Getting my bike home question, with only a permit

[viethk]

Well here is how things went down. I am 22 years old, and I finally decided to give into my fantasy and get motorcycle. I got my permit and all, and have much deliberation and ability to find a good deal on a new bike, I purchased a GS500 from a dealer. However, of the 2 people I know that have licenses for motorcycles, neither of them can bring my bike to my house for me.

Does anyone know of any other way to get a bike home safely without a rider on it? Do places do this sort of thing for you? Really any suggestions

[Dodsfall]

You can use either a trailer or truck. Airlift by helecopter may be possible, but I suspect expensive.

[Dan631]

Depending on how far you live from the dealer they may be willing to deliver it to you. Every shop I have wrenched for has done this for customers. All you have to do is ask.

[louturks]

The dealer I bought my motorcycle from delivered it to my house

[Hogrider]

Just out of curiosity, what stopped you from riding it home yourself?

[dustbuster]

My dealer wouldn't let me ride it off the property with the learner's permit. They would/did however deliver it to my humble abode 20 miles away at no charge. I also could have let them load it into my lifted 4X4 but getting it off would have been difficult without ramps.

[Goliath616]

wait, you paid for it, and they would not let you ride it home just because you only have a permit? Man I am glad I don't live in Cali. I only have my permit also, I bought my bike 2 weeks ago and they let me ride around the lot (and on the street they are on) as long as I wanted to to get comfortable on it before riding it home.

[Hogrider]

Originally Posted by dustbuster

My dealer wouldn't let me ride it off the property with the learner's permit. They would/did however deliver it to my humble abode 20 miles away at no charge. I also could have let them load it into my lifted 4X4 but getting it off would have been difficult without ramps.

Let me get this straight, you have a valid California riding permit. it is not outside the restrictive hours or conditions set by said permit, the bike had insurance and they told you you couldn't ride it off the property? What's up with that?

[Dan631]

Originally Posted by Hogrider

Let me get this straight, you have a valid California riding permit. it is not outside the restrictive hours or conditions set by said permit, the bike had insurance and they told you you couldn't ride it off the property? What's up with that?

It's CA!!!! People get sued for scratching thier ass the wrong way. Why not protect yourself.

[Hogrider]

Originally Posted by Dan631

It's CA!!!! People get sued for scratching thier ass the wrong way. Why not protect yourself.

I just escaped from Southern California and those folks would let you drive off with no license at all on a brand new bike with paper plates. They would even get you insurance for the bike you had no license for. In your case you had the required permit. Which dealer were you buying from?

[tuberattler]

Get yer money back & deal elswhere!

[TxFLSTC]

Originally Posted by viethk

Does anyone know of any other way to get a bike home safely without a rider on it? Do places do this sort of thing for you? Really any suggestions

I rode motorcycles for twenty years on the road with no license... which was stupid... but that is how I rolled. If you know how to ride i would just ride it home. If you are a new rider then I would get it towed home.

[mjacob]

I think viethk is saying that he can't ride it home because he doesn't have the skills necessary to pilot it on the streets. If that's not right, I apologize, but there's not a whole lot of description in the original post. If the dealer won't let you ride it home, but you're confident you can do it, tell them to shove it. If you paid for the bike, it's yours.

[dustbuster]

I guess I should have worded that differently. Yeah, I could have ridden it home. Had permit and ins. in place. My salesman suggested rather strongly, due to my inexperiance that I shouldn't make my first ride along the business route and busy streets running by the dealership. He was looking out for my safety I think and I agreed delivery was the best option. Sorry to confuse the issue that way.

[LethalThreat]

Viethk, where do you live?

[mjacob]

Originally Posted by dustbuster

My salesman suggested rather strongly, due to my inexperiance that I shouldn't make my first ride along the business route and busy streets running by the dealership.

I think I'd have to agree with him. Apart from getting hurt in the process, nothing would be worse than jacking up your new ride and finding out that it's gonna cost $800 to repair the handlebars, the mirrors, and the fairings.

I'll be honest: I had a friend ride mine home for me (GS500F, by the way---good choice!), and I'm really glad I did. After stalling it about 20 times in a parking lot, I knew that trying to ride it myself at 50+ mph would have been a bad, bad, bad idea.

[mjacob]

Oh, and one more thing: you don't hear this too often, but the most important piece of safety equipment you've got is sitting between the padding inside your helmet. We talk about this in conjunction with firearms a lot, but I think it's equally true here.

With guns, many have 2-3 internal safeties, and some have an external safety as well. Despite that, we say that the most important safety is inside your skull (i.e., your brain). Whenever you're dealing with potentially deadly machines, be it a handgun or a motorcycle, thinking is your best resource.

Just my $0.02.

[calebh]

teleportation.

ramps aren't difficult to make, and they're well worth the small investment. we have a pair of ramps that are basically 2x8 boards with a bent metal piece on the end to hang on to the bed of the truck. you should be able to find something to use at virtually any hardware store.

[RonK]

--
Wait, Calebh, are you saying someone should load their bike on a truck using 8' 2X8's? I do that with metal ramps with lots of traction for my ATV, but I sure wouldn't with a bike. (Disclaimer here: I am a newbie on bike riding.) How do you get it up the slope?

RonK

[Hawnted]

Yes RonK. Essentially what he is saying is to get a ramp kit (or buy the necessary parts to make your own). It screws on the end of the 2x8 to rest on the truck tailgate.

They look like this

http://www.cargogear.com/Ramps/images/11251b.jpg

[Goliath616]

Originally Posted by RonK

--
Wait, Calebh, are you saying someone should load their bike on a truck using 8' 2X8's? I do that with metal ramps with lots of traction for my ATV, but I sure wouldn't with a bike. (Disclaimer here: I am a newbie on bike riding.) How do you get it up the slope?

RonK

I don't this is so much SHOULD, but more of a could, I have loaded a few bikes (my dads) into the back of truck when they were sold using a variety of things for ramps, finally figured out that if they back up to a hill in the side yard it was much easier (less slope) but we have used wood, metal, and one time even an old fiberglass slide (only about 4 foot long though)

[RonK]

--
Okay, so let me re-phrase: I would be afraid to load MY bike UP a ramp onto a pickup as it weighs over 700 lbs. and I have a 4WD pickup. If, however, I could load horizontally, AND I had someone to help hold the bike from the other side, I would use most any ramp.

I just got the feeling Viethk, who started this thread, was new and might not realize all the intricacies mentioned above.

RonK

[calebh]

yeah, it does help to back up to a slope. we also put a board across the back and put two together, so it was wider. also, if it is a particularly heavy bike, that's probably not the best idea. we did it with my xt, which is like 250 lbs...

just use common sense and don't do anything with it you don't feel comfortable doing