Help! When to give it up dilemma

[Leyton]

Hey all!

I have something that has been on my mind for some time now, infact around 4 months. That is... it might be time to park the bike away (at the shop) :mellow:

The bike is a 2007 YZF-R6 in Sexy blue, 8700km on the clock!

The factors for this what could be a decission include :

Hard core riding is costing me 13k in Basic Service, Tyres, Fuel, Lubes, Rego, WOF, Insurance a year! Including the repayments on the bike
I seldom look at the speedo now... and when I do it usally reads a speed that really I should not be doing (I wont say!)
I have met a wonderfull gal whom one day, I will be popping the question. Along with this comes changing of living circumstances, marrage, owww kiddies! Yuss! the list goes on


Whilst the extream cost of maintaining and riding this beaste has brought me alot of enjoyment, Ontop of this list I also have a long list of hobbies, that all cost alot of money!


Hunting/Shooting
Boating
Working on me Kingswood


Ok thats kinda short, but it takes up a serious amount of time and money.

Now because I have a mild requirement for a good blowout from time to time and require a motorcycle to perform this tradition I have thought about getting a 2nd car.. (To Replace the Rav4 I sold to buy the Kingswood).. a Van with a Towbar (For the boat), It will also take a DirtBike. Probably a XR400 or something Honda or Kawasaki KDX or KLX'ish have not thought that far yet. Pros are, I can own both Van and Bike outright, No Rego, No WOF, No Insurance on bike, 3rd Party on crap van. CHEAP CHEAP!

The Mrs is not forcing me to do this btw, I think she is even kinda against the idea!, but at $440 odd a fortnight just to have the bike sitting in my garage is a bit extream. My heart is more leaning towards wanting to settle down. And yeah I know its winter, but as I recall last winter even the ice did not stop me.. so I am sure the lack of mojo is not that.

P.S This Saturday I am rebuilding my carb for the ute, getting a trailer and tidying the yard, mowing the lawn and many other household chores, oh and getting a WOF for the bike.. yes I forgot that ran out :/

Thoughts guys ? Most appriciated.

[MotoKuzzi]

Keep it you'll regret selling it!!

[Mental Trousers]

Stop riding on the road and do track days. The costs are similar but it's a lot less risky than riding on the road.

[Katman]

You sound like a car driver to me.

[hellokitty]

my husband does this "I have to sell my bike" thing too, and I won't let him - you have to have something, a hobby, something you love doing........... ( I'll be dammed if I ever sell mine!) perhaps like mentaltrousers said. do the track days?

[schrodingers cat]

I've recently bought a bke again after 10 years off one. You say the R6 is makin your wallet bleed but I bet a big part of the 13k you mention is repayments and insurance. Why not play the Trade Me 'How much bike can I get for chump change?' game.
The answer is that you can get some absolute older rockets for not a lot of coin.
As for riding far too fast - when you own an older bike the great fear of dropping it on a track day goes away. Track days in theory reduce the urge to ride at silly speeds on the road.

[YellowDog]

Hey all!

I have something that has been on my mind for some time now, infact around 4 months. That is... it might be time to park the bike away (at the shop) :mellow:

The Mrs is not forcing me to do this btw, I think she is even kinda against the idea!, but at $440 odd a fortnight just to have the bike sitting in my garage is a bit extream. My heart is more leaning towards wanting to settle down. And yeah I know its winter, but as I recall last winter even the ice did not stop me.. so I am sure the lack of mojo is not that.

Thoughts guys ? Most appriciated.

Gee, if I was a woman I'd want to marry you :hug:

IMO - The low number of Ks you have put on your 3 year old bike doesn't justify the expense.

Don't give up biking completely 'cos you'll miss it.

Good luck.

[Mental Trousers]

I've recently bought a bke again after 10 years off one. You say the R6 is makin your wallet bleed but I bet a big part of the 13k you mention is repayments and insurance. Why not play the Trade Me 'How much bike can I get for chump change?' game.
The answer is that you can get some absolute older rockets for not a lot of coin.
As for riding far too fast - when you own an older bike the great fear of dropping it on a track day goes away. Track days in theory reduce the urge to ride at silly speeds on the road.

Trackdays reduce the urge to share real estate with retards that got their drivers licence in a Weetbix packet.

[sinfull]

Just 13k , jeeeze i wish !

[trailblazer]

Don't sell your bike dude you will just end up buying another bike in the not to distant future.

[Clivoris]

Hey dude.
my response partly depends on how old you are. If you're a young geezer it's part of your job to try as many flavours of recreation as you can and it's pretty predictable that the expensive debt-ridden (pun intended) toys sometimes get a lower priority at the stage of life when you're getting some foundations for the future sorted. If this is you, do the thing that feels right and don't sweat it. However, if you're like me and the nipple piercing just looks sad and you feel guilty for perving on chicks under 30...Don't fucking sell it and get as much time on the track as you can. It's the good shit. Not cheap, but good.

[Scuba_Steve]

I'll exchange you $2k for the bike to give it up :lol:

[rastuscat]

Keep it you'll regret selling it!!


I went through the whole exercise and sold my bike.

I spent 8 weeks without it.

I tracked down the impulse buyer who I sold it to and bought it back from him.

We're living happily ever after.

So there.

[roadracingoldfart]

I went through the whole exercise and sold my bike.

I spent 8 weeks without it.

I tracked down the impulse buyer who I sold it to and bought it back from him.

We're living happily ever after.

So there.

I always cry when its a romantic happy ending, very sweet.:blink:

[Leyton]

You sound like a car driver to me.

Thats low.

[breakaway]

Out of that 13k a year, is most of it just repayment on the finance?

[Leyton]

Hey dude.
my response partly depends on how old you are. If you're a young geezer it's part of your job to try as many flavours of recreation as you can and it's pretty predictable that the expensive debt-ridden (pun intended) toys sometimes get a lower priority at the stage of life when you're getting some foundations for the future sorted. If this is you, do the thing that feels right and don't sweat it. However, if you're like me and the nipple piercing just looks sad and you feel guilty for perving on chicks under 30...Don't fucking sell it and get as much time on the track as you can. It's the good shit. Not cheap, but good.

I am 27 hehe, I like your responce and I think it is quite realistic.

If I acually owned the bike, then I would just store it. I know my lovely lady would acually incourage the bikes later down the track. The 2nd time we met was acually on the bike :). LOL @ Punintended

Cheers Dude :)

[Leyton]

At 13k a year, thats the rest of it paid off in finance and more LOL if I was to store it away, no Rego, Warrent or Insurance. Only issue then is that I will still want to go hard on it, when really that should be reserved for the track. And the bike is too good for a trackbike, I would track a fairing damaged R6 07 expecting to pay only $5k for the bike but not my road beasty :)

So for that, I think a sidated ol VFR with panias :), Maybe even a childseat.

[Berries]

I seldom look at the speedo now... and when I do it usally reads a speed that really I should not be doing (I wont say!)
If that is an issue then get a slower bike, or one where you can get your kicks at a slower speed.


I have met a wonderfull gal whom one day, I will be popping the question. Along with this comes changing of living circumstances, marrage, owww kiddies!
That's not a reason to jack it in.


The Mrs is not forcing me to do this btw, I think she is even kinda against the idea!, but at $440 odd a fortnight just to have the bike sitting in my garage is a bit extream. My heart is more leaning towards wanting to settle down. And yeah I know its winter, but as I recall last winter even the ice did not stop me.. so I am sure the lack of mojo is not that.
Sell it. If you owned it outright you wouldn't have had those thoughts or started this thread, the issue is the money. Sell the bike. Get something cheap that can still make you grin.

[madbikeboy]

It astounds me how much men are willing to distort and ruin their lives over a triangular piece of fur.

It's. Not. Worth. It.

$13k? Cheap. The last bitch cost me 20 times that. You'll regret selling the bike to buy a pipe, slippers, and panty liners.

[breakaway]

And try to avoid buying shit on hire purchase from now on imo. If you sit down and work out how much you're paying extra just because you can't save, it'll scare the hell out of you.

[tigertim20]

13 k a year is fucking crazy. sell it, but buy a mid 90's 600. still lots of pep, you wont need to pay it off, insurance probably be cheaper, you get a little spare cash, and you still have a bike with some go, win win win all round eh? whys it always gotta be black and white man!?!?!?

[Gremlin]

heh, my maintenance bill per year is probably around that, and it excludes loans, as I own the bike outright. Just a lot of servicing, tyres etc. Only money, and you only live once. Live life with no regrets I say.

[Thaeos]

I say don't give up on biking, if it's the finances that is the main issue then just sell the bike, pay off the debt and get something else! A vfr/rvf 400. Not too expensive, not as fast, plenty of fun..

[Pegasus]

Speaking as someone still fairly new to riding, who always wanted to learn to ride, but had other priorities for my $$ in the past.

Sort the $$, sell and buy a cheaper bike if need be. Shop around for better prices with things like insurance. BUT KEEP YOUR TOY!

