The recession - give up biking?

[Mom]

The recession - give up biking? Or should the current economic situation encourage more to take it up?

I have been reading here over the last little while of people getting made redundant, or having hours cut, or not getting enough hours to pay the bills. How does this impact you? I have read comments about people thinking of selling their bikes, or being told they will have to sell their bikes if things stay the same for a while. Should that be an option to consider for some?

How safe is your job? What would you do if you were unemployed all of a sudden?

[twotyred]

If I lose my job I will definitely sell at least 1 bike... may do it anyway to free up some cash...

[Headbanger]

We just received confirmation of so much work we are going to have to expand substantially, I'll be relocating to the deepest darkest south for winter, I'm thinking of buying a second bike....

[Quasievil]

What reccesion, hyped up media loaded up with buzz words isnt a recession, people have always become redundant, now employers have a great excuse to trim a bit of fat "arhh sorry mate we gotta let you go recession and all that"

Bollocks go out spend up large its all sweet :yes:

[BIGBOSSMAN]

It's a crap situation: Made redundant in January, compounding this was we are almost at the end of a new house build.
First toy to go was my 4 month old ZX10R :bye:

At least I have redundancy insurance, the layoff has given me a chance to retrain and do a complete change in career.
Sometime this year I'll be a merchant seaman! Land Ho...

It pays well, so I'm figuring maybe sometime next year I'll buy another weapon - maybe the gas turbine powered Gen 4 ZX10R with anti-skid upside down forks!

[FROSTY]

YeP Im gonna give up biking. -as soon as they drag nme kickin and screamin into my grave

[slofox]

Self employed so can't be made redundant...:bleh:

Give up biking? Nah. Sell the house first...sleep in the back of the shop...

[DMNTD]

I'll get back to y'all when this recession starts :eek:
I personally sold a total of $137,000 worth of bikes last week alone...sure ok, there was an $85,000 sale in that but ffs...when will it start?

[Rob Taylor]

Self employed and more work than i can handle....Thinking about upgrading bikes & putting more money into our race bikes...Shit i hope my wife doesnt read this:girlfight:

[Squiggles]

I have read comments about people thinking of selling their bikes, or being told they will have to sell their bikes if things stay the same for a while. Should that be an option to consider for some?

Selling their bikes or their toys? I'm selling a toy (but not because of the recession) but keeping my bikes (I dont drive).

[Str8 Jacket]

Recession or not im seriously having to look at holding of racing this year and start getting rid of some debt. Wont ever give up riding though, my FXR is soo cheap to run, cheaper than taking the train! It'd be stupid not to be riding!! :yes:

[MadDuck]

now employers have a great excuse to trim a bit of fat "arhh sorry mate we gotta let you go recession and all that"

Have to disagree where we are concerned. Our business relies heavily on building consents. They are WAY down. The staff cuts happening in our business are numbers I have never seen before. then again if you work in debt collection then you probably have more work than you can cope with.

Would I sell up my bike? Highly unlikely. I am sure I could find remnants of other hobbies I could try and flick.

[Mom]

So far so good then, none of you are affected by the economic downturn. Congratulations! Personally I am over the negativity that is prevalent at the moment, owned a bike shop through the last recession, traded and made a heap of money during the 18-23% inflation rates we had back then, however, you can not ignore the fact that there are people being laid off, and that dont have enough work to make ends meet.

The comments are on here, "selling my bike", "been told I will have to sell my bike" so should that be the first thought? I would have thought not, unless there is debt associated with ownership.

Good on your client DMNTD, that can afford to spend $85K in one go, we should all be so lucky :yes:

[EJK]

As a student I am not really on the same boat but for me, to be honest, motorcycling is a very very fun and a life time hobby but never a life.

I'd gladly give up on bike for a better future, hence sold the FXR.

[hospitalfood]

things would have to be serious before I sold a bike ( unless I was selling one to get another ).
would sell my guns, car, tools, cameras, house, misses, and arse first.
not in that order.
would start with my arse.

[Mom]

Recession or not im seriously having to look at holding of racing this year and start getting rid of some debt. Wont ever give up riding though, my FXR is soo cheap to run, cheaper than taking the train! It'd be stupid not to be riding!! :yes:

That is smart thinking right there! Riding a bike has to beat public transport hands down :yes: So no sale for you then. Cut the play/fun/expensive at times riding.




Have to disagree where we are concerned. Our business relies heavily on building consents. They are WAY down. The staff cuts happening in our business are numbers I have never seen before. then again if you work in debt collection then you probably have more work than you can cope with.

Would I sell up my bike? Highly unlikely. I am sure I could find remnants of other hobbies I could try and flick.


Yeah see this is the crux of it, on one hand we have the super salesman ;) in Tauranga saying all is sweet in the world, and others saying they are selling their bikes. There are industries really hurting out here, shouldn't we be encouraging a cheaper form of transport?

[DMNTD]

So far so good then, none of you are affected by the economic downturn. Congratulations! Personally I am over the negativity that is prevalent at the moment, owned a bike shop through the last recession, traded and made a heap of money during the 18-23% inflation rates we had back then, however, you can not ignore the fact that there are people being laid off, and that dont have enough work to make ends meet.

The comments are on here, "selling my bike", "been told I will have to sell my bike" so should that be the first thought? I would have thought not, unless there is debt associated with ownership.

Good on your client DMNTD, that can afford to spend $85K in one go, we should all be so lucky :yes:

Don't get me wrong, I know there's a lot of people being laid off at the moment and that is tragic for the families involved.
I do also agree with what Quasi is saying re some companies using the current economic environment as an excuse to 'trim the fat' as such...sad but true.
I guess I'm in an fortunate situation that I am required to enable our business to not only stay alive but progress.

