There,s a point in this??

**Jackrat** · 1st October 2003, 22:45

With all the new rules coming in can anyone give a good reason for geting into biking.I,m just returning to riding after two years away,I can,t afford a new bike so that leaves buying used.Seeing as how modern bikes are made to shit themselfs around the five year mark and most exhuast systems don,t last anywhere near that.Go anywhere near a bike shop an you get gutted like a fish,
Yet after market parts are slowly becoming outlawed why would anyone bother.Moden bikes are so complex you have to have them tuned by a dealer who don,t give a ferk about you other than geting your money.You buy an older bike you like an can do all the work on yourself an the Gov,t comes up with bullshit to keep you off the road,Like where the ferk do you get a genuine
exhaust for any jap classic.Maybe I should save my money biking in NZ looks pretty fucked to me.

**marty** · 2nd October 2003, 02:03

you could always drive a car.....

**Sharkey** · 2nd October 2003, 08:16

....... or a horse.

**750Y** · 2nd October 2003, 08:28

That comment about the bikes shitting themselves after 5 years was interesting.
Biking is still the great fun it’s always been maybe more(my first bike was a BSA when I was 7). it can be expensive if you want to get stuck into it seriously. The rules are made to be broken so pharkem! don’t be put off. You may reach a stage in Your life that You can walk into a shop or up to a guy and buy a decent bike, new or used(or re/build your own). If You’re not there yet don’t despair just set your goals and push. If You want it bad enough You’ll find a way to make it happen for You. From my perspective, riding in NZ is nearly the most fun you can still have with your pants on. It may not be the good ol days anymore but these are the only days you have. Get out there dude you’re missing all the fun.

**scumdog** · 2nd October 2003, 10:56

Hey, I could say the same about my other two main hobbies, have you seen the cost of a gun licence lately and the rigmarole to get a hunting permit, buying ammo via mail order etc etc?
Regulations!!! tell me about them! try building a hot rod or modifying a car and see how you go!
Motorbikes are best - you can have as dark tinted visor or sunglasses you want (try that with your car sidewindows!), you can hot them up/modufy them all you want and no certification plate needed, you can lower them etc and the list goes on.
The point is, if you stressed over all the reasons you gave where would you stop in life? - maybe it's better to just stay in bed huh?
C'mon, be positive, ya only get one life and we're all in the same queue from womb to tomb - it's the amount of laughs ya get along the way that counts!! (well that's what I think)

**wkid_one** · 2nd October 2003, 11:00

get a tuk-tuk

**MikeL** · 2nd October 2003, 11:12

Originally posted by 750Y
It may not be the good ol days anymore but these are the only days you have. Get out there dude you’re missing all the fun.

Spot on. I must admit that since getting back into riding just on a year ago, I've spent heaps more than I expected. But I've also had heaps more fun than I ever thought possible.
Whereas years ago a bike could be seen as practical, cheap transport, my experience of the past year would put it firmly into the category of expensive luxury. But if I had more technical expertise, could do all my own servicing as well as the time to hunt around for bargains, it could be a lot cheaper. I'd rather spend the time riding.
Remember, what matters is not the cost but the value.

**jrandom** · 2nd October 2003, 16:17

Originally posted by scumdog
have you seen the cost of a gun licence lately and the rigmarole to get a hunting permit, buying ammo via mail order etc etc

blaaaaaady hell, with you on that one

Took me 3 1/2 months earlier this year to sort out a gun licence. And paying $130 was the *first* thing I had to do, of course.

They're out to get us. Turn us into unarmed cage-driving sheep and all that. When the fuzzy-wuzzies start coming over the hills, and all you've got is a kitchen knife and an SUV, wotcher gonna do then? Eh? Eh?

**Lou Girardin** · 2nd October 2003, 16:17

Reasons to have a bike;
It's not a car.
Faster than cars
No gridlock.
Pisses off cage drivers stuck in the above.
Most people don't.
My wife doesn't like riding much.
Even riding to work is interesting.
That'll do for now.
Lou

**jrandom** · 2nd October 2003, 16:24

Originally posted by scumdog
Motorbikes are best ... you can lower them

(boggle)

Why would you want to?

