PDI (Pre Delivery Inspection) Thread

[B7ACKTHORN]

Re: PDI (Pre Delivery Inspection) Thread

Hello guys,

Today I made the payment to Khivraj Bajaj for a Dominar!

One thing that I did is I told them that I want to start all the bikes they have and listen to the engine sound. They had three bikes in the plum/red colour that I wanted. They agreed without any issues. When I did this simple test, it was very clear that one of these three bikes had a much smoother idling. I immediately took it for a test ride of around 2 km and noted down the chasis number upon returning. The dealership has agreed to ensure that I only get this bike.

This test originates from around 1982-83 when my dad bought a Bajaj Super scooter. He similarly checked the idling sound of all the scooters available with the dealer and selected the one with the smoothest sounding engine, even though it had a slightly bent front fork! This scooter went on to give him a mileage in the 40s for many years - at a time when such a thing was unheard of!

That's a very important point. Cranking the engine and listening to the sound of the engine can tell a lot about the engine itself, and it's a very good to-check point to keep in mind as I mentioned earlier .

Cheers!
VJ

[Ajay Vishwanath]

Re: PDI (Pre Delivery Inspection) Thread

Hello guys,

Today I made the payment to Khivraj Bajaj for a Dominar!

One thing that I did is I told them that I want to start all the bikes they have and listen to the engine sound. They had three bikes in the plum/red colour that I wanted. They agreed without any issues. When I did this simple test, it was very clear that one of these three bikes had a much smoother idling. I immediately took it for a test ride of around 2 km and noted down the chasis number upon returning. The dealership has agreed to ensure that I only get this bike.

This test originates from around 1982-83 when my dad bought a Bajaj Super scooter. He similarly checked the idling sound of all the scooters available with the dealer and selected the one with the smoothest sounding engine, even though it had a slightly bent front fork! This scooter went on to give him a mileage in the 40s for many years - at a time when such a thing was unheard of!

unfortunately it's not the case everywhere, when I went to choose the bike, none of them had fuel in it, it's a hit or miss type.. but I went with my gut feeling about the bike.
well, when I picked my Duke, I picked the dirtiest of the lot, from the corner.. I felt some kind of connect and picked her up.. same with my RC, wen I went for the PDI, I had a connect with one particular bike, they all looked the same, but yeah.. the "connect" feel I have with my bikes.. just my 2 paisa.. no issues till date. touchwood.. I maintain them very well so yeah..

[thousifkhan24]

Re: PDI (Pre Delivery Inspection) Thread

Checking of the Engine number and Chassis number in the documents is very important.I have been a Victim of that with Aryan Suzuki Domlur,Bengaluru. The Road tax receipt had the chassis number misplaced by one digit.

[neeljinwala]

Re: PDI (Pre Delivery Inspection) Thread

Apart from year is there a way to figure out the month of manufacturing using VIN?

Ok every vehicle has a unique number to them called as vehicle identification number which will be printed on the chassis of the bike.

If it's a motorcycle the number will be printed near the forks, whereas for scooters like activa it will be under the seat.

So to find out which year the bike is manufactured

Here is the decode

Vin number is of 17 characters

The first 3 characters will represent the country code
I guess ME is for india and A is for motorcycle
4th character represents under which category your bike falls under

5th character will be representing the engine size (cc)
6th place represents the engine stroke type

Code 4 is for 4 stroke engine

Am not sure of 7 8 and 9th place

10th place represents the year the bike is manufactured
Current year 2017's code is H
So the 10th place character should have H as it's code

My new bike is having the code H and the bike which my dad bought last year was fitted with code G
So am sure of this

11th place represents place where the bike is manufactured
And the rest 8 digits are the serial number of your motorcycle..


Mods if anything wrong in my decode please correct here...
Thanks

[ravihpa]

Re: PDI (Pre Delivery Inspection) Thread

Guys,

I've decided to go with Unicorn 160. It's a powerful bike, has good mileage, and is comfortable for both the rider and the pillion (which is important for me coz of my wife).

Now, yesterday I went to the local Honda dealership to book my bike, and when I started yapping on about PDI, the salesman said he'll show me the bike before doing the booking, and once I'm happy with it, he'll go ahead and book the bike. I was happy with it.