What is the point in going to work every day, and earning the $, if you don't have something to make it worthwhile at the end of the day.

[wysper]

Sell it. If you owned it outright you wouldn't have had those thoughts or started this thread, the issue is the money. Sell the bike. Get something cheap that can still make you grin.

+1 to berries

Thats it right there. You don't need a crotch rocket to have fun on two wheels. You don't need to spend megabucks to have fun on two wheels. You have plenty of hobbies. I was off bikes for 3 years when we had our kids... that was hard. I love being back on two wheels. The SV was a hoot at legal speeds and relatively cheap to keep going. The DR is a whole different kind of fun and definitely all at legal speeds.

There are lots of options for two wheel nirvana that don't require licence losing speeds or bank balance crippling expenditure.

I would sell the bike and look for other options. Shed some debt and find something cheaper that will still be tons of fun.

[NZsarge]

Hey Leyton, keep it, worry about it when you do get married and have sproglodites then you can include ya lady in the decision then. Motorcycling due to the expense is a bloody hard thing to get back into once you give it away, and you will miss it!

[miloking]

Thoughts guys ? Most appriciated.

1) Sell R6
2) buy cheaper road bike for cash (no loans)
3) spend rest of the money on the girl
4) profit!

[Quasievil]

Hey leyton...............homo

[steve_t]

Once you get hitched, won't you have MORE money with your combined incomes? ;) JK

[trailblazer]

im iin a simular dilimia but im thinking of selling my 4x4 trials truck so i can spend more money on bikes and to help get me a shiney new gsxr750 but i know that i will miss my trials truck and want to build a new 1.

[schrodingers cat]

Once you get hitched, won't you have MORE money with your combined incomes? ;) JK
I'd like to thank my primary sponsor - thanks wifey...

[Leyton]

LOL Hehe

Thankyou too Alll Those whom have replied !!! :) I have been a bit busy over the weekend to read and reply :)

The biggest tips that are hitting me are about not getting a bike on loan, And also you do not need to have a fast bike to enjoy riding. I completely agree there!!! :) I had alot of fun on my little 250cc when I had it because I find just flogging it is just %90 of the fun hehe and you are not doing great speeds on it hehe. But yeah... will get a more slower bike in the future, looking to spend around $6k, Not much but I should be able to save and buy it outright. Cheap Cycling!

In the mean time, I plan to sell the bike, It will go on KB tonight, and Trademe. Unfortunately depreciation has taken its toll, but it does get the hold that the ol coin has on me off my back. Like.. I have heaps of spare coin! but different prioritys :) So plan is..

1, Sell bike (Sob)
2, Put the money into paying off yes (my other car..) that should be paid in about 2 months. Be completely debt free
3, Save to purchase a van (Yuck!) but.. it will tow the boat and transport plan #5
4, More than likely a wedding thrown in around by this stage
5, Get the dirt bike, only looking to spend $2k
6, Start slowly packing away $$ for the future that hopefully includes another bike

My lady REALLY loves bikes! And we have had great times 2 up on the R6 :P Yes it has been done.. hehe We have dreams of touring later on in life so we are looking forward to that. But I want back on the road within 6 years. In the mean time, I look forward to joining up with some enduro groups and getting back into where my love of motorcycling began :). Will get myself a cheap plonker dirt bike like a XR or KDX :) Older types that I am familiar with from my earlier days :)

Thanks all your all totally awesome! And I wish all of you fantastic and safe rides over the winter period :) Some of my best rides were over winter :P

Leyton

[Bad Gixxer]

This is truly a beautiful story - sadly, it's a fairy tale.


Once upon a time, a guy asked a beautiful girl 'Will you marry me?<O:p</O:p

The girl said, 'NO!'<O:p</O:p


And the guy lived happily ever after and rode motorcycles and went fishing and hunting and played golf a lot and drank beer and scotch and had tons of money in the bank and left the toilet seat up and farted whenever he wanted.<O:p</O:p


The END <O:p</O:p

[F5 Dave]

If you have debt best get rid of it while you can or it will stop you getting ahead. But FFS have a look at your life, stop lying to yourself. Sell the Fecking boat. Only rich people can afford them, they suck money like a whole fleet of bikes.

You need a bike of some sort & a dirtbike is damn good fun. An XR400 is big heavy pig & friends who have had them have seen the light & got something less like a block of flats.