[tigertim20]

recession is great, with all these people losing their jobs and stuff, there are HEAPS of cheap buys out there, haha for the savvy biker, more cheap bikes!!!

[GOONR]

The company that I work for is the parent of a group of companies. The entire group is now worth 12 billion dollars less than it was 2 years ago.

One of the companies in the group is laying off 1 in 5, and this is the second round of redundancies for them. We have already let go over 400 staff. I may well not have a job by the end of the month, da management have decided that they only need 31 staff members in my department, we currently stand at 48. At least I would get a payout, made sure it was in my contract when I started.

I found out about the cuts in our department the day after I booked my basic handling test. I will still go and get a learners bike, might just have to trim back on what I was going to spend. I figured that if I lost my job I may as well spend my days getting some quality riding practice.

[Motu]

I've been through several recessions without giving up bikes....I've been through marrige,kids,and 17% mortgages without giving up bikes.The true test of a biker is what you will stoop to,to keep riding.For me it was a lime green C50 for 7 years.I'll keep riding thank you....even if it has no engine.....

[kave]

I have been made redundant (work in the finance industry and half my team is going). I have also written off my bike. I haven't even considered not replacing my bike when the insurance money comes through, to me biking is a quite important part of my life. Things would have to be extremely dire for me to give it up. My wife agrees with my decision to replace the bike and is even allowing me to top up my insurance money with a bit of redundancy pay so I can get an upgrade.

[98tls]

If it turns to shite on Friday then one of mine will be going i think.We were producing 110 ton a month,at the mo its about 38 so somethings got to give.

[Edbear]

Unfortunately, the recession is not only real, but it's just started. I've been listening very carefully to the people around the world who have the job of trying to stave off the worst, and they are all, from the Pollies to the bankers to the CEO's, saying clearly that the world has not seen the likes of what is happening before. They have no precedents or models to refer to.

There are few disagreements that the problem is two-fold - on the one hand, too many companies and people have been living beyond their means for too long and it's time to pay the piper. Basically they have run out of money and the means to get more so are defaulting on their debts.

Secondly, the exacerbating factor is that people have simply stopped spending, worried about the economy, thus making it a self-fulfilling event. Stop buying and businesses go under so they lay off staff and default on debt and on and on it goes.

Banks and finance companies have fuelled the situation by lending many times more than they have received, so when a loan defaults it affects several times more than its defaulter. How long can you go on lending 120% of the value of a property to people who are a bad risk? Supply and demand means that the more mortgagee sales you have the lower the sale prices become meaning that as in the case of people I know, they are forced to sell at a loss, leaving them still in debt, and the bank loses due to receiving less than it needs to cover its own borrowing on the loan.

The huge fuss at the moment over AIG, is that the Federal Govt. has been advised that if AIG go under, it takes the world with it. Hence the fact that so far, they have injected $US300 billion and are coming down hard on the company before putting in another $US50b+.

My job is by no means secure and there will be another round of adjustments about mid-year.

When you have whole countries going bankrupt and every effort the Governments make failing to do anything at all to slow let alone reverse the situation, you know it's serious.

NZ and Aus are to some extent buffered, but it will come here. Unemployment is projected to hit between 12-15% in the next 7 or 8 months according to a CEO who has been discussing things with Allan Bollard as well as senior pollies and commentators.

When you start loooking beneath the surface and the attempts to talk it up and start looking at figures, it would pay to be somewhat cautious right now.

As for selling my bike? Well it's for sale, or at least advertised for sale, but if it does sell, I'll be getting a cheaper one to get to work on. It makes no economic sense to take the car to work, let alone the stress of being stuck in traffic!

[Ixion]

Giving up biking because of a recession is illogical, makes no sense. Even in a recession you need transport. A 50cc will cost stuff all in capital cost, no wof, rego and fuel are going to be a shit load cheaper than public transport.

Give up the fancy bike, yes, if worst came to worst. But giving up biking is counter productive. Been through 40 years of good times and bad, boom and bust, always had something. Might not have been registered all the time, or had a WoF, but always something .

[Renegade]

well i havnt been laid off but im selling both bikes to trade down a bit and free up some cash flow, times are a little tough out there for a lot of people.
anyone want a ducati monster or er6n? :yes:

[Boob Johnson]

Nope not giving up anytime soon. Bike is currently for sale but its not a fire sale & will be replaced when it does sell & it won't be a downgrade :ride:

[BMWST?]

for the building industry the recession is real and a year old.This time last year we had a few jobs pulled and new work virtually stopped,We went on a four day week.Work picked up a wee bit over summer as usual but we have started a four day week again.Its real,the boss isnt taking advantage of the situation!

[Katman]

Recession? What recession?

I'm busier than I've ever been.

[Kiwi Graham]

I hear about the recession but personally dont see it. I'm fortunatley in a secure job earning reasonable money. what the recession has done is make buying stuff cheaper & easier!
There are deals to be made out there guys, support your local suppliers and traders but if youre in the market for that new bike, car or boat in my case go hard and reap the savings!

I hope those feeling the pinch right now are able to see it through the other side and dont have to sell the assets to keep food on the table, indications are dear old Aotearoa is suffering less than other countries, plus we have the Kiwi can do, will do mentality. Kia Kaha dudes

[tri boy]

Recession? What recession?

I'm busier than I've ever been.

