Taking Delivery of a New Bike: The PDI Checklist Before You Ride It Home

Every year the same scene plays out in showrooms across India. It is Dhanteras evening, there are thirty bikes lined up with ribbons on the handlebars, families are waiting with a coconut and a camera, and a salesperson is asking you to sign here, here and here. Nobody wants to be the person crouched by the swingarm with a torch during their new bike delivery while the family waits. So most people sign, ride off, and find the scratch on the tank or the eight-month-old manufacturing date a week later.

This guide is about not doing that. Taking new bike delivery properly takes about forty minutes. It covers the pre-delivery inspection, usually called the PDI, the papers you should leave with, the invoice lines worth questioning, and how to treat the bike for its first thousand kilometres.

This year Dhanteras falls on Friday, 6 November and Diwali on Sunday, 8 November, so the rush will peak in the first week of November. If you can, do the inspection a day or two before you take the bike home. The puja can still happen on the day.

Before delivery day

Most of the work happens before you go to the showroom.

• Ask for the chassis and engine numbers in writing. Once a bike is allotted to you, the dealer can share its VIN (the chassis number) and engine number. Ask for them along with the month of manufacture.
• Ask for a daylight PDI slot. A showroom floor at 7 pm on Dhanteras, under yellow lights and surrounded by people, is the worst place to look for paint flaws. Ask to see your bike the morning before, or early on the day.
• Get the final on-road price broken up. Ex-showroom price, registration and road tax, insurance, any extended warranty, and accessories, each on its own line. Do this before you pay the balance, not at the counter.
• Decide on accessories in advance. Crash guards, seat covers and "protection packs" are often added by default. You can say no to any of them.

Check that it is the right bike, and how old it is

This is the most important check, and the one most often skipped.

Match the numbers. The VIN is stamped on the frame, usually on the steering head, and the engine number is stamped on the crankcase. Both must match the invoice, the insurance policy and the registration papers exactly. A single wrong character on the RC is a long, slow fix later.

Find the manufacturing date. Ask the dealer for Form 22, the manufacturer's certificate of roadworthiness. It carries the engine and chassis numbers and the month and year of manufacture. On most VINs the 10th character is a year code too: S is 2025 and T is 2026. A bike built in the last two or three months is normal. One that is eight months or a year old is not a disaster, but it should not be sold to you as fresh stock, and it is fair to ask for something in return.

Old stock matters because a bike that has stood for months has a battery that has been sitting, tyres that have been ageing, and sometimes surface rust on the chain, spokes and fasteners.

Check the tyre date codes. Every tyre has a four-digit code on the sidewall. "3426" means the 34th week of 2026. Tyres a few months older than the bike are normal. Tyres a year or two older than the bike are worth a question. Our motorcycle tyre guide explains how to read the rest of the sidewall.

The PDI: a walk around the bike

Go round the bike slowly, in daylight, ideally with someone who is not excited about it.

Body and paint

• Look along the tank, side panels and mudguards at a low angle. Scratches, dents and touched-up paint show up much better from the side than from above.
• Check the tank for dents near the knee recesses, where bikes get knocked in storage.
• Look at the panel gaps. They should be even on both sides.
• Check the mirrors, levers and footpegs for scuffs. Scuffed bar ends or a scraped lever can mean the bike has been dropped.

Chain, wheels and brakes

• Look for rust on the chain, sprockets, spokes and exposed bolts. A light film on a bike that has been in a warehouse is common. Heavy orange rust is not.
• Check the chain slack. It should match the figure in the manual, usually printed on a sticker on the swingarm.
• Spin each wheel. It should turn freely, without rubbing or wobbling.
• Squeeze the brake levers. They should feel firm, not spongy, and the brake fluid should sit between the marks in the reservoir window.

Fluids and leaks

• Check the engine oil in the sight glass or on the dipstick with the bike upright.
• Look under the engine and around the fork seals and the rear shock for any oil or wet patches.
• Check the coolant level if the bike is liquid-cooled.

Electricals

• Turn the key and check every light: headlight on low and high beam, pass light, tail light, brake light from both brakes, all four indicators and the hazard switch if there is one.
• Press the horn. Check every switch on both sides of the handlebar.
• On a bike with ABS, the ABS warning light should come on with the ignition and go off once you start moving. That is how most systems check themselves, so ask the dealer to show you.
• Check the instrument cluster for warning lights after the engine is running.

Start it cold

Start the engine from cold, not after the service team has warmed it up. It should start easily and settle to a steady idle. Listen for any knock, rattle or ticking that does not fade within a minute.

The odometer

A new bike will have some kilometres on it from the factory test, transport and the PDI itself, usually a handful. If the clock shows much more than 20 to 30 km, ask why. It may have been used as a demo or a test-ride bike.

