[JohnChristle]

Hello, I am new to the site and am considering buying a Goldwing. My question is...Does anyone know of a dealer in Texas that will allow someone to demo a new goldwing.
Thanks

 

[sdlyon5]

Good Luck :!: I hate to say this but, Harley is the only ones I've ever heard of that will let you demo ride a bike. Around here the Dealers usually require a down payment and or some kind of financial obligation to purchase the bike. Most will tell you that they will rip up the contract on your return IF you decide not to buy.
I guarantee you will buy the Goldwing once you ride it!! You'll never look at another bike again. It's that simple. They're that good. I hope you enjoy your new Wing. :yes: :biker:[/u]

 

[ANGUS]

demo ride

I have taken several demo rides through local dealers.In NC

 

[1Percent]

Where in Texas? I know Joe Harrison Motor Sports in San Antonio has one sitting outside for demo purposes. They also rent 'em.

Welcome to the board! :beer3:

 

[bobrobert]

Sunrise Honda in Searcy Arkansas will let you get a demo ride, provided you have a motorcycle endorsement on your license :!:

 

[Baron]

Demo Ride

DFW Honda in Grapevine will allow you to take one out for a spin before you buy.

 

[Lahawk1]

H&W in Marshall let me ride one, just had to show a valid drivers license with a cycle endorsment on it.

 

[JohnChristle]

Demo ride

Thanks for the responses. I live in Austin.

 

[gcgst1]

Go to the Honda website, enter your zipcode, and click on the dealer locator

http://powersports.honda.com/index.asp?bhcp=1


Dealers that offer test rides will have a "Test Ride" icon next to their listing.
My dealer in NC only needed to copy my drivers license. He gave me a new wing and said go have fun for the next hour.

In your area the following have the test ride icon:

Georgetown Honda
912 Rockmoor Dr
Georgetown, TX 78628-8966

35 North Honda
1575 N Ih 35
New Braunfels, TX 78130-2818

Killeen Power Sports, Ltd
3701 E Central Texas Expy
Killeen, TX 76543-7304

Alamo Cycle - Plex
11900 Interstate 10 W
San Antonio, TX 78230

Greathouse Motorsports
2910 Cavitt Ave
Bryan, TX 77801-2503

Barger's Allsport
3520 Interstate 35 S
Waco, TX 76706-3754

Dale's Fun Center
9802 N Navarro St
Victoria, TX 77904-1434

 

[Blind Yak]

Wow, Thats great info. A way to quickly identify dealerships that will allow a test ride.
I have a friend in Austin considering an ST1300, but would really like to try one first. I am sure he would even consider paying a typical daily rental rate ($100 to $150 a day plus insurance) to be able to ride one for a day, but any seat time would be great. I will pass this info along.

 

[INTHEWIND]

Good Luck :!: I hate to say this but, Harley is the only ones I've ever heard of that will let you demo ride a bike. Around here the Dealers usually require a down payment and or some kind of financial obligation to purchase the bike. Most will tell you that they will rip up the contract on your return IF you decide not to buy.
I guarantee you will buy the Goldwing once you ride it!! You'll never look at another bike again. It's that simple. They're that good. I hope you enjoy your new Wing. :yes: :biker:[/u]

And BMW..

later..Randy

 

[lovetoride]

Be VERY careful!

Once you ride one, you buy one!

It happened to me!


The good news is that you will be VERY happy with a new GL1800. Just be careful, because the silver ones are the fastest!

 

[Bluewoo]

Be VERY careful!

Once you ride one, you buy one!

It happened to me!


The good news is that you will be VERY happy with a new GL1800. Just be careful, because the silver ones are the fastest!

It's true! :wink: about riding one

Call around - I was able to test ride one (10miles) round trip.

Black is fastest

 

[Overland1]

Ditto on the "one ride and sold" statements. We test rode a 2001 because the dealer's 2004 demo was not available, and were sufficiently impressed to buy a new 2004 in August of that year.

Bob's Cycle Shop offers demo rides - they are one of many dealers who know what it takes to sell a bike. Once you ride one, you will likely be hooked.

 

[Jay Hoover]

I considered renting one from Eagle Rider before buying, but had rode a friends 1500 several years ago and knew I had to have one. If you still can't find a dealer, a rental may be the way to go. Plus you can rack up a couple hundred miles in one day. I promise you will be back to purchase one after riding the GW.

 

[cptdenny]

Go to the Honda website, enter your zipcode, and click on the dealer locator

http://powersports.honda.com/index.asp?bhcp=1


Dealers that offer test rides will have a "Test Ride" icon next to their listing.

If only the above was true. I have 3 Honda dealers within 100 miles of me that have the "test ride" ICON listed, unfortunately all of them refuse to offer test rides when asked.

My local HD dealership lost a sale since I was told by four different sales people there, to go to Daytona (150 miles away) during bike week if I wanted a test ride or to rent one from them. Same thing for Honda dealership. Went to Daytona 4 times on opening day and was told by both HD and Honda that there's a 2-3 day waiting list. I only had a day up there.

I finally got to test ride a used 2006 GW (with 700 miles) from a private seller and bought it! 8)

About a month later I went to the National Bikers Round Up that was held here locally and saw my local HD dealership there in a tent. One of the managers saw me riding my new wing and asked why I didn't buy an HD? I stated the above to him about no test rides at his dealership and he responded with, "if I knew you were serious, I would have made sure you had a test ride".

Too late! Anyway I would have thought that the HD Ultra or Road Glide was my kind of ride till I test rode both bikes and eight others at the Bikers Round Up thanks to HD Inc. I didn't like either one of them and if I had purchased one I would have had it on ebay within 90 days and have been a very disatisfied HD owner.

I did however find that the Heritage Softail would have been the perfect Harley for me, you see why now test riding motorcycles is so important? One size don't fit all! :?

I ain't about to spend $20K on a motorcycle I haven't test rode, I did this several times in the past and within 6 months I have ending up selling them. Back in the '70's and '80's motorcycle test rides were the norm, now they're rare. Many dealerships using "insurance" as an excuse.

I have now boycotted these local dealerships and encourage others to do so as well till we get test rides back! I'll go on line to purchase parts when necessary. If they won't trust me with their "unit", I won't trust them with my $20K! No love loss here... :wink:

 

[Rickster]

Interstate Honda in Fort Collins, CO allows test rides. They almost always have a demo Wing around to test. Even let me ride a demo ST1300, when they knew I was just kicking tires. I did by my Wing there and I am happy with them. They are not perfect, but then neither am I.