Bought ya self some new fishnet stockings to attract new clients aye.:devil2:

[Morcs]

Ah the joys of having 3 bikes, and not owing a single cent on any of them...

If i got made redundant, i wouldnt need the work hack, so that would possibly be sold.

[zzzbang]

There are few disagreements that the problem is two-fold - on the one hand, too many companies and people have been living beyond their means for too long and it's time to pay the piper. Basically they have run out of money and the means to get more so are defaulting on their debts.


Well if your stupid you will learn the hard way. Hopefully the banks that do survive and the new banks that will take the place of all those that went under will be smarter. People might also learn that you actually have to work and not sit in the coffee shop in wellington all day long.

[MarkH]

The recession - give up biking?

Oi - you wash your mouth out with soap and water missy!

I am thinking of selling my car, then getting a 2nd job (part time) to buy another bike. My problem isn't too many vehicles, it is one too many cars and (at least) one too few bikes!

Ever try commuting in a car in Auckland - sitting in traffic for hours every day won't help the recession in any way!

[madbikeboy]

Have to disagree where we are concerned. Our business relies heavily on building consents. They are WAY down. The staff cuts happening in our business are numbers I have never seen before. then again if you work in debt collection then you probably have more work than you can cope with.

Would I sell up my bike? Highly unlikely. I am sure I could find remnants of other hobbies I could try and flick.

But it's a skewed statement - consents are down against the past few years, but they were well up over the previous years - take a longer view of the cycle and this isn't that bad.

[oldrider]

Self employed so can't be made redundant...:bleh:

Give up biking? Nah. Sell the house first...sleep in the back of the shop...

Well you can be if consumers stop purchasing your product or services! :doh: John.

[Dooly]

Recession? What recession?

I'm busier than I've ever been.

Yep, me too.
No sign of a downturn in my small place of work.
Best year ever last year, this year's looking good too.
Just brought another bike, so thats 3 road bikes now, was gonna sell one, but no hurry, in fact don't think so now.

I kinda think the recession thing is heavily media driven, and a lot of paranoia in it.
But in saying that, its obvious people are losing their jobs, and in my area in the motor trade, the franchises are laying staff off.
But, when they're charging 100 an hour and more, its no wonder people who are struggling come to smaller places like mine than theirs.

[Grahameeboy]

Have to disagree where we are concerned. Our business relies heavily on building consents. They are WAY down. The staff cuts happening in our business are numbers I have never seen before. then again if you work in debt collection then you probably have more work than you can cope with.

Would I sell up my bike? Highly unlikely. I am sure I could find remnants of other hobbies I could try and flick.

But are the Govt going to chuck loads of money into Building this year....

[Grahameeboy]

What reccesion, hyped up media loaded up with buzz words isnt a recession, people have always become redundant, now employers have a great excuse to trim a bit of fat "arhh sorry mate we gotta let you go recession and all that"

Bollocks go out spend up large its all sweet :yes:

Agreed...I mean if a business is okay one minute and then cannot handle the next minute hand then makes you wonder whether the recession is an excuse...haven't they heard of the Sigmoid Curve...

Bit like Farmers..comlain when there is no rain...did they not Google "Farmer" when they became one.

I think these times are just little wake up calls for all of us to take stock...1928, how did they manage....well they did and we have it a lot better now.

[Maha]

Well you can be if consumers stop purchasing your product or services! :doh: John.

That is exactly right John.
I have never known it to be so slow in the 28 years of my trade.

I am positive it will gather momentum soon, there are those that just have to spend right?

This 'recession' wont effect wage earners and much as it does self employed/business owners, at least those on wages get paid weekly. Its the employer that hurts a little. If the employer starts to hurt too much, then thats when the wage earner could feel the effect of how tight things are, hours cutback or worse.....call ya when I need ya!

[Grahameeboy]

I'll get back to y'all when this recession starts :eek:
I personally sold a total of $137,000 worth of bikes last week alone...sure ok, there was an $85,000 sale in that but ffs...when will it start?

Any commission jobs?

[saltydog]

take a longer view of the cycle and this isn't that bad.

I love an optimist but this is the real deal. Not a trade-cycle (very bad pun) but a full-on global mess. All the shit going down in the States.......we are 15-18 months behind them. Hose prices minimum 8 years before regaining pre-recession levels. So its batten the hatches.
Told wife when she married me that if the bike goes, I go. Now she just hassles me about 'going out to ride my mistress', or 'into the garage to fondle her'. Would (reluctantly) sell the boat or small children first (now thats an idea).

[Maha]

If i got made redundant, i wouldnt need the work hack, so that would possibly be sold.


Come on Pete, who will cook and clean for you.....:rockon:

[Kflasher]

...sell their bikes...

WHAT? NEVER!

But I have de-registered one of the cars to tighten up the budget, hehe

[Starky307]

It will be interesting to revisit this thread in 6-12 months and see if anyone's opinions have changed.

I personally feel we have been very sheltered so far and it is going to get worse.

I agree if you have cash there are some killer deals out there at the moment, I've never seen so many repossession sales on trade me etc what about the amount mortgage sales in the paper, someone is loosing out already.

[Morcs]

I just had a large investment mature. really bad time to reinvest...

[Finn]

now employers have a great excuse to trim a bit of fat "arhh sorry mate we gotta let you go recession and all that"

The redundancies will continue until moral improves!

Tis true that companies should be trimming fat now (kiwi companies are notoriously fat and inefficient) but the majority are trimming in all the wrong areas.

[MarkH]

I just had a large investment mature. really bad time to reinvest...

