Thief steals Ducati during Gumtree test drive

[Ratmick]

Originally Posted by FPV0002

Very unfortunate for the victim, as a rider myself I don't see hopping on the back as a pillion as an option. Doing so on a bike like that would basically be a waste of time even for a legitimate test ride as having a pillion on a sports bike severely compromises the handling and ride experience. Also jumping on the back of a bike with someone I don't know and have no idea of their riding experience sounds like a death wish to me!

Totally agree, if I was someone else I wouldn't jump on the back of a bike I was test riding so wouldn't expect anyone else to

The issue with myself is that I have never ridden with a pillion and wouldn't want to give it a go the first time on someone else's bike with them on the back.

As someone pointed out the Ducati in question didn't even have a pillion pad anyway.

It's a bit of a difficult position to be in for the seller, especially if you want to sell. I was relatively ok when I did it as I had all the guy's details in emails, and I had called him at work (and cross-referenced the number on Google to the actual company, plus found him mentioned in conjunction with the company name) so I knew where to find him.

He was a nice guy returning to two wheels after a family break without a ride, certainly didn't set off any alarm bells. He ended up buying the bike too, said he'd think about it and call me during the week and rang back when he got home two hours later. Did a bank deposit and came back the following weekend.

You do read a lot of horror stories though...

[FPV0002]

I've also sold a few dirt bikes too along the way and have always taken the option to never meet to potential buyer at my home address, always meeting at a car park or public area, taking a family member or friend with me also. I think this approach is handy for bike sales you hear so many of buyers heading to the sellers address, sussing out the house and security and returning at a later time to knock off the bike..

[b0son]

Originally Posted by FTe342

Did you even bother to read the thread before commenting?

sorry, he asked, one wasn't produced, so he let him ride it anyway. big difference, changes everything ... not.

[Shonky.]

Originally Posted by Mercury Bullet

But then they would do him for handing the keys to someone unlicensed.

Insurance companies are much better thieves than the guy who stole the bike.

vote with your feet then - self insure

I'm glad they exist, and glad they put some energy into cost control

I wouldn't want to cross subsidise dopey cats like the Duke owner in the article

[wodahs]

im sorry to say this but every one is taking the word of the seller , when the seller apparently took the word of the thief

whos to say the seller isn't making it up and doing an insurance scam ? the insurance co has to think of this as well but im not saying he is scamming them but bet I get flamed for this statement

second as stated he hasn't seen a licence as stated whos to say the thief had an appropriate licence so whos to blame if something went wrong and , oh I let him rid it

Originally Posted by xr8cam

At the end of the day, if a thief walked through an open front door and took the keys, you would be covered. Both examples of stupidity, but isn't that what we pay thousands of dollars a year in policy's.... Here's a blog, who's been shafted by insurance companys in their life, I know I have.

and third the insurance co cant call it theft if the police don't got tell them it was taken with the keys , even if they walked in to your house to take them (unless they broke in) and this one happened to me and a mate it becomes a civil matter thru the courts to decide
we had some one take a 2 toner recovery/scrap truck had some one a mate was helping out walk in take the keys and went interstate with it and nothing we could do unless we took it to court and at its value wasn't worth taking and we had all the proof that he did where he ended up and all

[ea90gl]

If the seller's story is true, it's a typical case of the honest guy finishing last. I bet if he bought a padlock, chopped it in half took a photo of it and claimed his house was broken into the insurance would of probably come to the party...

[Ben73]

Originally Posted by Joel.

Hearing more and more of this. So many scumbags out there. Might invest in a dash cam.

People are scumbags. Even people who seam normal will try to weasel their way out of a situation they caused.
Both my missus and I have had both our cars damaged by other people this year. Both other parties flat out denied that they were at fault and argued that point like their life depended on it.
Let's just say that we haven't had to pay an insurance excess and we haven't had to fight the insurance companies either. One of them thanks to my dashcam footage.

[Junkyard-Dog]

I posted the article because it instantly reminded me of when I (foolishly) sold my AE86 at age 18.

