Love or necessity?

[Insanity_rules]

As I was extracting the VTZ of doom from the garage this morning to go for a ride, I was waxing lyrically to no one in particular. I thought of the many people outside our community that I tell about my riding and bike ownership who come out with the throw away statement "Oh that must great way of saving money".

Like a lot of us I ride for the love of it and trying to explain that to a non-rider is really tough. Necessity is a secondary consideration i.e riding is a necessity to my sanity. I started riding out of necessity to my bank ballance but it developed into much more than that.

So how many of us have pondered this choice? How many started as a necessity of cheap transport and discovered much more? What do you say to the often annoying twat responses to your chosen hobby/transport?

[merv]

Its always been about fun to me, never about transport. Just hope the climate change fanatics don't find ways to take our fun away - you know they could make transport for essential trips only.

[Weaver]

I started riding because looked like great fun. I now ride because its fucken awesome fun.
I also save $50 a week on petrol which is a bonus.... if you look past the amount of money I've spent on the bike and gear

[Reckless]

I save stuff all on petrol. The big ole thou certainly chews through more than a little car but Its money well spent in my book.
The freedom, the thrill, the power, the danger, the solitude......its good for the soul!!!!!!

[ital916]

I ride a two stroke, the tanks empty before i leave the station lol :p Don't ride for economy, i ride cos i dunno way of life i guess. Got into it bout a month and a bit ago and never looked back.

[jonbuoy]

My 10c - people who's only form of transport is the bike are "bikers" the rest of us "Sunny Sunday" bikers are just wannabe bikers playing with our spare cash. In the UK I had bikes before I ever had a car, fairly common as small bikes are a heck of a lot cheaper to buy and run over there than a car. I rode all year round, even a few trips in the snow. I was more of a biker then on my CB100 than I am now.

[Coyote]

Haha, if it was about being cheap I would've got a car. They don't fall over and don't chew through their consumables so quick.

[Motu]

I hope I'm never so one dimensional that it becomes either or.

[zeocen]

I hope I'm never so one dimensional that it becomes either or.

I agree.

"A - B" or "A - South Island". I do what excites me and I'm rewarded with happiness. I can't argue the money factor, because I've become a girl about consumables for the bike and myself. Still smiling though !

[inlinefour]

My riding cost me more $$$ than any other form of transport. I only did it because it was one of the activities that I truely enjoyed and it also decreased my stress level. Which working in mental health, could get quite high at times. If I did not get the same enjoyment of having a motorcycle between my legs, I could not really see the point...

[Subike]

If I saved the money I have spent on my old bike, I could probably save enough for a house.
Some things in life are worth the effort, money, time and stress.
Bike riding is one of them
Nowhere else can you have as much fun by yourself and with others, with the knowlage that those others you are having fun with understand you!

[merv]

I hope I'm never so one dimensional that it becomes either or.

Yeah agreed, never want to give up the fun part for sure, but man at our age I'm becoming so three dimensional I'm going to have to get serious about the diet.

[nallac]

i ride because i can..??

sold the ute,only got the bike its just to much fun being on a bike,

[The Lone Rider]

i
ride
because
i fucking love

biiiikkkeeess!

That is my Alpha

And it will be my omega

[blue eyed savage]

im tha same, had my 250 bandit 1 month now and done 5000k (no shit)
just becaus i love riding.

cages just dont allways get it.

[Coyote]

Some things in life are worth the effort, money, time and stress.
Bike riding is one of them
Nowhere else can you have as much fun by yourself and with others, with the knowlage that those others you are having fun with understand you!
However it can get to the point of costing so much effort, money, time and a fukton of stress that it becomes now fun at all. Especially when it takes all money that you needed for petrol or simply keeps breaking down. The situation I'm in.

[EXDUNK]

Back on a wee bike 'cause it was offered to me until end of January. Whilst it's a bike I swore I'd never ride I took it to save me petrol & $12/day parking. I must admit to loving it even though it's a GN125. Handles nicely and gets me up Ngauranga Gorge at an easy 80km chopping up & down between 3rd & 4th :niceone: I hadn't ridden for nearing 2 years and the GN has got me back in the saddle until my house sells so i can afford a much bigger bike.

So while saving plenty it has also re-introduced me to the joy of riding, albeit it in an uncool fashion.

[LardEmbargo]

cos Something Else Of Doom wouldn't be as much fun.

[homer]

I ride a two stroke, the tanks empty before i leave the station lol :p Don't ride for economy, i ride cos i dunno way of life i guess. Got into it bout a month and a bit ago and never looked back.

I totaly understand your point

But I think you should try to slow down and stay on the bike ,more than off it
Will you bin it again , I guess its looks likely :blank:

[Bonez]

Because I can. Something about riding a 30yo, oil burning, loud peice of shit that brings a smile to my face. Oh and it was cheap.

[AllanB]

Wanted one since I was 5, got one at 16, never been without since (pushing 43 now) and that's the way I intend to keep it. Always for pleasure not just transport.

So if that makes me a "Sunday biker' then woop-dee-do that's your mental fuck label not mine :argue: Never consider myself a 'biker' - that's a arsey American bad boy ego label. Just a good old motorcyclist thanks. :clap:

As for cheap - shit if almost $300 for a tyre that may only last 6000 k is cheap I'm moving to your city. I can put quality rubber on all four wheels of my car for just over $400 and they will last 40,000 kms PLUS.

