Test riding motorcycles in Toronto | GTAMotorcycle.com

Test riding motorcycles in Toronto

WheelieWonka

WheelieWonka

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I have foreign experience riding motorcycles but after a few years in Ontario I want to get back on one. I got my M1 and taking the MSF/M2 course in 2 weeks. Obviously I'm already looking for what I want to buy and spending way too much time reading/watching reviews (and salivating over them), but nothing compares with seating on one and taking it for a test.

I am between (in order of preference) Triumph Street Triple RS, Yamaha MT09SP, Ducati Monster and Honda CBR650R.

Where do you guys recommend I buy a hypernaked like this? Any recommended place I can test ride a few of them to make a decision?

I live in Leslieville. Closer is better but if there's a dealer an hour away in which I can test ride more than one bike, then it's worth it.
 
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WheelieWonka said:
I have foreign experience riding motorcycles but after a few years in Ontario I want to get back on one. I got my M1 and taking the MSF/M2 course in 2 weeks. Obviously I'm already looking for what I want to buy and spending way too much time reading/watching reviews (and salivating over them), but nothing compares with seating on one and taking it for a test.

I am between (in order of preference) Triumph Street Triple RS, Yamaha MT09SP, Ducati Monster and Honda CBR650R.

Where do you guys recommend I buy a hypernaked like this? Any recommended place I can test ride a few of them to make a decision?

I live in Leslieville. Closer is better but if there's a dealer an hour away in which I can test ride more than one bike, then it's worth it.
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Are you thinking new or used? Test rides are hard to come by in the GTA (especially with an M1). Dealers like to use factory demo days so their inventory bikes don't get binned. A few dealers have a few bikes they let out for demos (but again, I doubt it with an M1). GP Bikes has ducati, triumph and honda. Not sure what they have for demos but may be worth a call. Finding a bike in stock and available for sale may be a struggle on its own, yet alone finding ones they will let you ride.
 
WheelieWonka said:
I have foreign experience riding motorcycles but after a few years in Ontario I want to get back on one. I got my M1 and taking the MSF/M2 course in 2 weeks. Obviously I'm already looking for what I want to buy and spending way too much time reading/watching reviews (and salivating over them), but nothing compares with seating on one and taking it for a test.

I am between (in order of preference) Triumph Street Triple RS, Yamaha MT09SP, Ducati Monster and Honda CBR650R.

Where do you guys recommend I buy a hypernaked like this? Any recommended place I can test ride a few of them to make a decision?

I live in Leslieville. Closer is better but if there's a dealer an hour away in which I can test ride more than one bike, then it's worth it.
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You aren't likely to find any dealers offering test rides, insurance hassles and lack of inventory are the biggest reasons. The distributors sometimes offer corporate events - check their websites frequently.
 
WheelieWonka said:
I have foreign experience riding motorcycles but after a few years in Ontario I want to get back on one. I got my M1 and taking the MSF/M2 course in 2 weeks. Obviously I'm already looking for what I want to buy and spending way too much time reading/watching reviews (and salivating over them), but nothing compares with seating on one and taking it for a test.

I am between (in order of preference) Triumph Street Triple RS, Yamaha MT09SP, Ducati Monster and Honda CBR650R.

Where do you guys recommend I buy a hypernaked like this? Any recommended place I can test ride a few of them to make a decision?

I live in Leslieville. Closer is better but if there's a dealer an hour away in which I can test ride more than one bike, then it's worth it.
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If a dealer has a used bike in stock, they might let you test ride that. But no dealer is going let you test ride a brand new bike unless it's already been earmarked as a demo unit.

Check Kijiji or Autotrader for used bikes at a dealer. If any of them have one of the bikes that you're interested in in inventory, give them a call and ask if they'll let you test ride it.

It helps if you've bought a bike or two from a specific dealer and you've built up a relationship with the sales staff. I know most of the sales guys in my town and they would have absolutely no problem with me test riding any one of their used bikes. Different story if a total stranger walked in and wanted to ride one of their bikes, they'd have to do their due diligence wrt rider experience, etc.
 
Are you thinking new or used? Test rides are hard to come by in the GTA (especially with an M1).
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I've always bought used but in this occasion the safety features of latest models (2019+) makes it worth it to buy new, or almost new.
I am going to wait until I have the M2 before I search for test rides. I understand it's really risky for a dealer to just give the keys to somebody who could mistreat the vehicle. I'm hoping I inspire some confidence being above 35 years old (and the M2 by then).
Have you gotten insurance quotes for these bikes?
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I have for the first three in the list. Pricey, very pricey, but I can afford it.

The distributors sometimes offer corporate events - check their websites frequently.
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I've looked at their websites and haven't found much else besides who are the official dealers. Will check them out more often. Maybe there's a way to subscribe to email notifications when they do these events.

It helps if you've bought a bike or two from a specific dealer and you've built up a relationship with the sales staff.
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The irony of this is you need to find a way to make the first few buys to develop the relationship. Catch-22.

GP Bikes in Whitby or Apex Cycle in Cambridge is your best bet.
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I saw GP Bikes is the biggest Triumph dealer in the GTA, and they stock Honda and Ducati. Apex deals Yamaha, Honda and Ducati. I will get in touch with these. Thanks! Hopefully I develop the relationship that @Lightcycle is talking about over time.
 
WheelieWonka said:
The irony of this is you need to find a way to make the first few buys to develop the relationship. Catch-22.
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I totally understand this.

We just moved here two years ago. We've bought five motorcycles since then. No test rides on any of them.

It's only now that the sales guys will throw motorcycle keys at me whenever I walk through the front door.

"Hey Gene, we just got a xxxx in on trade-in, wanna try it out?"

When I lived in Toronto, it took me years before the local BMW dealership would offer me test rides on their new demo bikes without me even asking.
 
Bought a 2022 Tiger 900 triple at GP bikes earlier this year. No test rides. Friend bought a used bike a few years ago from them. No test ride then, either. The reason given then was insurance. I asked to test ride an MV Agusta in Ottawa this year and was turned down. Only time I've been successful is on demo days.

When I sold my V-Strom, I kept it insured and plated, had it certified, and rode it around the block for the buyer. No test rides.
 
Baggsy said:
Bought a 2022 Tiger 900 triple at GP bikes earlier this year. No test rides. Friend bought a used bike a few years ago from them. No test ride then, either. The reason given then was insurance. I asked to test ride an MV Agusta in Ottawa this year and was turned down. Only time I've been successful is on demo days.
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Do you know how I can register to hear about demo days?
 
WheelieWonka said:
Do you know how I can register to hear about demo days?
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There was a thread on this site. Bigger and better ones seem to be in the U.S. I test rode bikes for an entire day at the Barber museum.
 
mimico_polak said:
I knew we had some real ballers up in here….
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