Demo Ride Info
Demo rides can tell you a lot more about how a motorcycle will fit and perform for you than any number of magazine articles, rider reviews or blogs ever could, which is why demo rides are a long standing tradition for BMW Motorcycles. We believe that when ridden on real roads by real riders, BMW Motorcycles truly excel. In order to provide a safe, quality experience for all demo ride participants a representative of BMW Motorcycles of San Francisco is present (on a separate motorcycle) for all demo rides. Over the years we have found that 45 minutes is a reasonable amount of time to get familiarized with a motorcycle and to get a sense of its’ capabilities, so we have developed a test ride route that takes approximately 45 minutes to complete. Our standard ride gives participants a little bit of city and freeway riding with a few sweeping corners thrown in for good measure thanks to Guadalupe Canyon Parkway. If you are short on time, we can also do an abbreviated demo ride by quickly jumping on 280 and zipping over to Potrero Hill.
Click here to see out demo route on Google Maps
Regardless of what you have ridden in the past or experience level, we encourage you to contact us at 415-503-9954 to discuss a demo ride in San Francisco, CA. Our sales department will work to make sure that you are comfortable with the motorcycle you ride before we ever kick up a sidestand and if you have questions along the way we’re right there with you to help out. Of course there are some restrictions and requirements for all demo ride participants so please make sure you qualify before arranging a ride.
Demo Ride Participants Must Have:
- A current, valid motorcycle license or endorsement
- An active insurance policy that will cover you and the motorcycle that you are riding while on the demo ride. Be sure to call your agent before scheduling a demo ride if you are unsure on this point as some major insurance companies do not extend coverage to any vehicles other than the primary one listed on your policy. Just off the top of our head we can think of one aGGRESSIVE insurance company that has denied these kinds of claims in the past. Better safe than sorry :)
- A DOT approved motorycle helmet for demo rider (and passenger if you would like to bring one)
- A copy of a completed and signed Borrowed Vehicle Agreement. This will be filled out when you arrive at the dealership and show us your license and insurance. No need to worry about this one until you’re at our shop, but do be sure to keep it with you in case anything happens during the demo ride. This Agreement proves why you’re riding one of our motorcycles.
We HIGHLY Recommend That Demo Ride Particpants Have:
- Completed an MSF training course if unexperienced with motorcycling
- A motorcycle jacket that includes armor for elbows, shoulders and spine
- A pair of motorcycle riding pants that includes knee and hip armor
- A pair of leather or strong textile gloves
- A pair of leather or strong textile boots that cover and protect your ankles
Things That Are NOT Allowed on Demo Rides:
- Passing demo ride leader (except in emergency situations)
- Unsafe riding of any kind including, but not limited to, speeding, wheelies, stoppies, burnouts and any other stunt riding tricks that you may have up your sleeve. It’s pretty cool that you can do some of these things, just don’t do them on our bikes.
We maintain these rules and strict guidelines for all of our demo rides so that we can maintain a safe environment for all riders and to ensure that our demo bikes are in good condition when it comes time to sell them. If you are interested in purchasing a demo bike from us please call the sales department at 415-503-9954 so they can give you particulars on what bikes will be available and at what time. Our BMW motorcycle dealership is conveniently located near San Mateo, Daly City, and San Bruno, CA, so come by and see us soon!
In case you still think it’s lame that we don’t just throw folks keys for demo rides we have included a little video that was originally created by ex-racer James Whitham and his buddy, for the British bike magazine Two Wheels Only magazine, to illustrate our point. ENJOY!
