Loaning your bike.......

[frito1]

My $.02 worth....motorcycles, boats, and aircraft are NOT like cars/trucks. More skill involved to pilot them correctly. More potential for injury if something happens. I'd loan any trusted friend my car, but I'd only loan my bike, boat or aircraft to someone that is qualified and current on a like model.

+1, in the loosely knit group I ride with, I'd offer up my bike in a time of need. Never to a fair weather rider/poser.

 

[ScottyUSN]

Consider if someone offered thier bike up to your to make this kind of trip. How would you respond? Me... I'm not willing to take someone elses bike on this kind of trip, simply because I do not want to be responsible for what could happen to anothers persons property. That being said. Anyone who would get angry for saying no to this type of request says alot about indivual character.

Oh Ya.... HELL NO

 

[SCWatts]

Just seems bizarre to me for someone to have no difficulty asking for that kind of favor. Sheesh.

Agree with another poster who said "It's awkward." Yup.

My most polite answer would be "No, I really am not comfortable loaning out my bike to anyone." Period . . . you have nothing to feel bad about. That was a question that should never have been asked.

 

[puppychow]

A really good friend lent me his BlackBird to get home once (150 miles one way), when we were in his Garage working on my other bike and he accidentally destroyed an essential component of the drive system. At that time I didn't mind the trade at all (for a week) till I could order the right parts and have them shipped to him. I had a CBR1100XX for a full week while he had my disabled SV650 - fair trade I would say!

Back to the discussion though, I would only loan either of my bikes (for short trips) to only 2 people that I know, but collectively those 2 people have over 60 years of riding experience between them and own several bikes, so I doubt they would ever ask!

 

[Joe2Lmaker]

Thoughts?

Not enough information.

Sheesh, Joe. I thought that with the first line, you were about to ask the right questions about the missing information. Alas, you disappoint.

Yup. I did start heading down that line of questioning, but I figured I better give the lecherous routine a break.

Plus, I wouldn't want Judy to get the idea there could ever be anyone else for me.

Oops! I guess the break is over.

 

[painman]

My insurance doesn't cover "anyone" else on the bikes. Stupid question, easy answer. No way, sorry, only in an emergency. Even then trailer would be better if possible. PM. <><

 

[inertiacoupling]

No way! if you do loan your FJR out, you're chances of regretting it are much more than not. Another thing I've found in life when you loan out a big ticket item, they'll always tell you they'll pay for it if they break it. More often than not, when they do break it, they'll pull the old "Since it wasn't brand new, I shouldn't have to pay for the total cost of repairs, but I'll chip in...". Then you get stuck paying for most if not all of the cost of repairs in the end. Is it worth risking a friendship?

 

[fjrbrad]

I think that if some is stunned enough to ask and doesnt realize all the possible implications that have been discussed here, all the more reason not to lend to that person. People that understand the true cost of ownership, also realize it is actually cheap to rent for the short term and consequently dont ask the question. He was looking for a free ride.

 

[flyball]

I can think of three non-family friends I would loan my bike to, no questions asked. If they brought it back in a smoldering heap of **** I would just ask them if they were o.k. My relationship with them is far more important than anything I own. Other than them, the bike is off limits. Funny thing is, none of the three would ask to borrow it, but I wouldn't hesitate to offer it.

 

[VanHarlan]

Would never happen . . . I don't think I've even let anyone sit on it other than myself . . . she's all mine and I ain't whoring her out to some nublet squid . . . just saying . . . there's a special bond between a man and these machines . . . and if someone dropped her I don't think I'd ever live down teh regret

 

[N_Lindz]

There is only one person on the face of this earth I trust enough to loan my FJR to... that's the father in law. I figure: he's been riding longer than I've been alive, he let me use his bikes when I was learning to ride, he bought an old Kawasaki 750 as 'my bike' when I got my license, and he trusts me with his daughter...

 

[na1g]

Been riding for 45 years. My policy is and always has been: Don't ask to ride my bike; I won't ask to ride yours. No exceptions. Not Nicky Hayden; not Clement Salvadori. Except maybe my brother - because, well, he's my brother, and he's never asked anyway.

pete

 

[reddog]

Last time a friend asked to ride my bike I asked in response "can I ride your wife?" That pretty much settled things right there.