[ckai]

LOL Hehe

Thankyou too Alll Those whom have replied !!! :) I have been a bit busy over the weekend to read and reply :)

The biggest tips that are hitting me are about not getting a bike on loan, And also you do not need to have a fast bike to enjoy riding. I completely agree there!!! :) I had alot of fun on my little 250cc when I had it because I find just flogging it is just %90 of the fun hehe and you are not doing great speeds on it hehe. But yeah... will get a more slower bike in the future, looking to spend around $6k, Not much but I should be able to save and buy it outright. Cheap Cycling!

In the mean time, I plan to sell the bike, It will go on KB tonight, and Trademe. Unfortunately depreciation has taken its toll, but it does get the hold that the ol coin has on me off my back. Like.. I have heaps of spare coin! but different prioritys :) So plan is..

1, Sell bike (Sob)
2, Put the money into paying off yes (my other car..) that should be paid in about 2 months. Be completely debt free
3, Save to purchase a van (Yuck!) but.. it will tow the boat and transport plan #5
4, More than likely a wedding thrown in around by this stage
5, Get the dirt bike, only looking to spend $2k
6, Start slowly packing away $$ for the future that hopefully includes another bike

My lady REALLY loves bikes! And we have had great times 2 up on the R6 :P Yes it has been done.. hehe We have dreams of touring later on in life so we are looking forward to that. But I want back on the road within 6 years. In the mean time, I look forward to joining up with some enduro groups and getting back into where my love of motorcycling began :). Will get myself a cheap plonker dirt bike like a XR or KDX :) Older types that I am familiar with from my earlier days :)

Thanks all your all totally awesome! And I wish all of you fantastic and safe rides over the winter period :) Some of my best rides were over winter :P

Leyton

Well like what a few people have said, silly you for paying off toys ;) You could always do something similar to us...selling the wifes GSXF and setting up the 675 so she can ride it. Also having a pocket bike for the boy to ride when he starts to crawl :Punk: Perfect size and speed for him. It ain't no trumpy but it's nothing some vinyl and paint can't fix!

This way everyone is happy and they all love motorbicycling because it's brought us closer together as a family.


If you have debt best get rid of it while you can or it will stop you getting ahead. But FFS have a look at your life, stop lying to yourself. Sell the Fecking boat. Only rich people can afford them, they suck money like a whole fleet of bikes.

Too bloody right, get rid of the boat. Then get your folks to buy one and use it more than them. Simple. Works for me and no ongoing costs apart from fuel. Win-win really.

[miloking]

This is truly a beautiful story - sadly, it's a fairy tale.


Once upon a time, a guy asked a beautiful girl 'Will you marry me?<O:p</O:p

The girl said, 'NO!'<O:p</O:p


And the guy lived happily ever after and rode motorcycles and went fishing and hunting and played golf a lot and drank beer and scotch and had tons of money in the bank and left the toilet seat up and farted whenever he wanted.<O:p</O:p


The END <O:p</O:p

I like happy endings like that....makes me feel all warm and fuzzy on the inside :D

by the way, i know someone with very similar story.... also cannot imagine how can those pussy whipped guys live without being able to bring motorcycle parts into living room or listen to this "you have family now to look after" bullshit....

[mnkyboy]

This is truly a beautiful story - sadly, it's a fairy tale.


Once upon a time, a guy asked a beautiful girl 'Will you marry me?<O:p</O:p

The girl said, 'NO!'<O:p</O:p


And the guy lived happily ever after and rode motorcycles and went fishing and hunting and played golf a lot and drank beer and scotch and had tons of money in the bank and left the toilet seat up and farted whenever he wanted.<O:p</O:p


The END <O:p</O:p

But I do that anyways and she said yes and still doesn't mind

[Maki]

DO NOT sell it. You will suffer more than you can imagine when you think about some bastard enjoying your baby. It would be more than I could bear. what you need to do is ride it more.

And by the way, having a boat is like standing in a cold shower while throwing away money. It's not worth it.

[Brooke]

Leyton, sounds like you are a pretty normal person with lots of interests, maybe you need to prioritise. When I came off my mountain bike and busted my ankle bad, I realised that I needed to limit what I was doing so that I still had something to enjoy and didn't stuff myself and stop myself from doing everything. In the end, I chose a winter sport, Snowboarding and a summer sport, riding my bike.

Either that or you should find a like minded friend in a similar situation get them to own the boat, go out with them and keep your bike. Atleast with your bike you can use it for more than one thing, transport and enjoyment. If you like a boat for fishing, get a surf caster and go do it off some rocks! :done:

[Mully]

Sell the bike
Buy cheap trackday-only bike (no rego), dirtbike (ditto), and cheap van (for hauling former)
Done.