[Join old man Junkyard Dog at the campfire for another one of his cautionary tales.]

The prospective buyer asked to take it on a short test drive and I handed over the keys without thinking. His "short test drive" ended up being at least 45 minutes and had me in a state of panic. It went dark by the time he got back to my house with the car and it didn't help that his mates started the car he came in to "move it" for some reason after about 30 minutes of his absence. I told them they weren't going anywhere until he came back and didn't care that they took offense.

Luckily he did return but by that point I was about to call the police since he hadn't answered his phone. He didn't even end up buying it after all that (the car was mint) and I doubt he ever had anywhere near enough money because he only gave one offer of $1000 (like, srsly bro?). I suspect that he gave it a hiding too because the brand new clutch suspiciously failed soon after and the car just didn't feel the same when he brought it back.

Lesson learned. Never again will I let somebody go for a test drive without being in the car. I feel bad for this guy with his Ducati and now I know just how lucky I was that it didn't happen to me.

[Sprint]

never let anybody test ride your motorbike.

[mike_nofx]

Originally Posted by Sprint

never let anybody test ride your motorbike.

Would you buy anything you couldn't test first?

[Sprint]

Originally Posted by mike_nofx

Would you buy anything you couldn't test first?

I'm not a motorbike man but the 2 second hand ones I have brought have been no test rides and sold on good faith they work well. Didn't even get a test ride when I brought a new one.

Never give out test rides, legit motorbike people know this. Its like asking for a free helmet, legit motorbike people just laugh at you.

you give a test ride and he kills himself or others then what do you do?.

[snowcone]

When I bought my last bike privately, an Aprilia RSV mille, the owner wouldn't let me test ride it unless I gave him a bank cheque for the full asking price. Once I had ridden it we started price negotiations and I went back to the bank for a new cheque at the final agreed price.
Later when I sold the bike I told the prospective buyer the same terms but he bought it without even riding it (it was a sweet machine though)

[2011G6E]

Sorry. As much as I think bike thieves should be strung up by the goolies...

You deserved it.

Who the hell is so bloody trusting to let some stranger ride off on such a precious bike?? Just because he had "a detailed back story" and "seemed legit"?? Much less when he couldn't produce a licence and had such a lame excuse as to why.
Sorry mate, but you're a bloody idiot, and I'm glad the insurance refuses pay out. You were a naive, trusting, moron.
That's if it isn't, as said above, an attempt at an insurance scam.

Not even motorbike shops allow test rides of bikes once you get to a certain level. Motorcyclists are usually extremely clued up on what they want and if they're serious, the shop will see this and arrange a test ride...but only if you're dead serious and sometimes only after signing papers saying if it goes tits-up, you've bought it. This is only after they've taken your licence and details. They're usually far stricter than any car dealership.

[ebxr8240]

Trust no one after I had my XD 351 chaser stolen many years ago.. Just put a pearl while paint on it too..

[nstg8a]

Originally Posted by Sprint

I'm not a motorbike man

Never give out test rides, legit motorbike people know this.

I could understand no test ride on a brand new bike from a dealer... Second hand I'm riding that sucker before I hand over my cash.

Hmm, now am I a 'not a bike guy' or a 'legit bike guy'...

[2011G6E]

Originally Posted by nstg8a

I could understand no test ride on a brand new bike from a dealer... Second hand I'm riding that sucker before I hand over my cash.

Hmm, now am I a 'not a bike guy' or a 'legit bike guy'...

And that would be fine...but any prudent seller would sensibly demand several levels of security. Either leave your licence or take a photo of it (no excuse with every phone having a camera), a photo of the person AND the bike side by side, and possibly a deposit of some kind.