One bike tyre = 5 cents per km
Four car tyres = 1 cent per km

I'm sure Helen is responsible :crazy:

[Bonez]

I pay around $300-350 for a pair of tires every 10,000kms or so, which isn't too bad.

[discotex]

As for cheap - shit if almost $300 for a tyre that may only last 6000 k is cheap I'm moving to your city.

Still, it's cheaper than feeding a P habit :headbang:

[mstriumph]

if i wanted to save money i'd ride a scooter, a moped, a pushbike, public transport or walk

if i wanted to text, apply makeup, watch a movie, eat a three course meal whilst travelling, i'd drive a cage

what's left? ahhhhhhhhhhh - delight :sunny: otherwise known as 'motorcycle'

[TOTO]

Its been My DREAM since I was a little boy back in a country far far away... so naturally for me is LOVE. :love:

[Squiggles]

Both, i have a car learners but have only driven once or twice in 2 years. Ride here, ride there, ride everywhere because its how i get around.

Theres love there too, i keep the TL for out of town riding, only love in that (how could it not be with the consumables & economy it gets! :lol:)
I ride GN's or my old man's cx500 around town. They save me money i suppose (last time i took the bus to uni it cost me $4 return and an hour when i could've been at work).
I'd say to them that the GN's are cheap transport, but only because i have the gear & everything else for fun on the TL. Necessity yes, but love too.

[skidMark]

Common person: Those things are dangerous, you will die on that thing.

Me: you're point is?

Common person: why take the risk

Me: Until you have ridden one, you cannot understand.

Common person: I won't ride one because they are too dangerous

Me: You're loss.


i always love the old codgers though, the grandads etc that out of nowhere come up....and can tell you storys of buying brand new indian scouts when they were young and bsa's etc.

they have some awesome story's to tell.

i mean yeah my family worry about me like mad.

but they know i'm doing what i love, and i understand the risks involved.

what first got me into bikes oooo hard one, my mate bought a little FA50 scooter.... had a play around on it...treated it like a pushbike with a motor haha.

then got some other toys here and there, was brought up by my father around cars

and the revving of an engine always got me excited, and he likes sports cars so of course they were nice toys.

first toy i had of my own that i took on the road often was a brand new chinese monkey bike....

had great fun used to go around with N4CR, when he had his zxr....pull off lights and get enihilated by him....

bruised the ego....haha

and N4CR had told me, oh theres a guy who works at hell pizza bruce, you should go chat to him he can probably help you out with a bigger bike, and give u the confidence to get on one.

at this stage i looked at N4CR's zxr250 with awe, and him letting me even sit on it was like a kid in a candy store.

so one day i ventured in to meet this bruce fella wandered through the door, and said hey i'm looking for bruce....

person runs out back and i hear bruce go yeah bro come through.

so into the kitchen i go....and am greeted by the loosebruce signature cheeky grin, and how are ya bro, told him that i had heard of him through N4CR etc...

and from there he gave me tips, and basically told me stop being a wuss and get a proper bike.

so out i went and started buying toys...gradually upgrading....crashing etc, having heaps of pizza along the way while getting tips from bruce.

he ended up being my idol and still is to this day, it's love that keeps me in bikes, and an obsession for petrol and speed, and adrenalin.

and well N4CR let me play on his ZX10R..... me want! it has every mod that the world SBK bikes have, except ohlins front internals...

but dahamn....

i need.....from a old zxr250 to a modern bike......yummy yummy must have.....

so now that i'm done babbling yes i'm in it for the love of the bike, and the people you meet along the way are truely amazing.

always makes me crack a grin when little kid is walking along holding mummys hand or in pram..... motorbike!

yes hunny

i want one mummy!

you can never have one too dangerous...

you know what those kids will do doing in 20 years LOL

SM

[Motig]

Started out on a bike as only vehicle cos always liked them. Then car, marriage,bike,divorce,alcoholic blank,car,marriage,house,kids, still something missing like the pet you dont notice till its gone.Bike, now I just have to go out to the garage and give it a pat.As for a real biker, its impossible to categorise us all like a mass produced article.

[sunhuntin]

i use my bikes for a mix... they are my daily transport to and from work, but also my weekend play thing. this weekend is the first in a long time where i havent gone out of town, but thats cos the 250 is sick, and theres too many cops to risk a ticket on the 500.

i grew up on push bikes, so it seemed natural to move to something the same shape but with a motor, lol. dont hold a car license, and have never driven.

i often get the old "cheap on petrol routine" from commoners, but they quickly shut up when i start going on about gear, maintinence and rego, lol. or, if im feelin like a real bitch, i just watch their petrol pump tick over the $100 mark and smirk as i put in my $15 max amount.

[dmouse]

i had a bad bin in 04 and lost a year even ended up in mental health pumped full of drugs and they even gave me ECT then told me there was nothing else they could do for me,, ive bin riding bikes since i was knee high to a grasshopper and i just made 50 last week i ride all year round wet or shine cant drive a cage as a side effect of my mental condition i suffer from claustophobia and i really throw up in them, on a bike is the only place where my head is clear my thoughts are so focused and im free, im told that i have depersonalisation disorder its hell inside your own head, its like you live outside your own body wonderin who the hell this body is, it has to be one of the badder mental disorders look it up or if you want pm me and ill send you my full story.