When to sell your bikes and quit riding?

I sold my two 2 stroke rockets and one BMW. I kept the touring BMW, I hardly ride so I miss the rocket.

 

Interestingly there were at least three threads on this subject back in 2014, two in Silver and one here.

http://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/motorcycles-boats/471917-hang-up-your-helmet.html

I regret selling every one of my bikes and deeply miss not having even one in the garage. But, where I live, it's suicidal to ride so the poor bike just wastes away from lack of use.

Some day I'll find an early injected Monster for a rebuild project.

 

My current bike is for sale for that very reason. I bought it to ride it, but rarely have the time these days. I am looking to replace it with a sports car that I will be able to enjoy more often.

I am sure I will miss it. And I am sure I will buy another at some point in the future.

http://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/other-cars/518093-2013-honda-cbr-600rr-hrc.html

 

Never regretted it, and I had some sweet rides (in my opinion). A few custom Sportsters, last one was pretty hot - drag bike, low with a longer swingarm and breathed-on motor.

Sold it when my youngest was born. Bought a few classic cars instead and never looked back.

I did keep my 1967 Honda CL/77, which was my father's (he bought it second hand in late 1967). First bike I ever rode on (although my first individual ride was a monkey bike). Only 8,300 original miles. Will be restored - one day!

 

I have been thinking the same. I am down to just my ducati 916. I am contemplating a sale but she will be hard to sell as I will miss having her ready should I decide to go out and drag a knee.

 

I just traded my Suzuki V strom on a Fiat 500. I know that sounds funny, but I've always liked the Fiat. And if felt like owning a motorcycle was like catching herpes. Easy to do but hard to get rid of. So trading into the car made sense for me. Anyway, I don't regret it. I have access to a bike to ride if I want to at my in laws. Too many texting/inattentive drivers. And the financial harm of being off work due to injury and its repercussions were too much for me to continue.

 

Sold the Monster a few years after we moved into NYC. Not the traffic, potholes or cabbies...hell, they keep you sharp! Just a PITA in the city...Park on street, get knocked over, stolen, vandalized or ticketed, and a garage was probaby $100 a month on a depreciating asset.

Killer was buying a beach house, which made my riding season Oct-April in the NE US. Challenging, even with electrics...

At some point, there will be another. The idea, however, is that you own your posessions...not the other way around. Sell one, sell both. If you miss it badly enough, there'll be another for you, too.

 

The last time I drove through NYC ('09 or '10), mid-town traffic on a Friday afternoon, the only bikes I saw were Ducatis. One 999 and two Monsters.

But I can see the downsides that you mention.

 

17 miles?

 

I don't drive everything I have but I buy what I love in the beginning so that even when it doesn't get the constant attention I can look at it.

 

Finally sold my bike last weekend. It was really tough watching someone else ride it away.

I think it was the right decision seeing how I only got to ride it about 20 miles this year. Off to shop for a fun car instead...

 

When you feel too old, buy a Harley. The brakes are crap, the frame a noodle, and the motor highly charismatic like a steam engine. You feel like you are going really fast when you are not.

its like a two wheeled morgan, a modern day reliable antique. The perfect antidote to always having to go faster, restoring the joy of just operating the machine.

With fuel injection, stabil and a good battery tender they can sit for months or more between use.

 

Last time I owned one was 2007/08, a 636 and I was 23. Life got busy. My interests changed. Got married, and now with a 1.5 yr old baby girl, it makes it hard to imagine doing the things I did on that thing ... Will I own another? Absolutely. But when the times right and I have more free time sooooooooo when I'm 80 lol

 

I hung up my riding boots when my first child was born. Damn responsibility..... You'll find other interests to pursue. You can always buy another.

 

I just listed my Ducati 916, 86 GSXR 1100, 04 GSXR 750 Schwantz Cup Bike and 88 FZR 1000 vintage race bike....
Keeping my WR450 street legal supermoto.....
Wife said no more bike road racing and street scares me now with texting etc.....

2 doors vs. 2 wheels now.....

Any regrets on past sales reach out....
[email protected]

 

I had an old Duc for years and sold it in 2010. I missed having one so much that I bought another one last year. I haven't ridden it much (maybe 400 miles) but it is quite a rush.

Like many of you have noted, riding today is not like it was 10 years ago. There is much more distraction and traffic now. I save my seat time for the backroads away from the crazy drivers.

What also helped is that I bought one of my childhood dream bikes. My 80s car magazines shared equal desk space with Cycle and Cycle World.

So, I'm having as much fun looking at it as I do riding it. The satisfaction of having it after all these years is enough justification to keep it.

LSJ

 

Sold a nice lil collection in 2012 when I bought my current house to fund the un expected. When the dust settled, I had a plan to buy another TR. I did and bought a 911 to be my daily sports car driver.

I have multiple helmets, leathers, boots, gear etc. Ill get another bike. Perhaps another Vrod or the new Africa Twin. Im a little to old for another sport bike.

 

My Ducati 916 has been out once in the last year.
Between texting drivers, potholes, and loose gravel from the pothole trucks, it's too risky to ride here.
It's time to sell it, but I like looking at it now as much as riding.
I'll probably sell it in the spring and put the money towards a GT cruiser.

 

Saw and accident happen over the weekend that would have killed a motorcyclist. Guy pulled out to turn left and T-boned the car in front of me so hard it flipped the car (Jeep) on its side.

We called 911. Guy got out and his body language to the lady as she crawled out of her car was "look what the side of your car did to the front of my truck!"

Makes you think.

 

I'm going the other way. Bought 3 bikes this year.

 

You're a good man. Keep waving that flag high.

 

When I got the chance to relocate back to Colorado six years ago, one of the main criteria for choosing a house was that it be within reasonable distance from a canyon entrance. I found a place within a couple of miles of Golden Gate Canyon (west of Denver) and that has become my playground for grinding rubber off of the tires.

I still ride regularly and put 3500 miles on a new bike over the past year. Not a huge amount but enough to stir the blood and remind me I am only as old as I feel. Curves have a way of keeping one young at heart. It is one of them new fangled "dual sport" adventure bikes that in reality is a sport bike for old farts who can no longer tolerate the yoga moves required to fit on and ride a sport bike for more than 15 min.


Shiny side up!!

Brock

 

My Dad still rides his 40's Indian and 340-B Indian around the area, and he's 92. If you enjoy riding keep it up, you'll get plenty of rest when your dead.

 

Good for him! One can only hope to maintain that energy....

Brock