What should come with the bike

• Two keys, and the small metal tag with the key code if your bike has one. Keep that tag somewhere safe, not on the key ring.
• The owner's manual, the service book or app registration, and the warranty card.
• The tool kit, usually under the seat.
• Some fuel. Most dealers put in a litre or two, enough to reach a petrol pump, not your home.

The papers to leave with

Collect and check every one of these before you leave.

• Tax invoice with the correct VIN, engine number, colour and your name spelt correctly
• Form 21, the sale certificate from the dealer
• Form 22, the manufacturer's roadworthiness certificate with the manufacturing month
• Insurance policy with the right VIN and engine number
• Registration: either the RC or the registration application, depending on how your state handles it
• Warranty card and the extended warranty certificate, if you bought one
• Delivery note, which you sign only after the PDI is done

Keep photos of all of them on your phone. Our bike documents and permits guide covers which ones you need to carry on the road and what counts in DigiLocker.

Insurance on a new bike

Since September 2018, every new two-wheeler has had to be sold with five years of third-party insurance. That part is not optional. Own-damage cover, which pays for damage to your own bike, can be bought for one year with the five-year third-party cover, or as a five-year package.

A few things worth knowing before you pay:

• You can compare. Ask the dealer for the insurance quote as its own line, and compare it with a quote you get yourself. You are not obliged to take the dealer's insurer.
• Zero depreciation is the add-on that matters most on a new bike. Without it, a claim for plastic, rubber and fibre parts is paid with depreciation deducted.
• Personal accident cover for the owner-driver is usually included as compulsory unless you already have qualifying cover. Ask what you are paying for.
• Check the insured value (IDV) is close to the ex-showroom price.

If you are ever unlucky enough to need it, our guide on what to do after a bike accident covers how to make a claim stick.

The invoice lines worth questioning

Read the bill before you pay the last instalment.

• Registration and road tax are set by your state. If the amount on your bill does not match what the state charges for your bike's price, ask for the breakup.
• "Handling", "logistics" or "PDI" charges are not government fees. Ask what they are for. PDI is the dealer's job before delivery.
• Accessories you did not ask for should come off the bill.
• Extended warranty is often worth it on bikes with complex electronics, but it should be your choice, priced on its own line.
• "Free" offers should show up on the invoice as a discount, not as a promise.

Number plates and riding it home

A new bike has to be registered before it goes on a public road. In most states today, registration is done at the dealership, and the high security registration plate is fitted by the dealer. Some states issue a temporary registration first.

Do not ride home on a bike with no registration at all. Ask the dealer what your state's process is and what you should carry until the plate is fitted.

There has also been a draft central rule proposing ABS on all new two-wheelers and two BIS-certified helmets with every new bike. At the time of writing it had not been finalised, so check what your model actually comes with, and buy a proper helmet regardless. Our helmet buying guide covers what to look for.

The first 1,000 km

Most manufacturers ask for a running-in period, often the first 500 to 1,000 km. The exact advice is in your manual, but it usually comes down to this:

• Vary the revs. Avoid sitting at one constant speed for long highway stretches, and avoid hitting the redline.
• No full-throttle launches and no hard braking unless you have to. New brake pads need time to bed in.
• Go easy on new tyres for the first 100 km or so. They have a slippery release coating until it wears off.
• Do the first service on time. It is usually due at 500 to 1,000 km or within a month or two, whichever comes first. The first oil change takes away the fine metal from the running-in.

This is also the right time to learn the bike. Find an empty road or a quiet parking lot, practise slow turns and firm stops, and build up from there. Our cornering and emergency braking guide has a practice routine that suits a new bike perfectly.

New bike delivery checklist

Take this with you on delivery day.

Common questions

How do I check the manufacturing date of a new bike?

Ask the dealer for Form 22, the manufacturer's roadworthiness certificate. It shows the month and year of manufacture along with the chassis and engine numbers. The 10th character of the VIN is also usually a year code, with S for 2025 and T for 2026.

Can I refuse accessories the dealer adds?

Yes. Accessories are optional purchases. Ask for them to be removed from the invoice before you pay, and buy them later if you want them.

Do I have to buy insurance from the dealer?

No. Five years of third-party cover is compulsory on a new bike, but you can compare the dealer's quote with one you get yourself and choose the insurer.

How many kilometres should a new bike have at delivery?

Usually just a few, from the factory test, transport and the PDI. If the reading is well above 20 to 30 km, ask whether the bike has been used for test rides.

When is the first service due?

Most bikes need it at 500 to 1,000 km or within the first month or two, whichever comes first. Check your service book, because the interval varies by brand.

The first ride is the best part

Once the papers are done, the bike is checked and the puja is over, the fun starts. Add your new machine to your RydrLoop garage, save its mileage so the fuel estimate on every ride is worked out for your bike, and find an easy group ride for the running-in kilometres. A relaxed breakfast ride is the perfect first outing for a new bike, and for a new owner.

If the bike you bought is not new, our second hand bike buying checklist covers the very different set of checks a used bike needs.

Check it properly, sign last, and enjoy the ride home.