to get reversed.

[Saleenguy]

Maybe my Favourite was a customer of mine that bought a brand new suzuki rm125 years ago.....no airfilter in the airbox......the motor was junk with just a few hours on it.

[Musgofasa]

Ouch,

I checked the bike out pretty good and it appears to be ok except for the signals. I have to admit that I think it was a somewhat honest mistake. The plugs are wired in such a way that the shortest run is backwards. However, they were color coded (one grey and one black) so I think perhaps a closer look could have been warranted. At least it was a super easy fix. I just removed the star bolts from the speedo and tucked the wires up under it. 2 minute fix. I checked chain tension and brakes as soon as I got home too, lol.

Can't imagine no filters. That would make me hot!


Take care,
Robert

[jbsmd]

The only thing missing on the new FZ6 I bought were the brake pads.

[olbooker]

Plugging in the turn signals wasn't done during the PDI... blame that on Japan. But, the person doing the PDI should have caught it.

We had a dealer trade Vulcan (assembled) that I checked over before delivery.

One of the front caliper bolts was missing, one of the handlebar clamps was turned around backwards, the footboards were on the wrong sides, and the wiring and cables under the seat were all wrongly routed, actually warping the battery cover. Good thing I checked that one over. Myself, I'm pretty thorough with my PDIs.

[MFolks]

I've seen the clutch cable on the same side as the throttle! wouldn't that be fun to find out.

[A2rider]

Originally Posted by MFolks

I've seen the clutch cable on the same side as the throttle! wouldn't that be fun to find out.

Was that bike set up in Springfield by Procycle?

[MFolks]

No it was many years ago in San Diego at a then Hodaka dirt bike shop. I was looking at some new models and noticed the clutch cable routed funny and had the sevice mgr. fix it. What surprise for the rider!

[Musgofasa]

WOW! Missing brake pads?????? I take it they didn't ride it to test everything! That's scary.

that's funny, I was pretty sure they assembled the entire front fairing in a PDI. The shop owner even faulted the guy who did the assembly for the signals. I feel really bad if he didn't do it. he probably got yelled at even if he didn't do it but only missed it in PDI. Can you tell us what actually is the process for a PDI? I have always wondered what was in the crate when the bikes arrived.

Thanks,
Robert

[07Ninja250]

My dad bought a Yamaha 4-wheeler years ago that ran 'funny' from day one, but we never thought much of it. We rode it around a field by hour house, even plowed the driveway with it once or twice.

I didn't go on this trip (thankfully) but he and a few of his buddies went hunting and he took the 4-wheeler along. It died and wouldn't re-start a couple of miles from the truck. Crank crank crank...no fire.

Pushed it back to the truck, hauled it back to town and back to Yamaha. They couldn't get it started either.

Tore into it and discovered that the guys at the factory neglected to install an oil pump. What slayed me is that they didn't authorize a new engine. They did something to the top end to un-freeze all the valves, installed an oil pump and called it good. Can't believe my Dad didn't drive it up their asses.

[Obsidian16825]

I had a battery cable misrouted and a tank vent tube crimped. I took the bike home on a trailer, and was parked next door, so the salesman rode the bike to my trailer, loaded it, and tied it for me. One of my stipulations was a full tank, and he opened the cap to show me that there was a full tank of gas.

[Guitarosaur]

WOW! Glad to still have you here!

[Jehamlin]

Originally Posted by Saleenguy

Maybe my Favourite was a customer of mine that bought a brand new suzuki rm125 years ago.....no airfilter in the airbox......the motor was junk with just a few hours on it.

This happened to me with my vulcan 500. It was a while before I found it too!

[barry5k]

I'll never go back to my dealer. After the guy showed me all the bells and whistles and telling me he went over everything with a fine-tooth comb I had to deal with several minor irritants.
He had to buff out a big scratch on the gas tank, that I noticed.
The back tire was inflated to only 18 psi.
The handlebars weren't centered and the clamps were loose.
The front brake flopped down loose as I drove it.
Two reflectors were missing.
The brakes squeaked really loud.
The headlight bounced around and the insides made all kinds of noise.

I had to really gripe and complain to get them to rectify the brakes and headlight. Even though others have had major problems with their new bikes, I wouldn't trust my dealer to service my bike and will never go back there again.

[CTRider]

Originally Posted by Saleenguy

Maybe my Favourite was a customer of mine that bought a brand new suzuki rm125 years ago.....no airfilter in the airbox......the motor was junk with just a few hours on it.

Ouch.

If I didn't have the filter in my, I'd probably have practically to run with the choke all the way in. That's a lot of extra air going in without a filter the size of an electric iron to tame it down. I swear, my bike has a bigger filter than my F-150...