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Thread: No new bikes or cars seem worth buying these days?

  1. #1
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    No new bikes or cars seem worth buying these days?

    Strange thread title I know but I have found myself at an interesting time in my life. I see I joined Kiwibiker in 2004. That was when I had kids at primary school and a mortgage that could make you cry and struggled to justify the stupid amounts of new bike purchases I made for years.

    Now after a combined 39 nine years in banking I suddenly threw it in and for the brief last 4 weeks I have been in awe of retirement. Long story short but essentially my employer, bless their greedy bloody corporate arse, had possibly one of the best performing employee Super schemes around and I wanted my money OUT! So fortune has smiled on me and I now have new employment 7 minutes from home. The last 5 years commuting from Kapiti to Wgtn drove me nuts and that drove my decision to chuck it in. The last 18 months the morning drive was closing in on 1.5 - 2 hours. Yeah I ride it as much as possible (55 minute trip on the MT09) but I'm over freezing my butt off and getting soaked. I did that time when I was 15 onwards going to High School on my SL125 in Chch.

    So now I find myself with a sort of desire to buy something nice, bike or car. A situation that years before I could have easily satisfied with so many cool choices. But now 2019? NOTHING really appeals to me. NOTHING reaches out and screams BUY ME YOU WANT TO. I"M FANTASTIC.

    My taste is maybe weird. I went looking today at the current Mazda 6 wagon. I've owned a few station wagons and they are bloody handy. By the way I hate SUVs and try hards in utes. So I'm mildly tempted by a Mazda 6 wagon. Or my first preference which is a Mustang but not the V8. I see no point in a V8 these days and if I go with a Mustang I want to actually drive it heaps - so the 2.3L four in white is keeping me awake. I think the reincarnated Mustang (2015+) is the best ever Mustang in terms of looks and appeal.

    Then I think of getting a new bike, but bugger me. There's nothing that appeals, apart from the Niken. The S1000R or Speed Triple appeal to me a bit but for the cost of changing are little more than a variant on what I already have. A fun naked upright sports bike.

    I'm still too old for a Hardly What's a thingy or any other boring cruiser. I'm way over sports bikes. Been there. Done that. A light weight adventure bike has some appeal but more as a second bike or a one year purchase to do the Molesworth and the likes, then sell it. That's still on my to do list.

    Looking at the latest bike offerings is just a boring parade of same old with minor tweaks. Usually involving adding more cc and even more kg. Pointless to me.

    At least the Niken is DIFFERENT and does deliver what it promises. I'm holding back though because the market has not embraced the Niken, which means it could backfire when the time comes to sell one. I made that mistake when I bought the first F800S in the showroom. 12 months later no bastard wanted one and I lost heaps. Same shit happened when I bought the MV675 F3. Couldn't give it away 18 months later.

    It's a wonderful dilemma for sure but really, what's the point of upgrading a motorbike these days?

    I miss the times when the breaking news of a new exciting model had us dribbling at the mouth. Now I yawn.
    Happiness is a means of travel, not a destination

  2. #2
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    I watched that vid in the niken thread and the journos loved the niken, but admitted they thought it would not sell well cos people would basically shun it. But it might not be much different from what you already have?
    Only a Rat can win a Rat Race!

  3. #3
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    Quote Originally Posted by MD View Post
    Strange thread title I know but I have found myself at an interesting time in my life. I see I joined Kiwibiker in 2004. That was when I had kids at primary school and a mortgage that could make you cry and struggled to justify the stupid amounts of new bike purchases I made for years.

    Now after a combined 39 nine years in banking I suddenly threw it in and for the brief last 4 weeks I have been in awe of retirement. Long story short but essentially my employer, bless their greedy bloody corporate arse, had possibly one of the best performing employee Super schemes around and I wanted my money OUT! So fortune has smiled on me and I now have new employment 7 minutes from home. The last 5 years commuting from Kapiti to Wgtn drove me nuts and that drove my decision to chuck it in. The last 18 months the morning drive was closing in on 1.5 - 2 hours. Yeah I ride it as much as possible (55 minute trip on the MT09) but I'm over freezing my butt off and getting soaked. I did that time when I was 15 onwards going to High School on my SL125 in Chch.

    So now I find myself with a sort of desire to buy something nice, bike or car. A situation that years before I could have easily satisfied with so many cool choices. But now 2019? NOTHING really appeals to me. NOTHING reaches out and screams BUY ME YOU WANT TO. I"M FANTASTIC.

    My taste is maybe weird. I went looking today at the current Mazda 6 wagon. I've owned a few station wagons and they are bloody handy. By the way I hate SUVs and try hards in utes. So I'm mildly tempted by a Mazda 6 wagon. Or my first preference which is a Mustang but not the V8. I see no point in a V8 these days and if I go with a Mustang I want to actually drive it heaps - so the 2.3L four in white is keeping me awake. I think the reincarnated Mustang (2015+) is the best ever Mustang in terms of looks and appeal.

    Then I think of getting a new bike, but bugger me. There's nothing that appeals, apart from the Niken. The S1000R or Speed Triple appeal to me a bit but for the cost of changing are little more than a variant on what I already have. A fun naked upright sports bike.

    I'm still too old for a Hardly What's a thingy or any other boring cruiser. I'm way over sports bikes. Been there. Done that. A light weight adventure bike has some appeal but more as a second bike or a one year purchase to do the Molesworth and the likes, then sell it. That's still on my to do list.

    Looking at the latest bike offerings is just a boring parade of same old with minor tweaks. Usually involving adding more cc and even more kg. Pointless to me.