Really good time to invest in new bikes! ;)

[BarBender]

Unfortunately, the recession is not only real, but it's just started....NZ and Aus are to some extent buffered, but it will come here...

+1

Doubt I would get what I wanted if I decided to sell the bike - so it stays in the garage.

The occassional chat with colleagues in the States suggests they are heading for the dogbox. Obviously media portrayal plays a part but that portrayal is now becoming a reality with unemployment almost 7%, longer job lines, empty restaurants and growing sense of doom and gloom amongst people.

I'd question the triming fat analogy. Id suggest that for some businesses in NZ its more a case of survival than getting rid of rotten apples. Friend recently applied for specialised middle-management role. Normally in a role like that you'd see about 20-25 applicants. After 2.5 months she's in the final 4 of 226 applicants. Unheard of in my 20 years of working in HR for that type of role.

I agree with Edbear - Its coming.

[my_r32]

Since I work with all you buggers mail, I can see you aint sending much.... now we wont have redundancies at work, since we need all our workers, but if someone leaves, they just aren't going to be replaced any time soon. Mail volume overall is down about 10-20% from this time last year. Recession is definately here


.....but that wont stop me from riding:eek: or get me to sell any of my toys:eek5:

[yungatart]

I kinda think the recession thing is heavily media driven, and a lot of paranoia in it.



I agree with you here, Dooly, but...isn't that all it takes?
The media drives fears of a recession, so people stop spending as much, because the media says there is a recession, and, what do you know?...we have a recession....
Pretty slow in our business....

[Morcs]

Anyone got Kiwisaver?
Was just looking at the return rates... probably the same for all companies, lets just hope you chose the lowest risk/lowest return group eh.



The table shows the ASB KiwiSaver fund performance results as at 31 December 2008. <table width="100%" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"> <tbody><tr> <th> Investment Fund </th> <th align="center">3 Months</th> <th align="center">6 Months</th> <th align="center">1 Year</th> <th align="center">Return Since Inception</th> </tr> <tr> <td valign="top">ASB KiwiSaver NZ Bank Deposit Fund (http://www.asb.co.nz/kiwisaver/ASBScheme/fund-options/nz-cash-fund.html)
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1.85%
</td> <td valign="top">
3.94%
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8.46%
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8.41%
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</td> <td valign="top" width="52">
0.89%
</td> <td valign="top" width="52">
1.94%
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2.11%
</td> <td valign="top" width="50">
2.07%
</td> </tr> <tr> <td valign="top" width="302">ASB KiwiSaver Moderate Fund (http://www.asb.co.nz/kiwisaver/ASBScheme/fund-options/moderate-fund.html)
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-4.33%
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-10.18%
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-15.19%
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-14.32%
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-12.58%
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-22.68%
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[Brett]

What reccesion, hyped up media loaded up with buzz words isnt a recession, people have always become redundant, now employers have a great excuse to trim a bit of fat "arhh sorry mate we gotta let you go recession and all that"

Bollocks go out spend up large its all sweet :yes:

I was saying that too. Thing is, those of us/you with jobs think everything is fine. It is those who have lost their jobs that feel it. I am in the boat where I am well qualified for my industry (construction project management) and have a good grounding of experience (given the fact I have only got 6 years experience) and I also have good references. I know of a few guys and girls like myself, and we are all finding the same thing. I have applied for numerous jobs, every single one of those positions I have applied for have a few weeks later noted that they are no longer hiring for that position, they are waiting out the current economic climate.
I am smart, articulate, I have a fairly wide base of business experience as well as construction experience, I am willing to work (WANT TO WORK) I have good references and yet I can't find something. Bad luck? Maybe.

The other indication for me is to look into starting a business of my own, have a few ideas, have had them for a few years now. Looking at the stats (which, yes, can be worked whichever way you want them to be) and after a bit of analysis I always come to the conclusion that it is too risky at present...and I am a risk taker.

I dont think we are in the huge toilet bowl that everyone keeps saying we are, but things are definitely not too cool at present.

[Brett]

The redundancies will continue until moral improves!

Tis true that companies should be trimming fat now (kiwi companies are notoriously fat and inefficient) but the majority are trimming in all the wrong areas.

That is because they listen too much to their accountants IMO.

[martybabe]

I've lived through a shed load of boom and bust times and whilst I love bikes, for me they are a luxury, real hard to justify when you've got little hungry mouths to feed, vital transport not withstanding.

I would have to say yes, if the black clouds of misery and hardship swirl over my house once again, the bike will have to go, there are simply more important things to consider when the cash stops flowing. Would I be happy about it? Hell no! and I'm sure not jumping ship until I'm left with no alternative.

Is the recession going to be as bad as predicted, only time will tell but it is a fact that a lot of people will be facing redundancies and that sure makes it clear what life's priorities are. Keep an eye on the storm clouds guys . :niceone:

[spookytooth]

Sell my bike? fuck that took too many years of wanting one again to go selling it again

[Candle]

fuck selling the bike. i sold the car to get me threw the so called recession. You save so much time gas money with a bike besides you've still gotta be able to pick up chicks an the bike does it every time over the car

[neels]

Sell my bike? fuck that took too many years of wanting one again to go selling it again
I agree completely with that statement.

There is definately a slowdown, mainly because the supply of easy money has dried up so there's no capital for anything at the moment. A quick read through the liquidation notices for building companies in the paper can tell you that.

But with interest rates so low it seems like a great time to get further in debt and buy more property.