Then, they brought the only Matte Grey in their godown and showed it to me. I immediately noticed the bad discoloring/smudge near the petrol tank and rejected the bike on the spot. They were like, this is nothing. We can remove it within a few minutes, etc, etc. I just took a few photos of the bike and rejected it.

One thing I noticed was, there were two wires (one black and one red) dangling below the petrol tank (near the engine). They said the battery wasn't connected yet. I asked them to show me the odometer to check how many kilometers the bike had been ridden. They said they can't do that yet coz the battery is not connected. Then I said - if the battery wasn't connected, how will the digital odometer even calculate how many kilometers the bike was ridden? They said the bike calculates and remembers it even without battery, and I was like WHAT! 🙄 Is it true? The bike can count and remember the kilometers driven without the battery being connected?

My only concern is, the bike can be ridden for so many kilometers or even test driven without the battery connection, so how do I exactly know how much kilometers the bike had been ridden originally before taking delivery.

Also, when I was talking about PDI, the topic of "rust" came up, and I told him I won't accept a bike, which has rusty joints, etc. But the salesman said, it's easy to fix and that they have a spray for it. And this again made me go WTF! in my mind coz the spray will just HIDE the rust and won't actually fix it. It's still a rusty bike.

I'm too skeptical about this Honda dealership but it's the only one we have here and it's one of the BIGGEST. The same owner has THREE showrooms in nearby city also and has 5 different godowns.

I would really appreciate it if anyone can put some light on these two queries I have.

Thanx a lot in advance. Desperately waiting for a reply

[kris123456]

Re: PDI (Pre Delivery Inspection) Thread

Guys,

I've decided to go with Unicorn 160. It's a powerful bike, has good mileage, and is comfortable for both the rider and the pillion (which is important for me coz of my wife).

Now, yesterday I went to the local Honda dealership to book my bike, and when I started yapping on about PDI, the salesman said he'll show me the bike before doing the booking, and once I'm happy with it, he'll go ahead and book the bike. I was happy with it.

Then, they brought the only Matte Grey in their godown and showed it to me. I immediately noticed the bad discoloring/smudge near the petrol tank and rejected the bike on the spot. They were like, this is nothing. We can remove it within a few minutes, etc, etc. I just took a few photos of the bike and rejected it.

One thing I noticed was, there were two wires (one black and one red) dangling below the petrol tank (near the engine). They said the battery wasn't connected yet. I asked them to show me the odometer to check how many kilometers the bike had been ridden. They said they can't do that yet coz the battery is not connected. Then I said - if the battery wasn't connected, how will the digital odometer even calculate how many kilometers the bike was ridden? They said the bike calculates and remembers it even without battery, and I was like WHAT! 🙄 Is it true? The bike can count and remember the kilometers driven without the battery being connected?

My only concern is, the bike can be ridden for so many kilometers or even test driven without the battery connection, so how do I exactly know how much kilometers the bike had been ridden originally before taking delivery.

Also, when I was talking about PDI, the topic of "rust" came up, and I told him I won't accept a bike, which has rusty joints, etc. But the salesman said, it's easy to fix and that they have a spray for it. And this again made me go WTF! in my mind coz the spray will just HIDE the rust and won't actually fix it. It's still a rusty bike.

I'm too skeptical about this Honda dealership but it's the only one we have here and it's one of the BIGGEST. The same owner has THREE showrooms in nearby city also and has 5 different godowns.

I would really appreciate it if anyone can put some light on these two queries I have.

Thanx a lot in advance. Desperately waiting for a reply

Go to the dealerships when a new lot of bikes arrive.
New lot comes only when old stock is gone.
Check few bikes vin numbers. All new lot bikes have almost similar vin numbers. I.e. most probably made in similar time frame. Pick one from those which were manufactured in one week period.

[ravihpa]

Re: PDI (Pre Delivery Inspection) Thread

Go to the dealerships when a new lot of bikes arrive.
New lot comes only when old stock is gone.
Check few bikes vin numbers. All new lot bikes have almost similar vin numbers. I.e. most probably made in similar time frame. Pick one from those which were manufactured in one week period.

This guy says customers are not allowed to go to godowns and pick bikes. He agreed to show me the bike before booking, and I thought that's the most I'll get out of this dealership. At least, the fu*kers are showing me the bike before booking.