    At least the Niken is DIFFERENT and does deliver what it promises. I'm holding back though because the market has not embraced the Niken, which means it could backfire when the time comes to sell one. I made that mistake when I bought the first F800S in the showroom. 12 months later no bastard wanted one and I lost heaps. Same shit happened when I bought the MV675 F3. Couldn't give it away 18 months later.

    It's a wonderful dilemma for sure but really, what's the point of upgrading a motorbike these days?

    I miss the times when the breaking news of a new exciting model had us dribbling at the mouth. Now I yawn.
    Yep, I remember the early 90s and 2000s as a time of getting the latest magazines the day they appeared on the shelves and spending the month til the next issue arrived reading about lighter bolts, thinner spacers etc.

    I can't remember the last time I read a whole magazine, let alone the ads.
    I think that the internet has made launches less exciting. Leaks being driven by marketing firms not insiders. Facts known before the release date is set.

    Add to that the fact that most affordable cars care more about emission standards than causing you to make an emission in excitement.

    Then fuck up the ergonomics with cost savings before making all cars equally accessible to all...

    Fuck when did I get so old.

    I agree the last cars I was excited to see launched were the Mustang and the new Camaro.

    Most SUVs couldn't get themselves off a muddy soccer pitch, hell some couldn't tow a bicycle because of their weak transmissions.

    I still get excited about bike launches... Until the details...
    Nothing has moved me in the last 10 years of bikes.
    Electrics still need better range. Fuel burners need to be more visceral.

  4. #4
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    MD - that's a nice bit of writing and agree with everything you've said - wonder if it's almost inevitable as we get older (been there, done that), especially if we have a bit of capital behind us?

    I'm running a 2005 RAV4. We use it for general towing plus launching our runabout. I wouldn't want anything more expensive than that for dipping in the tide now and again. My wife has a 3 year old Honda Jazz RS which is perfect as the family runabout. The only car I lust after is a Cobra replica but not prepared to tie up that amount of capital for the limited use it would get.

    Same goes for bikes. The Duke 790 makes me laugh and does what I need in a bike. There are other nice bikes on the market but nothing that makes me want to shell out more money.

    My wife has been fantastic in supporting my passions over the years and I'm really happy to spend more time indulging her passions for travel and sea fishing. Interests and priorities change as time marches on and that's fine, isn't it? I'm just grateful that now into my 70's, I can still get my leg over a bike

    First world problems......

  5. #5
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    I've lost interest in new bikes somewhat.

    Look, you're in a good position . I can't afford this, but it would put some fun in your life.


    https://www.trademe.co.nz/motors/mot...fabdac2f47-002

    I'd like you to have it. Enjoy.
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    He's the only one I've got.

  6. #6
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    MD - I'm in my mid 40's and this isn't a getting older thing. I couldn't agree more. There's almost nothing out there right now that catches my eye.

  7. #7
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    New bike? maybe a Norton Atlas

    New car? The ONLY thing that even sort of appeals is a 70 series Land Cruiser

    But the rest of them are boring, ugly, overfull of techno crap or just plain dull
    =mjc=
    .

  8. #8
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    There isint a new bike that spins my wheels either, that's why my newest bike it 2007 & my daily driver is a '96 BMW.
    I could trade it on something worth four times as much & not be any more impressed.
    Is there a good reason why you absolutely have to buy new?
    I knew of some old boy that wasn't tickled by anything new, so he bought an '80's bike he liked & spent 18k having it fully rebuilt to as new, which was less than a new bike, and he got exactly the bike he wanted.
    Having said that, I really didn't want to like the new Katana, but I've heard it's not too far off the mark.

  9. #9
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    Perhaps the good old days are here and now?

    Spoiled for choices and too many restrictions = boring? - perhaps we have simply never had it so good?

  10. #10
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    Quote Originally Posted by sidecar bob View Post
    I really didn't want to like the new Katana, but I've heard it's not too far off the mark.
    Dunno what it's like to ride but it's ugly as fuck in real life
    "If you can make black marks on a straight from the time you turn out of a corner until the braking point of the next turn, then you have enough power."


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  11. #11
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    Also, always abide by the first rule of motorcycling.
    The bike you buy only has to impress you & nobody else, not even your spouse.

  12. #12
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    Quote Originally Posted by Kickaha View Post
    Dunno what it's like to ride but it's ugly as fuck in real life
    Yeah, everyone was saying that in 1981 too.

  13. #13
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    Interesting thread. Dunno if it's age or wisdom but I find myself watching a review of some new bike and after 3 or 4 minutes realise I'm bored and have no interest in it, so I check to see if Ruby Day has posted any new recipes. Which is weird, she can't cook for shit.

    What does interest me now are bikes which push me out of my comfort zone, I'm getting more and more into trials and enduro, modernised classics and new tech (Niken, ecletic).

    I guess over time and being lucky enough to have been there and done that, my tastes are getting quite niche so I look for something which challenges and interests me. Titivate, even.
    Manopausal.

  14. #14
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    Quote Originally Posted by george formby View Post
    Interesting thread. Dunno if it's age or wisdom but I find myself watching a review of some new bike and after 3 or 4 minutes realise I'm bored and have no interest in it, so I check to see if Ruby Day has posted any new recipes. Which is weird, she can't cook for shit.
    Thank you for that. Never heard of her before but I've suddenly developed an interest in her cooking

  15. #15
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    Quote Originally Posted by Blackbird View Post
    Thank you for that. Never heard of her before but I've suddenly developed an interest in her cooking
    You going to check if Ruby has any fish recipes? Then you can show Mrs B Bird what you intend to do with her catch of the day...

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