[Subike]

Fortunaltly the wine industry just can not stop grapes growing.
They just keep growing and need to be looked after.
The wine industry is a constant when compared to other industries.
The company that owns the vineyard I work for is the largest in the world, recently taking over several spirit manufactures.
Peno Ricard will survive a recession, so even though my job is a min wage job, it will continue.
Its funny that the people moaning the most are the ones who have never held a spade in their hand for more than a day, dont know what a good hard days work is all about.
Sell my bike,
I would never get what it is worth to me, so no.

[kiwi cowboy]

I just had a large investment mature. really bad time to reinvest...

you could give it to me:cool:

[Shadows]

Fortunaltly the wine industry just can not stop grapes growing.
They just keep growing and need to be looked after.
The wine industry is a constant when compared to other industries.
The company that owns the vineyard I work for is the largest in the world, recently taking over several spirit manufactures.
Peno Ricard will survive a recession, so even though my job is a min wage job, it will continue.
Its funny that the people moaning the most are the ones who have never held a spade in their hand for more than a day, dont know what a good hard days work is all about.
Sell my bike,
I would never get what it is worth to me, so no.

When times get tough people drink more. You're safe.

[McDuck]

Crap, the ressetion, i am 3 days into harvest, i am expecting to collect about 2k in overtime. With this i will upgrade the cage and over the next 2 months get rid of a small personal loan.


I have worked out that i need to do 15000kms per year on the 400 to make it worth keeping, or go and see family 20 times per year which last year that number was up around 25, so the bike stays.



Other than that i am going to spend sweet FA (altho i will spend a little on bike bits and tropical fish)

[Katman]

(altho i will spend a little on bike bits and tropical fish)

And some chips?

[McDuck]

And some chips?

Depends on how good i am at keeping fish :)

[Tony.OK]

My work is very export driven and we've been on 4 day weeks since October, overseas orders dried up quickly once the talk of recession started.
There's been no overtime for 6 months either................that was paying for my racing.................have been ticking it up for a bit , now its crunch time:(

Any of you with booming businesses feel the need to sponsor a racer feel free to get in touch:clap:

[discotex]

I think these times are just little wake up calls for all of us to take stock...1928, how did they manage....well they did and we have it a lot better now.

Assuming you're tongue in cheek suggesting we need a couple more world wars to get us sorted then :lol:


Seriously, when the "experts" talk about the recession they are putting a massively positive spin on it so we don't freak out about a depression not the other way around.

We'll lag behind the US/UK but it will hit given the trade deficit and our high personal debt.

But no I won't be giving up my bike regardless. Not when gas could be $2/l (or more) again in the near future.

[Beemer]

Work has definitely slowed down this year - I was flat out in December and earned more than double my normal monthly income, but pretty quiet since February. I'm self-employed so when clients stop hiring me, I have to try and find that income elsewhere.

Definitely thinking of selling the bike, not because I need the money but because I got a thirsty Yank tank for my birthday and I love driving it so much I have - shock, horror! - lost interest in riding the bike! I've just relicenced it for three months to give me time to see if I still want to keep it, but to be honest I dream of the Corvette more than the Goose!

[discotex]

Definitely thinking of selling the bike, not because I need the money but because I got a thirsty Yank tank for my birthday and I love driving it so much I have - shock, horror! - lost interest in riding the bike!

Lynch mob in 3.............2...................1...............

[Finn]

I'm thinking of giving up the recession and doing more biking.

[Beemer]

Lynch mob in 3.............2...................1...............

Hey, the other half has still got six bikes and I'll still be going on the back of his - it's just my interest in riding my own bike is waning!

[discotex]

Hey, the other half has still got six bikes and I'll still be going on the back of his - it's just my interest in riding my own bike is waning!

It was just a prediction how KB would react. Personally I say do whatever makes you happy. There's room for 4 wheels and 2 in this world :)

[elevenhundred]

I need my bike to stay sane so It won't be going
I don't have a car, mortgage or any other kind of debt so the only thing I have to watch out for is job security.
The worse thing for me so far with the recession is the NZD/USD rate, there's a few big ticket items I want to buy (piston kit, ignition etc) but don't want to pay that much!

[yungatart]

Fortunaltly the wine industry just can not stop grapes growing.
They just keep growing and need to be looked after.
The wine industry is a constant when compared to other industries.


But wine is being stockpiled around the world.
To turn a profit, the wine needs to be sold, surely?

[ckai]

People are getting laid off because their "bosses" are paying themselves too much. Take the Big 3 motor companies in the US, Mr Pressie isn't too happy with them after they take his money, laid off staff, and gave themselves bonuses.:angry:

In NZ, the first industry to get hit in a slowdown is the building and property industry since we LOVE our houses so much. It's a kick in the teeth after it went stupid for so many years, but the good ones said this isn't right and prepared for the "normal" trading to resume. I know, used to work in the industry for 3 years.

If there are so many people getting laid off, why can't we find staff!?

Because, and I'm generalising here, they decide they can bitch about the "reccession" and blame that for not being able to get a job. For all of you that are doing something after being laid off, good on ya, that wasn't directed at you.

Would I think about selling the bike? Nope - looking at getting another one if I can find more staff as well as a flashy car both for marketing - if we can find staff that is. haha

Agree the media has glorified this "recession" a bit too much but then again that's what the media does now - reports on bad shit. When I heard it was gonna hit, the wife and I rushed out and brought new bikes. With the new "recession" interest rates coming into force, we'll pay our mortgage off 17 years earlier with the same repayments!!

You can choose to take the gloomy road or you can see it as an opportunity...

