Would you Buy a Bike you Haven't Seen?

I've been shopping for my first big bike and have seen a Yamaha XSR700 on Superbike Factory. Now they are based in Manchester and I am in London. I've already test ridden an XSR so know that I like it, Superbike Factory have sent me a detailed blemish report with images. Being from a reputable retailer, it comes with a warranty etc and because they made a mistake with me earlier causing some real time wasting, have offered free delivery.

I know in theory it's not wise to buy a bike you haven't seen..but...are there some scenarios where it can be ok? And is this one of those scenarios?

Entirely up to you, but I wouldn't. Fair enough they're giving you a warranty but how will that work out in practice? Will they expect you to get the bike back to them? All too much of a faff for my liking.

I bought my bike from a local dealer so I could see and inspect the thing first and so that it's convenient to get to should anything need sorting, which in my case it did. Besides, supporting your local bike guy can't be a bad thing.

They are a dealer, of sorts, I wouldn't call them reputable.

I don't speak from first hand experience - just from various forum comments and conversations with other bikers.

As I understand it they the the sales department for a "we buy any bike" outfit. The showroom is so rammed with stock it's nigh on impossible to sit on or even inspect them properly. There's no workshop as such to check, prep, service the bikes. The warranties aren't worth jack. Customer service is dire.

On the flip side some people claim to have bought from there and we're entirely happy with their experience.

As said, these are just comments I've seen or heard elsewhere, so best to do some research - google superbike factory reviews and see what comes up.

Whatever you decide,. Good luck dude

I did, I got mine 3 weeks ago now. They gave me guarantee, MOT history, past buyers information, really detailed pictures of all the important parts of the bike, it only did 8k miles, and it was at a good price so I just went for it. When it arrived I did a proper inspection with and found no problems apart from a flat battery that needed a 5 hour charge. But its up to you at the end of the day go with your gut - and make sure you are buying from a good dealer with great reputation, avoid cowboys or you will get done.

I’ve done it a few times , in fact one of them was from the superbike factory , no problems with em , good service and good prices .

There must be someone on here who can check it out for you. My hesitation would be that any problems and you've got a long way to go to get it sorted. I always try to buy local if I can.

I bought an RSV4 unseen a few years ago, dealership was very helpful and it ended up being a great bike, if they’re reputable I’d not be very concerned about doing it.

Yeah I've heard some bad reviews about them on different forums, I'm sure it was after care that was the issue with them.

They're pretty much a pile 'em sell 'em cheap operation. So it's pot luck what you get. If you can inspect the bike and it's a good price and don't need any aftersales support then no worries, but I wouldn't buy unseen from them.

I looked at bikes in their Macclesfield store and wasn't impressed with what I saw.

Seriously mate I went there and the quality of the bikes was not great. Many looked fine on the website but in person they were grubby.

I might be wrong but they seemed like a we buy any bike sort of outfit who just ship the bikes out.

Like anything you need to see it, see how it rides etc.

Dave

Just bought unseen from Superbike Factory. You pay a deposit of £500 to reserve. Mine was low mileage so i wasn’t particularly concerned. If I didn’t like it when I got there I would have asked for my deposit back and walked away.

I’ve only been in there once and the bikes were literally so close they were touching, I live about 15 minutes away and I pretty pass Macclesfield on every ride out into the Peak District so I can go and pretend to be interested and get some close up photos and give you my own opinion on it if you really wanted

I’ve only been in there once and the bikes were literally so close they were touching, I live about 15 minutes away and I pretty pass Macclesfield on every ride out into the Peak District so I can go and pretend to be interested and get some close up photos and give you my own opinion on it if you really wanted

That is very gracious of you, thank you so much. As it turns out I may be in Birmingham this weekend so would take a spin up to Macclesfield and check it out. But if not, I may very well take you up on your offer. Thank you so much once again.

I thought you said it was in Manchester?

Superbike Factory is in Macclesfield. Their bikes have always looked unloved to me when I have been there.

I've been shopping for my first big bike and have seen a Yamaha XSR700 on Superbike Factory. Now they are based in Manchester and I am in London. I've already test ridden an XSR so know that I like it, Superbike Factory have sent me a detailed blemish report with images. Being from a reputable retailer, it comes with a warranty etc and because they made a mistake with me earlier causing some real time wasting, have offered free delivery.

I know in theory it's not wise to buy a bike you haven't seen..but...are there some scenarios where it can be ok? And is this one of those scenarios?

Yes I have and I would again. The only point buying from dealer is the warranty and the fact you can return it if it goes wrong, otherwise you can find cheaper bike private.