Edit: You have no idea how calmly I have to talk with these guys and not get angry. Only coz I don't want them to screw this up for me.

Edit II: Any input regarding this?

Then I said - if the battery wasn't connected, how will the digital odometer even calculate how many kilometers the bike was ridden? They said the bike calculates and remembers it even without battery

NOTE: Kindly do not use expletives. Understand your agony and restlessness with your purchase decision. Kindly follow forum guidelines

[kris123456]

PDI (Pre Delivery Inspection) Thread

This guy says customers are not allowed to go to godowns and pick bikes. He agreed to show me the bike before booking, and I thought that's the most I'll get out of this dealership. At least, the fu*kers are showing me the bike before booking.

Edit: You have no idea how calmly I have to talk with these guys and not get angry. Only coz I don't want them to screw this up for me.

Edit II: Any input regarding this?

Keep going wherever he goes. Keep walking through out the showroom, service area and go down area. If anyone opposes, say sorry and say that you are seeing how big this area is and you want to watch it. I don’t think anyone opposes. I do this all the time. Do not stay in one place for more than 10 sec. see things and keep moving. After few minutes, they will not interrupt you.

Throw some praises in, like how you guys take care of such big place or how many people have to work to maintain it this clean. They will respect you and will try to be friendly to you. People are good.. but work rules and past experience makes them behave bad. Just give them a good experience and they will remember you for lifetime.

If you try to spy or show such signs, expect bad experience from them. Try to be as genuine as you can and see everything around you fall into place.

Walking with them just won’t cut it. Be friendly to him. Ask some medium complex questions. Try to understand things. Remember that he just works there. So if you have some issues ask him, whom he could reach for clarification or further discussion. Shouting on him or blaming showrooms won’t help. If something is illegal like handling charge, say politely that it’s illegal and if he can’t fix it, try to understand their hierarchy and ask him politely that you want to talk to senior as you can’t afford additional cost. This way you can get what you want plus many friends at showrooms and service centers.
All my bikes and cars get utmost attention often. And I don’t hesitate to blast off, if there is some screwup. Being friendly doesn’t mean accepting whatever they do.

[ravihpa]

Re: PDI (Pre Delivery Inspection) Thread

All my bikes and cars get utmost attention often. And I don’t hesitate to blast off, if there is some screwup. Being friendly doesn’t mean accepting whatever they do.

Bought the bike. Check it out

https://www.xbhp.com/talkies/motorcycle-ownership-experiences/31361-honda-unicorn-160-a-33.html#post1326077

[Mridul Bhasy]

Re: PDI (Pre Delivery Inspection) Thread

I booked a gixxer abs....waiting for delivery...can anybody help in identifiying any particular thing to be checked or bothered in case of gixxer

[White Fang]

Re: PDI (Pre Delivery Inspection) Thread

I booked a gixxer abs....waiting for delivery...can anybody help in identifiying any particular thing to be checked or bothered in case of gixxer

Specially check these:
1. Front wheel alignment with the body
2. Rear mud guard alignment with the rear wheel. Some tend to align sideways.
3. Handlebar+front wheel alignment with the body

[Mridul Bhasy]

Re: PDI (Pre Delivery Inspection) Thread

Specially check these:
1. Front wheel alignment with the body
2. Rear mud guard alignment with the rear wheel. Some tend to align sideways.
3. Handlebar+front wheel alignment with the body

Thanks bro

[Zapps]

Re: PDI (Pre Delivery Inspection) Thread

Nicely done - usually they get you to sign up all the paperwork and just hand over you the bike/scooter & just go.

I agree going at early morning means showroom people are more energetic & will be more helpful

[sayanchakraborty89]

Re: PDI (Pre Delivery Inspection) Thread

Useful thread for amateur new bike owners.

One should prepare such for the amateur used motorcycle buyers as well. Buying a used motorcycle is the always tricky.

[vrunalgije]

Re: PDI (Pre Delivery Inspection) Thread

After receiving quite a number of PDI queries on numerous ownership threads, I've decided to amalgamate my experience, articles, snippets from different sources, from around the web into a single concise article, for folks who are getting their first two-wheeler. This post is not just limited to motorcycles, but should serve as a generic pointer which would help prospective buyers, get in depth perspective with respect to what to look for, how to inspect their new motorcycle. (since we are motorcycle specific and we're proud of it Just kidding.