[caseye]

With 25 odd years in the building industry ( selling marine plys, solid timbers, hardware, construction equipment,framing timber, concrete and services) not to mention the last 5 years as a company/project manager.
I can tell you all that once I became unemployed a littel over a year ago, I tried for and did not get any of about 35 real jobs.
I believe that most of thoise jobs were never hired for as the companies simply didn't go ahead with hiring.That was over a year ago.This recession is real.
But Sell my Bike? or the wifes brand new littel baby bike? ! Hell No!!
Working a straight 8 hour day these days, actually doing the work and loving it.Job secure? don't know but I'm there as long as theres a job to do.

[tri boy]

It's only just kicking in here.
Will NZ suffer as much as many places? No.
Will it take longer to climb out of the low than larger countries? Yes
If your personal debt is manageable, then you get by on a reduced lifestyle that you are used to.
If your debt is too high, then your in for a painful time.
Closing down/packing up supercross cycles in Hamilton for the CH-CH based owner this week. He did the numbers, got some advice, and pulled the pin.
Do I care?Not really. My debt is minimal. I own my bikes, and some free time riding and visiting friends is what we dream of when we are working, so I'm taking full advantage of it as soon as possible.

How long will the downturn last? Tune in at March/April next year. MHO

[carver]

i always have money

[GOONR]

Well it's finally happend, last day at work this coming Friday. Redundancy had been on the cards for ages. I have applied for loads of jobs (IT sector) but nothing has come up, it's not like I'm lacking the experience, 20+ years. I figure if there are no jobs in the area that I specialise in then I'm going to go to uni and learn something different, makes sense to me seems I'm a little tired of IT anyway. Pastures new and all that..

Giving up biking? I haven't even started yet... I'm using part of my payout to get my hands on a Bandit 250 from one of the guys at work, will have it in a couple of weeks, just waiting for his new bike to show up. :soon:

[caseye]

Happened to me almost 1 yr ago to the day, you'll be OK mate, do it , go get another education and start afresh, an don't even think about giving up riding,K.

[Mom]

I'm using part of my payout to get my hands on a Bandit 250 from one of the guys at work, will have it in a couple of weeks, just waiting for his new bike to show up. :soon:


Cool little bike to zoom around on, getting to class, or a new job. Good on you too! Love the attitude!

[carver]

we have more work than ever, hiring staff, i now have a media~ job as well as my normal work.

fuck the recession

il get there anyways!

[scracha]

Well it's finally happend, last day at work this coming Friday. Redundancy had been on the cards for ages. I have applied for loads of jobs (IT sector) but nothing has come up, it's not like I'm lacking the experience, 20+ years. I figure if there are no jobs in the area that I specialise in then I'm going to go to uni and learn something different, makes sense to me seems I'm a little tired of IT anyway. Pastures new and all that..


Just don't get into teaching..........

Recession...yes it's real. Only dumb-fucks blame the media. If you want to blame anyone for the recession, blame the baby boomer generation and their "property portfolios" for making the poor generation Xers pay $400K for piles of bricks that should only be $100K. If your underlying business fundamentals are solid and you've not taken out huge loans based on piles of bricks quadrupling in value then you've nothing to worry about. If you're looking to change career or upskill then nows a bloody good time to do it. Dig ourself out of recession...easy. A decent capital gains tax, backdated 10 years and a higher tax rate on UNEARNED income. Oh, and prevent any able bodied person of sound mind below 40 from claiming dole.

[bogan]

Just don't get into teaching..........

Recession...yes it's real. Only dumb-fucks blame the media. If you want to blame anyone for the recession, blame the baby boomer generation and their "property portfolios" for making the poor generation Xers pay $400K for piles of bricks that should only be $100K. If your underlying business fundamentals are solid and you've not taken out huge loans based on piles of bricks quadrupling in value then you've nothing to worry about. If you're looking to change career or upskill then nows a bloody good time to do it. Dig ourself out of recession...easy. A decent capital gains tax, backdated 10 years and a higher tax rate on UNEARNED income. Oh, and prevent any able bodied person of sound mind below 40 from claiming dole.

can we blame the people who lent other people money that was they didnt even have? im no economics expert but that doesnt seem like a good idea

and no way would i get rid of my bikes, theyre almost like family members

[GOONR]

Happened to me almost 1 yr ago to the day, you'll be OK mate, do it , go get another education and start afresh, an don't even think about giving up riding,K.

I'm fairly confident that things will work out, even if the shit hits the fan for a little while, it's not the end of the world, just time for a change.

[Insanity_rules]

I'm going to risk sounding unpopular but people are hemorging toys at the moment so if ya got money and are a bit secure then now's the time to buy that dream bike.

Sucks to get ahead by the misery of others but the prices at the moment are real low.

[middleaged2wheeler]

Hello Ist of July 09 --today bike reg fees go up to $321-24c for over 60cc
$309-99 for under 60cc bike.
$90-21c for a 50cc scooter.
So reg tax is not helping the cost of biking on it,s spiral upwards.

-my 225cc xt is the same reg cost as a 1200cc xj
wouldn,t want four road bikes sitting in the shed.

[Nagash]

Well, I work in the hospitality industry as a chef, lost my job because of slow times last week.

Not sure what finding another jobs gonna be like jsut yet, i've only just started applying for new jobs after just sorting out a messy dismissal.

Personally, i'm not in a very positive state of mind at the mind and the moment and I am worried about getting more work, quick. I have people to look after and big things to plan for.

Will I sell the bike? No car license and no intention of ever getting one, so not a chance. It's a form of transport for me, not a luxury. Though I have stopped going out for rides.