No I would not loan it.

Reddog

 

[El Toro]

I guess pretty much no one is in favor of bike loans.

I got to thinking about it, and there is one circumstance underwhich I loan a bike. I have a friend in Maine. When I go up there to visit, if I haven't brought a bike, he loans me one of his bikes. When he comes down here to visit, he never brings a bike, and I always loan him one of mine. We have done multi-day trips together, swapping back and forth. But we go back nearly 45 years, all the way to Honda S-90 and Ducati Monza Jr. when we started riding together in high school. I trust him. And he trusts me. I do not loan bikes to anyone else, even other high school friends. In fact, especially other high school friends.

 

[VanHarlan]

Last time a friend asked to ride my bike I asked in response "can I ride your wife?" That pretty much settled things right there.No I would not loan it.

Reddog

Now that's some funny shiznit there . . . especially if she turns out to be fat & ugly and he says "Ok . . . no problem . . . give me the keys"

 

[highcountry]

Once upon a time a riding friend begged ,scraped and crawled to ride my '89 FJ1200. He wasn't on it 2 minutes before he dropped it and then stitched me out of a mirror, brake lever and brake pedal, never mind a hair crack in the air scoop and buffing out the paint and aluminum can. Don't even think about asking to ride my bike...

+1

 

[Bustanut joker]

Rule.. You wanna ride my bike?

Stop by and prove to me you can do it, have the proper endorsement (covering my *** if you wreck) and are willing to have yer ears cut off if ya crash and it's yours..

In all honestly you klowns worry to damned much.. Buncha "what the **** I might get sued" ***** anyways..

Ya get one shot at this merry go round we call life.

I say if you have something that just might bring a smile to another's life, Share the **** outa it.. it's only a damned object!

Plus, you not only gain a riding buddy, if he or she buys....ya just might make a friend ...

but that's jus my 2 cents..

:jester:

 

[krashdragon]

Glad you got it figured out.

Otherwise, the stock answer is buy it from me first, then you can ride it.

and you said that he only rides 3 or 4 times a year... if he HAS to have a bike, a nice slow Harley rental would work , (yeah, I have a harley)

Sound like a cage would work way better and safer for him.

I did loan my bike out ONCE... Ian (who lives near London, England) was doing a US 50 state tour as a memorial to his friend...

rather than have him ship his bike from Alaska to Hawaii and back for a one day's ride, he and I swapped off on my Harley and Bandit.

The shipping alone would've take 3 weeks.

But to ride a borrowed bike 4000 miles with very little practice? oh, hell no! Especially something like the FJR!

mary

 

[palerider]

I friend of mine asked me if I loan out my bike. I figured a day trip somewhere, maybe a weekend at best, but nothing too big. He said he'd like to ride it 2 up from OK to CA which is a much different request than I expected. It's a trip with him and his 18 year old daughter for her HS graduation.
I picked up the '07 in Jan '10 and have 3400 miles on it now, the farthest trip I've taken on it is about a 2 hour ride one way. I'm undecided on my answer. If anything happens to the bike, he'll take care of it, no issue there. The bike has no cruise, stock seat and only the two stock cases on each side. I would think it would be an awful tough ride for a guy (2 up) that has ridden a bike maybe 3 or 4 times so far this year....

Thoughts?

Have your friend PM Busta. He'll be happy to lend his bike.

:clapping:

 

[Tom Edison]

The trip is scheduled to last 1 week, so it's a very quick turn for a bike trip IMO. It truly is a graduation thing, he did a trip last year with his other daughter, no bike involved though. I spoke with him and told him I was struggling with the request and he said to forget about it, he understands. If the Goldwing is out then he may lean toward renting a convertible. Regardless, the FJR isn't making the trip.
Thanks for the replies, lots of good points.

Well thats good then. I wouldn't think a good friend would make you have a choice like that. He understands, and let's you off the hook, all's good with honesty on your side.

A month ago a freind lent me his'05 FJR for a 1/2 hr. ride to see if I liked it. I did. Bought an'05 FJR and I'm a happy camper. :yahoo: