A rare opportunity I don't want to pass up on

[SonOfJorEl]

Hey folks, I have a rare opportunity which I don't want to pass up on. A "try before you buy" sort of deal. I might be buying my 40th birthday gift to myself a year ahead of schedule but i'm trying to seize the opportunity here and I need some guidance.

Back story...
A friend of mine is arranging to buy this 2016 Rocket 3 Roadster from a seller cross-province (Im in Ontario, seller in Alberta). He's getting the motorcycle shipped to my house in Ontario and it will be stored there for a month or so before he takes it to New Brunswick with him.
He's giving me the opportunity to to buy the motorcycle from him if I want to. Im free to ride it as much as I like while it is under my roof and at the end of the day I am under no obligation to buy it from him because he likes it and will keep it if I decline.
If I do want it, I give him $500 on top of the price he paid for the motorcycle as his fee, and we call it a deal. Seems fair to me.
This has never happened to me before and its fortunate that it is happening for a motorcycle Im so interested in. The biggest challenge i've seen while buying motorcycles is that no one is willing to give you a test ride - at least in my experience. So, when someone gives me a chance to ride it for a good amount of time and actually make an informed decision, i'm all in!
I only pray to God that the snow doesn't hit the ground before this motorcycle arrives at my doorstep.

The motorcycle is very low mileage so Im confident it is in great shape. The (now second) owner is also a 73 year old man who's now not able to ride such a heavy bike, but still rides some other motorcycles. So there is passion involved and that gives me the additional confidence that this machine is well taken care of.
All that being said..... what are some of the things I should be looking out for when this motorcycle arrives? Other than looking out for any cosmetic damage, are there some "Rocket 3 specific" things which I should be looking out for? Any particular riding quirks?

Some of the upgrades done on the motorcycle are as follows (as per the online ad)

• Custom front fender
• Madstad windshield
• Dave Platt 3-1 exhaust
• new Progressive shocks
• custom turn signals
• Corbin seat

The seller is also including all original parts in the sale.

He's listed the specs as 2.3 litre (2300 cc), 160+HP, 163 ft lbs trq @ 2750 rpm. << verbatim from the ad

Looking forward to your remarks and guidance.

 

[jake shaw]

Sound's too good to miss. There should be a few opportunities to test ride it before the snow comes. Good luck.

 

[Boog]

Check to see if it still has original tires. Stock tires (Metzler) are not known for longevity. Plus, if they are the original, they are over fives years old now. That doesn't mean they have to be replaced, but verify they are in good shape regardless.

Ask if the ECU was tined for the new exhaust and if any intake changes were made.

Enjoy the bike to the max while you have it. I suspect this will be your next bike...

 

[G-Force Junkie]

I would take it to the dealer and ask for a pre-safety. I had both front and back calipers fail on my 2013 R3T but you couldn't really tell right off. I would also be concerned that they would not safety the machine with an aftermarket exhaust on it. As the person is your friend, the $500 finders fee sounds off. What is the justification? How do you intend to insure the bike while you decide? Who is the current owner? How do you know if the vehicle is legit (not stolen), lien and accident free? A lot of questions here. If the price is less than average, why would someone go through the trouble of shipping vice local sale? Who pays if the bike breaks down or needs a tire while you are operating it? My spider sense is tingling and alarm bells are ringing.....

 

[Tal]

If you are happy with all those things mentioned above and do decide to ride it, be aware that it is a heavy bike. Slow maneuvering such as carparks etc, it pays to be strong with it...bully it into where you want it to go...use the clutch a bit...
On the open road, it will want to push out on corners because of its weight...you will soon learn how to manage this by getting your lines right and accelerating out of the turn. Good luck.

 

[SonOfJorEl]

I would take it to the dealer and ask for a pre-safety. I had both front and back calipers fail on my 2013 R3T but you couldn't really tell right off. I would also be concerned that they would not safety the machine with an aftermarket exhaust on it. As the person is your friend, the $500 finders fee sounds off. What is the justification? How do you intend to insure the bike while you decide? Who is the current owner? How do you know if the vehicle is legit (not stolen), lien and accident free? A lot of questions here. If the price is less than average, why would someone go through the trouble of shipping vice local sale? Who pays if the bike breaks down or needs a tire while you are operating it? My spider sense is tingling and alarm bells are ringing.....

@G-Force Junkie those are excellent questions!

My buddy who is buying the bike has bought all his bikes cross-province. We ride together frequently and know him personally as well so I have trust in him. The reason he's asking for $500 is because this motorcycle was originally going to be purchased for himself. The only reason he's offering it to me is because I sent him the add in the first place and told him how I wished this bike was close by so I could go see it in person.

I myself and not very comfortable with doing this sort of legwork, but since he's bought almost 7 of his motorcycles this way (with only 1 deal ever going sour), I think he knows what he's doing. I guess $500 for going through the trouble of arranging the pickup, calling and talking to the seller and verifying all his details etc. seem fair to me at this point.

Regarding insurance... that's actually an extremely legit point. Thank you! I will call my insurance company and ask if they will let me ride around with temporary plates on. Maybe I'll pay for a month based on the yearly total just to be safe.

I've asked for the VIN details and the UVIP details to be sent. The seller is going to send them by end of week or early next week. That should have the details on the liens, owner, etc. The seller has also provided my friend with his drivers licence, home address and place of work for verification.

Regarding ownership.. I think, I will let him assume ownership of the motorcycle first and then buy it from him after. This way if I decide to not buy it, then he is still the legit owner of the motorcycle.

Regarding accidents, its anyone's guess. We'll have to see when the bike touches my garage whether the frame shows any signs of damage or is warped, etc.

Of course, the responsibility of the motorcycle would be entirely mine while it is in my possession. If I lay it down, that's on me. So yes, I will be overly careful while riding it.

The price is reasonable in my opinion for the bike. It's actually the same as this one once the cross-province shipping + finder's fee is paid. I'm going to go see it as well and take a test ride.

 

[SonOfJorEl]

Update: GP Bikes doesn't allow test rides. What a f***in bummer. I guess I'll still go take a look at it in person but I can't do much after that.

 

[G-Force Junkie]

Update: GP Bikes doesn't allow test rides. What a f***in bummer. I guess I'll still go take a look at it in person but I can't do much after that.

I bought both my Rockets W/O an available test ride. ....You spin the wheel you takes your chances.

 

[Gregger]

If he purchases the bike and changes the ownerships, then you do it right after, the 2 of you will have paid sales tax since there were 2 transactions. Assuming you are pretty certain you will purchase the bike from him, see if you can deduct the portion of tax he would have paid for the bike from the $500.

 

[sandman]

I purchased the Roadster from GPBikes. Not sure why you didn't pull the trigger on that one sooner. I have warranty on it until June this year. I am very happy with the purchase.