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Mark Hinchliffe·
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··10 Comments·2 min read

Sign says: Please do not sit on motorcycle

Please do not sit on motorcycle

How many motorcycle dealerships have you been to that have signs saying Please do not sit on motorcycle?

The signs could be one of the reasons motorcycle sales are down.

They indicate a level of unapproachability in motorcycle dealerships.

It’s bad enough that many dealers don’t allow demo rides, but not even sitting on a motorcycle is a bit much!

Whenever you see a nice motorcycle, the first thing you want to do is sit on it to see how it feels.

We can understand that you should never sit on another rider’s bike for many reasons. Click here to find out why.

Here’s another good reason, courtesy of Sons of Anarchy!

https://youtu.be/YD26Z9TXrdM

But a motorcycle for sale in a dealership is not another rider’s bike until it is sold.

Then, by all means, put a “Sold” sticker on it and most riders would know not to touch it.

Please sit on our bikes

If dealers want to make customers feel welcome, they should put out signs saying Please come in and sit on our motorcycles!

If you go into a clothing store, they don’t stop you trying on clothes and car showrooms don’t stop customers sitting in their cars and playing with the controls.

We can understand if it’s an expensive, historic or racing model (as is the case with the main photo in this article) that is for display only.

However, all motorcycles and scooters for sale should be available to be sat on.

Motorcycle industry veteran Dale Schmidtchen says he has seen Do not sit on motorcycle signs around the world in various languages.

“I’ve even seen signs saying Don’t sit on this bike unless you are going to buy,” he says.

“You just don’t see that in other industries, particularly the car industry. And you wonder why they have record sales while motorcycle sales are down!

“Many dealers won’t let you demo ride them or they ask you to book in to go for a test ride at some future date. So they may as well let customers at least sit on them.

“In fact, they should have signs saying Sit on this bike and tell us what you think!Please do not sit

“I can understand some trepidation about school kids sitting on motorcycles, but they are the next generation of riders.

See also

“If you can’t let people sit on your motorcycles what are you doing in the industry?

“Motorcycling should be the most non-discriminatory industry.

“I’ve seen some people come into a dealership and they look like they have no money at all and then they pull out a roll of cash.”

Check out this scruffy guy who bought a Harley with cash!

please pay
Thai mechanic was shunned by several motorcycle dealerships before he finally bought a Harley-Davidson Forty-Eight Sportster with cash.

Be careful when sitting on bikes

If you do sit on a motorcycle in a showroom, be careful of your belt buckle scratching the tank.

Also, be careful of slippery shiny floors that could be spell disaster if you take the bike off its side stand.

Be aware that some Harley-Davidson motorcycles have alarms that will activate if you sit on the bike without the key fob.

However, the dealer can activate a “shop mode” that allows customers can sit on them without setting off the alarm.

Otherwise, they can tape the key fob under the tank or put it in the panniers.

Harley-Davidson CVO Pro Street Breakout please
Harley key fob
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Mark Hinchliffe
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10 Comments

  1. The sign should say ask a sales person for the key before you sit on the bike.
    I have only seen a keep off sign on two occasions one was a museum piece the other was at a now defunct dealer. The museum piece we all can understand and the sign was probably why the dealer went bust.

  2. Every ‘sit on’ is a potential sale, though I’ve experienced many who show no care when mounting something that’s presented to other purchasers, it’s always polite to ask the salesperson first & mount with care.
    Admire, caress with extreme care but NEVER mount someone else’s motorbike without permission.

  3. Not only not allowed to sit on a bike but most dealerships expect you to buy a bike worth tens of thousands of dollars without test riding it. When I bought a Kawasaki versys 1000 costing $17,000 it wasn’t until I had committed to buy subject to the test ride that I was allowed to take it for a “short” ride. And bought the one I test rode.

    Now I’m looking for a KTM Adventure S costing around $26,000 and the local dealer does not have one on the floor and will only order one in if I commit to buy. Well, that’s not going to happen.

  4. Crazy Dogs Kawasaki at Caboolture no sitting and no first ride unless you commit to buy. Total opposite at Team Moto Kawasaki Bowen Hills which is where I bought.

    1. You might want to check your facts are straight Denys. Crazy Dogs Kawasaki welcome customers to sit on bikes BUT we want you to ask for assistance first to ensure your safety and that of the bike. Demo units are readily available and there is no buying commitment required to test ride.

  5. Totally understand if it is as AL says a museum or show piece, but at a dealers no way.
    Never forget the time after purchasing 2 bikes from a Olivers , was at there dealership when told rather impolitely to get off a bike i was sitting on ,because it was sold.
    There was no sign on this bike, and it was in a line of other bikes.
    i have never returned to this dealership.

    1. I asked one salesman after looking at all the bikes if i was able to sit on them and he said yes, went to sit on a z125 they had in line on display and had the exact same thing happen to me. Walked out right after. Really left me with a bad taste for moto dealers unfortunately.

  6. You need to feel a bike to see if it fits you. You also need to ride a bike to see if it suits you. Only a silly person would part with $000 without a test run first. So if a dealer wants my $000 I want the test first…simple.
    However you also have to accept that if you damage it you pay for it…..also simple.

  7. You must have to look very hard to find “facts” for this story.
    Any dealer with a no sit attitude would never sell a single bike.

  8. In February I visited a Ducati dealer north side of Brisbane, was surprised when the salesman told me to sit on the new Scrambler Cafe Racer. It’s been my experience that if you express real interest in a bike, they’re happy to let you sit on it.

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