Here details (mention car but the same consumers rights are valid for bikes too):

Rejecting a second-hand car

If there's a problem with a second-hand car soon after you've bought it - for example, the car develops a problem you wouldn't expect for its age and mileage, or it turns out not to be what you’d been led to expect - you may have the right to reject it and get your money back.

If you bought the car any time after 1 October 2015, you have only 30 days to reject it and get a full refund under the Consumer Rights Act.

Returning a second-hand car

If you're past the first 30 days but a problem has arisen that you think would have been there at the time of purchase, you're entitled to ask for a repair or replacement free of charge.

In most cases this will be a repair, as whoever sold the car to you will usually be able to prove that the cost of replacing it would be disproportionate.

During the first six months after purchase, it's the responsibility of the seller to prove the fault wasn't there, not for you to prove that it was.

But after the first six months, the onus will be on you to prove that the fault was present from the day you bought the car.

If the attempt at a repair or replacement is unsuccessful, you're entitled to a refund.

But the car dealer can make a deduction from the refund after the first 30 days for 'fair use'.

https://www.which.co.uk/consumer-rights/advice/the-second-hand-car-i-bought-has-a-problem-what-are-my-rights

I’ve only been in there once and the bikes were literally so close they were touching, I live about 15 minutes away and I pretty pass Macclesfield on every ride out into the Peak District so I can go and pretend to be interested and get some close up photos and give you my own opinion on it if you really wanted

 

That is very gracious of you, thank you so much. As it turns out I may be in Birmingham this weekend so would take a spin up to Macclesfield and check it out. But if not, I may very well take you up on your offer. Thank you so much once again.

No problem let me know, obviously better to look yourself if your in Birmingham weekend your probably only looking at about 1.5-2 hours drive

I had only seen photos of my Harley but I still bought a one way train ticket to Portsmouth and took my crash helmet with me .

I had only seen photos of my Harley but I still bought a one way train ticket to Portsmouth and took my crash helmet with me .

If this was a question on question on Yahoo, this should be the one that gets the Best Answer top spot IMO, I salute you sir for your boldness!

I had only seen photos of my Harley but I still bought a one way train ticket to Portsmouth and took my crash helmet with me .

I had only seen photos of my Harley but I still bought a one way train ticket to Portsmouth and took my crash helmet with me .

there's confidence for you

They were very good photos ! Plus I struck up a rapport with the seller by text and everything he said had a ring of complete honesty and authenticity . Long story short, it was an eBay no sale because the reserve price was too high hence no bids .I contacted the seller who accepted the reserve price. He offered to hold it for me for about six weeks all based on trust until I scraped together the money . All I had to do was hear it start and that was it . Top bloke in a world full of scammers and time wasters .

I had only seen photos of my Harley but I still bought a one way train ticket to Portsmouth and took my crash helmet with me .

there's confidence for you

 

They were very good photos ! Plus I struck up a rapport with the seller by text and everything he said had a ring of complete honesty and authenticity . Long story short, it was an eBay no sale because the reserve price was too high hence no bids .I contacted the seller who accepted the reserve price. He offered to hold it for me for about six weeks all based on trust until I scraped together the money . All I had to do was hear it start and that was it . Top bloke in a world full of scammers and time wasters .

That reminds me, when I sold my last bike the guy didn't even want to see it. I sent him detailed photos and we talked over the phone, then he sent a man in a van to collect it. But you can't do the same with the dealer in this case.

So glad I went to see the bike. It had obviously been left out in weather, lots of corrosion, dry rusty chain and god knows what else I would have found when I got it home as it clearly hadn't had it's next clocked service. Ended up seeing a bike in Wolverhampton, took a spin over and fell in love. The guy selling it was a true gent and I had a good feeling about him right away so trusted everything he said and it turned into a very easy buy. Rode it back home on a 5 hour trip. What a way to break the bike in. All's well that ends well.

Thank you all for your advice and experience, as always much appreciative to the community.

I've been shopping for my first big bike and have seen a Yamaha XSR700 on Superbike Factory. Now they are based in Manchester and I am in London. I've already test ridden an XSR so know that I like it, Superbike Factory have sent me a detailed blemish report with images. Being from a reputable retailer, it comes with a warranty etc and because they made a mistake with me earlier causing some real time wasting, have offered free delivery.

I know in theory it's not wise to buy a bike you haven't seen..but...are there some scenarios where it can be ok? And is this one of those scenarios?

Reputable I assume you haven't researched too much about them then?

Yes, but I would not complete the deal until I had seen it.