New bike arriving tomorrow - what should I inspect when receiving it?

BoarFlinger

new rider
Joined
Sep 13, 2021
Messages
2
Location
CA
Hey folks, I ordered a new 2021 Svartpilen 401, and after the long wait, it is finally arriving tomorrow!

Given that this is my first motorcycle purchase, I'm a little nervous about the delivery process.

What are the most important things to check to ensure I'm not getting a lemon? Are there any particular documents I should make sure I get as well? Any advice would be greatly appreciated. I'm currently in CA.
 
Assuming this is your first new bike.
Pretty straight forward if its new with a warranty.

Before you touch it or sit on it, look at it to make sure its not dinged or scuffed or whateva.

Have the person handing it over go through it with you, what's what and what have you.

Have them show you how the tank works and look if the tank is full.

If any of the above criteria are not met to your satisfaction, make them give you free stuff, for free.

Most important, before you leave put on your gloves, jacket, and boots.
 
Assuming things in your country are as here in Australia, the sales guy will take you over the whole bike. He'll explain the operation of everything, lights, indicators, dash selection options, everything. If you have riding friends who know their stuff, ask them to go over it to check things like chain adjustment, clutch adjustment, etc.

I didn't get a printed manual with mine as it's online, but I think some places have a printed version. Other documentation will be what's relevant to your state requirements.

You won't know if it's a lemon or not until you've had it for quite a while and the same problem keeps cropping up and isn't fixed. However, it's unlikely there will be anything wrong with the bike. Ride it out of the shop and enjoy it.

Being a bit nervous is normal - be prepared for 'buyer's remorse' for a few days. Most new buyers worry for a bit that they made the right decision, bought the right bike, 'what if I should have bought that other one', that sort of thing. That feeling is normal and soon wears off.
 
@BoarFlinger Just keep in mind that KTM makes 300k bikes per year, and just cause the HQV is pretty rare its still based on a mass produced bike thats been on sale since 2013.

Lemons come from trees or sketchy used car lots.
 
Hey folks, thanks for all your comments! I got the bike - it had a tiny scratch on it but otherwise in great condition I think. The dealer threw in some chain lube and looked genuinely distressed about the whole situation so I didn't push it too much.

So far I've put a hundred miles on the thing - love it to death and having a lot of fun with it. There are some things I'd like to get checked out or modified (eg. when the bike is coasting I hear a strange sound - almost like a wheel is misaligned and rubbing against a break pad with every rotation? Idk; the quickshifter is also not working) but generally I am really enjoying the bike! Looking forward to the next couple thousand miles, and will definitely report back with a picture at some point :)
 
For some reason I think the quickshifter isn't enabled until after 600mi? Or maybe I just didn't try it until then...
I'd check out any strange sounds.
 
Back
Top Bottom