Just be careful about people leaving their car with you as security. Quite a few years back there was a "stolen bike" advert in a motorbike magazine. It said a highly modded custom Harley was stolen. The owner said a well dressed young man arranged to come and see the bike, driving a modded Mazda RX7. They talked about his RX7 for some time and car modding in general, then looked over the Harley. The guy was reluctant to take it for a test ride, even though the bikes owner asked him whether he would be interested in one. The RX7 guy finally said he would, hesitantly, leave the keys for the RX7 with the bike owner, as well as a $200 deposit. Off he went on the Harley...and of course never came back. The RX7 turned out to be stolen.
This was before the days of camera phones and digital cameras being common, so none of this "photo of his licence" stuff. So in effect the thief "bought" the bike for $200...

You can never be too careful.

[poppa smurf]

what do motorcycle sales yards do?.......

[Giant Cranium]

Originally Posted by poppa smurf

what do motorcycle sales yards do?.......

Have the hells angels on call

[poppa smurf]

Originally Posted by Giant Cranium

Have the hells angels on call

fantastic answer and would be sure to deter any thief..... but the sales team must take steps to avoid theft such as this?

all my purchases with cycles and vehicles have been test drive- purchase or not....straight forward!

[2011G6E]

Originally Posted by poppa smurf

what do motorcycle sales yards do?.......

Be very very careful. Most won't let you ride new bikes. Second hand bikes? Lots of restrictions. It's definitely not like car yards where they just throw you the keys.

[poppa smurf]

times have changed and not for the better.....I feel for the feller who lost his bike, great machines those ducatis......I had the dharma 900

[nstg8a]

Originally Posted by 2011G6E

Be very very careful. Most won't let you ride new bikes. Second hand bikes? Lots of restrictions. It's definitely not like car yards where they just throw you the keys.

Umm, when I bought mine that exactly what they did lol. Took a copy of my license and handed me the keys. That was it, no deposit, no waiver, no credit card imprint nothing . I've had harder times test driving a dungbox from a cheapy yard.

[Sprint]

its not just the bike, if anyone gets injured its on your bike, a shop might have insurance for this?. Also if they drop your bike or go through a red light they can just walk away(or basically run) and your left with the bills. I was wanting to see cash before I even thought about it, my bike was new and I was the only person who sat on it is all, some people have no respect and scratch the tank up etc.

[Revolver]

I heard a very similar story from a workmate about her friend. Guy rocks up to test ride a Gixxer 1000, hands him the keys to the car, he takes the bike, then about 60 seconds later, a bloke gets OUT OF THE BOOT, jumps in the car and drives off!

The bike was recently recovered along with a host of other bikes and cars that were stolen on a remote property in the local area.

Originally Posted by nstg8a

Umm, when I bought mine that exactly what they did lol. Took a copy of my license and handed me the keys. That was it, no deposit, no waiver, no credit card imprint nothing . I've had harder times test driving a dungbox from a cheapy yard.

Yep. Same here. Test rode a Buell this year from a Honda dealership in Brisbane this year. Let me go, went for a blat around Mt Cootha, and came back around 45mins later.

This bloke really did not mitigate his damage.

Licence was obvious, that's non negotiable. Also take their car, park it in your garage, door down, your car Parked behind it, and HALF of the purchase price left as a refundable deposit on return of the bike in the condition that it left. Also get them to sign a document stating they they were riding the motorcycle at <this time> so that way if they commit a crime it's all on paper.

Even this has its danger. Their car is stolen, fake ID. But you can check to see if the money is fake. At least you'd have half your money back.....

[pauljh74]

Originally Posted by Falcon SXR8

Of all the cars i have test driven over the years every one the guy just gave me the keys and sent me out on my own, no id check nothing. Im always amazed how trusting people are. And the funny thing is all the cars i have sold the buyers just wanted me to take them for a drive in them they didnt want to drive themselves.

Feel sorry for this guy yes he could have been more carefull but its not his fault there is scumbags in the world. And who knows if he didnt give the guy the keys the bloke could have just pulled a gun or whatever to get them anyway.

First car I bought the owner handed me the key only after he got in the passenger side. In hindsight, that was absolutely the correct way to start a test drive

[Junkyard-Dog]

Originally Posted by poppa smurf

times have changed and not for the better...

I think that's all it comes down to.