[caseye]

Hang in there Nagash, long as you are willing someone will give you a go.
Hope those dreams come true mate.

[Retch]

Nagash, there are always jobs around it just depends what you want to do. I have 3 jobs ATM (yes I know, greedy) and all of them are fairly stable. Ones at a supermarket though, sometimes you have to do what you have to do ;)

[Elysium]

Before the "recession" my job wasn't that great. 45 hour weeks, it pays alright but not huge, run a department for Woolworths. Use to see all these young people driving their flash cars, and carrying a lot of wealth and spending like there was no tomorow.

Told myself always that at least my job is safe...man how right I was seeing same people again but without flash car or job and made me realise I'm lucky to have my non-exciting job.

[NighthawkNZ]

The recession - give up biking? Or should the current economic situation encourage more to take it up?

I have been reading here over the last little whi???le of people getting made redundant, or having hours cut, or not getting enough hours to pay the bills. How does this impact you? I have read comments about people thinking of selling their bikes, or being told they will have to sell their bikes if things stay the same for a while. Should that be an option to consider for some?

How safe is your job? What would you do if you were unemployed all of a sudden?

We went out and bought new bikes, and new gear (we have spent over 25g)... recession what recession?

[SARGE]

meh .. media hype .. just an excuse for people to moan .. im having record months personally

'busy' isnt gonna come knocking on your door .. you have to go find 'busy'


i may go buy another bike or a big fuckoff V8 Falcon Ute

[BMWST?]

recession is real for the building industry,but it has always been boom-bust.This one is worse because of greed,unrealistic expectations, and some sophiticated schemes built on absolute unsustainability in the US housing market.

[junkmanjoe]

I got the boot about a month ago now,,,

if i didnt have my bike id go insane... stuck at home, can only do so much.

some gas in the bike and get out for a day ride, every now and then.....much needed..

[GOONR]

I got the boot about a month ago now,,,

if i didnt have my bike id go insane... stuck at home, can only do so much.

some gas in the bike and get out for a day ride, every now and then.....much needed..

I got the shove just over a month ago, I don't have the bike and yes, it's dull. Getting the bike this weekend so at least I'll have something to pass the time with..

[Brian d marge]

I've lived through a shed load of boom and bust times and whilst I love bikes, for me they are a luxury, real hard to justify when you've got little hungry mouths to feed, vital transport not withstanding.

I would have to say yes, if the black clouds of misery and hardship swirl over my house once again, the bike will have to go, there are simply more important things to consider when the cash stops flowing. Would I be happy about it? Hell no! and I'm sure not jumping ship until I'm left with no alternative.

Is the recession going to be as bad as predicted, only time will tell but it is a fact that a lot of people will be facing redundancies and that sure makes it clear what life's priorities are. Keep an eye on the storm clouds guys . :niceone:
can those little mouths work? I have 2 of em and unfortuantly the coal industry here has some stupid law about hiring a 1 year old , ( the nuclear uindustry isnt so bad they are hiring bucket carriers )

But I do think and have often wondered about sports bikes ( I dont know the prices there ) but lets say you get say a blackbird , Nice bike , but the tyres are 50 000 yen or more and if you drop it .......

Now my enfield ( the newr ones are quite good and use the old running gear )

its all metal , a whole fork leg COMPLETE is 5000 yen and runs on a smwell of an oily rag, buy an older one and get vintage rego

There are Jap bike with similar workings ( early gold wings )

For commuting to work

a BSA Bantam ! you can run that on kero !

if you need a car ,,, nahhh cant think of a reason just yet , there is probably one , just cant think of it yet !

Stephen

[pritch]

There was an item on the local radio news here that claimed building consents were holding up numerically but the average value was down.

The theory was postulated that people are currently getting smaller projects done that the builders wouldn't look at when there was lots of work.

That may be true, my house is old and has a roof of many angles. The roofing contractors didn't want to look at it when they were busy because they could do two or three new houses in the same time and make more money.

Same with the painters - the house is roughcast - but they are running out of work now and were very keen to paint it.

Now I just need to get the new guttering up and the house will look great...

So now the office in which I work is closing and the decision about exactly when to retire may be made for me. Time will tell.

No plans to sell the bike though. Or the :scooter:

[Blackbird]

But I do think and have often wondered about sports bikes ( I dont know the prices there ) but lets say you get say a blackbird , Nice bike , but the tyres are 50 000 yen or more and if you drop it .......



I'm 61, retired and have a Blackbird with plenty of goodies on it. It's a luxury all right and as you point out, the total operating cost isn't cheap. However, even in these financially troubled times, it would be one of the last things I'd let go. I've worked 60+ hour weeks for over 3 decades and it's time to REALLY enjoy life whilst the body is still in good nick. I've been passionate about bikes for over 40 years and owning a bike that "does it for me" is a conscious decision that is a large part of enjoying life to the full, despite the cost. No intention of going to the grave with regrets:rockon:

[Brian d marge]

No intention of going to the grave with regrets:rockon: I will

I regret, I trusted that woman in Amsterdam ,,,she told me she was clean:Oops:

Stephen

[Aaron_newrider]

I am about to buy a bike, had 2 choices. A bike or a car.

I thrash the shit out of cars, because I enjoy doing so and know there is some metal surrounding me if I crash. So.... I usually brake them and use lots of petrol.

I'm carefull on a bike, cause when you have a nose to tail, it's not metal inbetween the car's, it's you.. So I take it easy and don't do dumb shit so my bike will last along time and not use much petrol.