So what is PDI? As the title suggests, PDI stands for Pre Delivery Inspection. Though most of the times, PDI is done at the dealer level, getting to know a little bit about your motorcycle before delivery helps reduce postpartum vexation.

So let's get at it shall we.

Be Courteous: You know you're getting your first or new motorcycle and the feeling of excitement overwhelms all gumptions of sanity and what not. We're all into so much enthu that we head to the dealership, we want the keys, crank the engine and with accompanying wide grin, say TATA desi style and hit the streets. But unfortunately this isn't the right way to do it, you know it.

Early Bird Catches the Prey: I always stick to the notion of heading to the dealership early, preferably broad daylight, morning and noon times. Two reasons, you can choose the bike, or if you have it pre-assigned, you can inspect other bikes and most of all you'll be the first they'd attend to 95% of the time. During this time, inspect the bike visually. Take a look around other bikes, bend, flex, turn, check how other bikes are and note down if you find anything unduly. What's unduly, we'll get to it in a moment.

Meanwhile, you're doing that, everyone else these days have a camera, your mobile phone, try snapping some pics of the motorcycles around you and your motorcycle. Trust me, I've had this instance where one of my bike's headlamp mask had gaps , and I thought it was how it was manufactured, luckily I had a few photos of other bikes I snapped earlier which came in handy to help me find the right solution to the problem. Just keep clicking, you'll never know what you now click might click you at the right time when you least expect it.

Never ask for opinions especially on the delivery day. Family members invited, but don't entertain the pseudo-know it all guy. I always say motorcycles and studies, you never ask anyone, go for what you feel is right, it's almost always right. Your gut instinct is the best. Trust it. But hey, safety opinions do matter, wear a helmet always.

VIN Number: What is a VIN NUMBER? VIN defined VEHICLE IDENTIFICATION NUMBER is a manufacturer's birthmark given to a motorcycle, detailing its DATE (if any) YEAR, MONTH it was manufactured. A little homework, on this helps you. VIN number on a motorcycle is almost always found near the neck or headstock (right or left) usually it's always on the right side. Usually a VIN number is almost always on the Chassis. Don't confuse this with the ENGINE NUMBER which is stamped on the engine casing. Different manufacturers have different VIN code, you can always ask your dealer to decode the VIN number if you find you're getting an older lot or if you find anything unduly.

Here's an example of motorcycle Chassis/VIN number stamped on the headstock




Electricals:

It's a good idea to inspect the electric/electronic components of the vehicle, visually. Check your flashers, headlamps, horns, brake lights (both front and rear brake) Also make sure your speedo console is perfect, especially the self check, how it works, if there's anything unduly, you can always catch the issue then and there. Make sure your battery terminals are secured in the right manner. 95% of the times the battery is installed at the dealership level, and when the demand exceeds supply they do a flimsy job, loose terminals, loose mirrors, add-ons if any. Always make sure your battery terminals are tightened, remove the battery cover and inspect the terminals by slightly tugging them, it should be tight and snug, if the star screw or a nut, in the terminals dances when you do the jolting, get them tightened.

Engine:

Specs apart, It'd be great if you can crank the engine and rev it a little and see how it actually sounds, and let it idle for a minute or two. It is a good pointer especially, if and when you hear noises that aren't related to the engine, like loose fairing bolts/screws or anything or any rattling this is perhaps off tangent to the character of the engine. Four strokes do make slight timing chain noise, even if they're new, so don't confuse them. If you hear buzzing noise, rattling, these are all clearly discernible from the way the engine sounds.

Peripherals/Add-ons:

Like I stated above, make sure all the other add-ons, buzzers, mirrors, crash guards are tightened properly, all these can be easily inspected by tugging them and inspecting for any slack in bolts or unevenly torqued bolts/screws/nuts. I personally have experienced instances where my rear chain adjuster nut has fallen due to improper tightening. Talking about chain...

Drive line/Chain:

The most neglected part of a motorcycle during its service and upon delivery is the chain, slackness of the chain. Make sure your chain is at slack, make sure all the components, such as Chain adjusters, nuts and the related components are nice and tight (both sides) to the right slack measured in mm/inches mentioned on the swingarm and make sure it's lubed you take them out. Usually they are lubed with dry lube at the factory level, but it doesn't ask more to inspect visually, what is one of the most important elements of a motorcycle.