No recession here :)

[Ixion]

I will

I regret, I trusted that woman in Amsterdam ,,,she told me she was clean:Oops:

Stephen

Well, she was. She'd showered only the week before.

[Robert Taylor]

The recession - give up biking? Or should the current economic situation encourage more to take it up?

I have been reading here over the last little while of people getting made redundant, or having hours cut, or not getting enough hours to pay the bills. How does this impact you? I have read comments about people thinking of selling their bikes, or being told they will have to sell their bikes if things stay the same for a while. Should that be an option to consider for some?

How safe is your job? What would you do if you were unemployed all of a sudden?

Doubtless there is pain out there but it means youve got to work harder at it and maybe employees that were very ''union biased'' and / or didnt give value to their employers may now be valuing their jobs much more so.
In the motorcycle industry there are too many dealers and too many that dont do it so well. If it weeds out a few of those thats a good thing. Realignment is neccessary.
But hey, everyone deserves a job and a fair days pay, as long as also they are giving their employers a fair days work.

[GOONR]

Doubtless there is pain out there but it means youve got to work harder at it and maybe employees that were very ''union biased'' and / or didnt give value to their employers may now be valuing their jobs much more so.
In the motorcycle industry there are too many dealers and too many that dont do it so well. If it weeds out a few of those thats a good thing. Realignment is neccessary.
But hey, everyone deserves a job and a fair days pay, as long as also they are giving their employers a fair days work.

I worked hard for my company but got booted anyway, along with many many others. I even made changes that saved the IT bill $14M in client licences, so yeah they got value from me, didn't make a shit of difference to them at the end of the day.

The issue with the company that I worked for was that the CEO was a total dickhead. The shareholders and board of directors pushed him out with a nice golden shower.. oops mean handshake. I seem to recall he walked with over $20M AU for 7 years work. The only problem was the damage was done, the share price two years ago was about $22 now it's less than $6.

The shareholders demanded action, and rightly so, unfotunately over 400 people so far have lost their jobs.

[Blackbird]

I will

I regret, I trusted that woman in Amsterdam ,,,she told me she was clean:Oops:

Stephen

Dirty canals in Amsterdam are quite common:innocent:

[Robert Taylor]

I worked hard for my company but got booted anyway, along with many many others. I even made changes that saved the IT bill $14M in client licences, so yeah they got value from me, didn't make a shit of difference to them at the end of the day.

The issue with the company that I worked for was that the CEO was a total dickhead. The shareholders and board of directors pushed him out with a nice golden shower.. oops mean handshake. I seem to recall he walked with over $20M AU for 7 years work. The only problem was the damage was done, the share price two years ago was about $22 now it's less than $6.

The shareholders demanded action, and rightly so, unfotunately over 400 people so far have lost their jobs.

Yes that sucks, there are people at the bottom ripping off companies but all of these bonuses/ payoffs for those at the top are mind boggling, no-one deserves that amount of money. Pure greed. ( I am not a socialist but do believe in social justice and fairness )

[boman]

Recession. Give up riding my bike. No. I ride it to enjoy myself and to forget my problems. Best fun I get in a day.

:woohoo:

[FROSTY]

Theres an old saying I heard once. Shit doesn't run UPHILL.
Kinda hard to kick a CEO when gubberment ministers claim $40000 pairs of undies or retiring ministers get month long overseas trips to "research"

[boman]

Theres an old saying I heard once. Shit doesn't run UPHILL.
Kinda hard to kick a CEO when gubberment ministers claim $40000 pairs of undies or retiring ministers get month long overseas trips to "research"

Aint that the truth. I bet we ,the tax paying public, do not know the half of what they get away with. Just look at the thieves in English politics.

[Pixie]

I will

I regret, I trusted that woman in Amsterdam ,,,she told me she was clean:Oops:

Stephen

Regret is a funny thing,Stephen.
It is better to regret having done something,than to regret not having done it.:laugh:

[ital916]

I've lost half my work hours since the beginning of the year but am happy I still have some income to fund my uni expenses.

I've done what I think a lot of people have, cut down on going for long rides...until a bit of money comes into pocket.

Mind you, commuting can be a hoot...:woohoo:

[vgcspares]

Regret is a funny thing,Stephen.
It is better to regret having done something,than to regret not having done it.:laugh:

beg to differ - I'd sooner (and no doubt he would too) regret not having been with a bug infested whore than the other kind

[Maha]

Theres an old saying I heard once. Shit doesn't run UPHILL.


That is correct, I have seen it chase me on a number of occasions.

[crazyhorse]

Hell NO!!!!!!! :doh: stop swearing! :spanking:

[Indiana_Jones]

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-Indy

[pritch]

am not a socialist

Really??? :rofl:

No offence Robert, that just struck me as funny. :devil2:

[Brian d marge]

beg to differ - I'd sooner (and no doubt he would too) regret not having been with a bug infested whore than the other kind

Specially that I had to tell the wife .......:Oops::crybaby:

Stephen

[Hiflyer]

i may go buy another bike or a big fuckoff V8 Falcon Ute

..... BLASPHEMEY!!!!

GO HOLDEN


http://media.photobucket.com/image/75%20monaro/rrrage/calder/monaro2.jpg


Regret is a funny thing,Stephen.
It is better to regret having done something,than to regret not having done it.:laugh:

I agree! . . .midgets are better than you think!!! . . oh wait. . . . . I fully meant the type of cars. . . honest??

[caseye]

Who said that? imagine mentioning the word "Fard" in the same sentence as motorcar, that just ain't right. go the Mighty HOLDEN!