Brakes:

You know this is coming don't you! Visually check for the brake lines/hoses, check the lever play, press the levers/pedal both front and rear, feel how the brake lever/pedal tightens, if it's too spongy, you have to report it to the dealership chaps immediately. Spongy brakes are almost always a sign of air in the lines. I've never faced such issue or never heard of such issue all these years, but brakes being vital, it doesn't hurt to check them in the process.

Usually what most guys complain is hard rear brake, yes, motorcycle disc brake pads do take some time to set in, though initially they're harder, once they bed in, they become more responsive. But again there is a reason why the front brakes are always bigger than the rear, try using front brakes, front brakes work effectively when used in tandem with the rear brake.

Clutch lever/Accelerator Tube Play:

Make sure you have the right clutch setting. New bikes have clutch adjusted so that they work when they just get released at the top most part of the lever throw. This isn't a problem, but that's how they are adjusted at the factory level for most of the bikes, if you feel uncomfortable at that setting, you can reduce the settings, so that you have the correct setting for your riding style.

Accelerator tube settings are usually almost faultless, but in some cases, they do get loosened up and the play is at the extreme end, where the tube needs to be rolled in a good part to keep the revs. Make sure the throttle is slick so that when you open the throttle and let go, it must return at slick speed, if you see sticking throttle cable or a slow return or a intermittent return, get your accelerator play checked. New bike, right you don't wanna mess with the accelerator

Tell me you didn't forget this part!

FLUIDS!

This is of paramount importance, be it air cooled, water cooled. This is especially important if your motorcycle has a liquid cooled motor. Check the radiator fluid, fluid in the compensation fluid tank, engine oil, brake fluid reservoirs. Usually it's at the spec 99% of the time, but since fluids are being topped at the dealer level these days, you never know what gets missed in between the lines, make sure all the recommended fluids are at their recommended levels. Helps a big deal later!

Tires/Tyres:

Usually these are the only thing in a new bike one can go with eyes closed, or is it? Nope! This is where tire pressure comes into play, ask your dealer to check the tire pressure. Uneven tire pressure can cause sluggish performance and especially on a new bike this can even worsen the first-buyer experience. Head to the nearest air station and get your tires topped to the right psi. Tire pressure readings are given on the left side swingarm of the bike.

FUEL:

Dealership guys are crude.Period. Never trust them with the fuel level, the moment your motorcycle is out head to your nearest fuel station and get it topped up. Don't trust them and go for a joy ride, and you'll be in for a bad treat. New ride, good day, you don't want that to happen, would you?

Last part though!

Documentation/Delivery/Warranty:

Probably this should be included first, but we all know boring stuffs take the back seat. Make sure, you get your invoice, check the VIN number that's written in the manual and your bike are exact to spec. Apart from payment and interest rates and related papers which differ form the loaner/banker, make sure you get your insurance/temp registration number in case you pay full cash. When you pay full cash, you usually are given the insurance copy, plus the bike's all-in cost bill/receipt and the bike's manual/key paraphernalia and the temp registration details.

Make sure you get your spare keys, usually you're given two keys with your motorcycle, make sure you get both the keys, key code card (with certain motorcycles)

These days motorcycles come with extended warranty, for a nominal amount. I'd personally go for it, peace of mind later on just in case if things take a turn for worse. It usually is around 800 to 1000 bucks, my personal suggestion would be to opt for one.

And do you think I'd leave you guys without the important aspect!

Gear up! Riding gear!

You know, you're investing your hard earned cash on a motorcycle (totally worth how much ever you spend on motorcycle but why not throw in just a teeny-tiny bit more, invest yourself with a good set of riding gears, i.e. helmets, gloves, jackets and boots. Most people think of investing on riding apparel after a motorcycle has been bought, only to later realize the credit crunch taking on them like storm. Save a few thousand bucks along with the bike's total amount, get your riding gear first and it'd help you discover a new perspective into motorcycling.

And with that, you get your Khushiyon ki chaabi (keys to happiness)

Enjoy your ride!

Hope it helps!

Cheers!
VJ

Thank you so much for this detailed post...[emoji106]