**Coldkiwi** · 2nd October 2003, 17:39

Originally posted by Lou Girardin
Reasons to have a bike;
It's not a car.
Faster than cars
No gridlock.
Pisses off cage drivers stuck in the above.
Most people don't.
My wife doesn't like riding much.
Even riding to work is interesting.
That'll do for now.
Lou

spot on lou!!!

as for being expensive.... I dunno. show me a good car you can by brand new for $14,000!? Then I'll show you a list of very tasty brand new kawasaki's, suzuki's, yamahas, hondas and even a brand new race replica rip-your-arms-off- Aprilia... all of which will out perform all but 0.5% of the cars on our roads, all of which will start at about $60,000.

**Pickle** · 2nd October 2003, 20:37

Exhausts rotting out in a couple of years, where have you been? Back in the 80's maybe. Most new bikes exhausts last a long time & perform better than aftermarket items ( this should create discussion).

Our 96 model ZX6's both have their original pipes on them, still have original cam chains & still pull red line when required.

**merv** · 2nd October 2003, 21:09

Originally posted by doug green
Exhausts rotting out in a couple of years, where have you been? Back in the 80's maybe.

Right on Doug I was thinking exactly the same. Most Jap bikes these days have stainless headers and either aluminium, stainless or titanium mufflers so they don't rust out like old Triumph Bonneville pipes might have back in the 60s and 70s.

The other key thing that has happened (and the scientists among us will know this) is that with unleaded fuel the tendency to rust out has been greatly diminished - remember the old periodic table thing I think - the lead was hard on the steel in the old pipes. The lack of lead has greatly improved car exhaust life too and most of them aren't stainless.

Back in the 70s when I dove a mighty Hillman Hunter on leaded fuel I used to replace the back muffler about every 1 or 2 years and the rest of the system all the way to the headers only lasted about double that. I had that car 14 years and was forever doing exhaust replacements.

Two of our cars now are 1989 and 1992 models still on compeletely original pipes. My bikes are 1994 and 1998 and I see the pipes outliving me.

Jackrat what sort of bikes are you talking about shitting themselves after 5 years? European?? Certainly not Japanese. You can see here how many people have Jap bikes and many are 10 years old or so and I doubt they have needed engine work. I haven't had to even take an engine case off a bike since 1984 when I was competing in enduros and I wore the clutch out on my XR200. My fault for abusing it too much in the mud at Gwavas at the time. I eventually sold that bike when it was 15 years old and had never taken it apart again. I kept using it for Adventure rides until I bought the Suzuki in 1998. Check out my pics at http://bikemerv.topcities.com/adventure01.html

I bought the VFR new in 1994 and said at the time that will do me for 10 years. Well 10 years are damn near up and it still runs like new. Tyres are what cost money and it is now due for a chain. Otherwise there is nothing to do to it except ride it and clean it and change the oil occasionally so I will probably keep it well past 10 years.

So don't get depressed just buy a decent Jap bike and enjoy yourself and don't even worry about the Government.

**MikeL** · 2nd October 2003, 21:20

Originally posted by Coldkiwi
as for being expensive.... I dunno. show me a good car you can by brand new for $14,000!? Then I'll show you a list of very tasty brand new kawasaki's, suzuki's, yamahas, hondas and even a brand new race replica rip-your-arms-off- Aprilia...

Yes, agreed, a bike is cheaper to buy. But that's all. What about registration, insurance, depreciation and above all maintenance? I just paid almost $500 for a 12k service - routine apart from new front brake pads. Do you pay $20 each for car spark plugs?? This was only a few weeks after shelling out several hundred for a new front tyre (worn out after 8k) and I'll need a new rear tyre soon as well. The maintenance costs on my car are a fraction of what I spend on the bikes... If I were an impoverished student again, as I was years ago when I had my first bike, I don't think I would be riding...

**wkid_one** · 2nd October 2003, 22:16

Originally posted by MikeL
Yes, agreed, a bike is cheaper to buy. But that's all. What about registration, insurance, depreciation and above all maintenance? I just paid almost $500 for a 12k service - routine apart from new front brake pads. Do you pay $20 each for car spark plugs?? This was only a few weeks after shelling out several hundred for a new front tyre (worn out after 8k) and I'll need a new rear tyre soon as well. The maintenance costs on my car are a fraction of what I spend on the bikes... If I were an impoverished student again, as I was years ago when I had my first bike, I don't think I would be riding...

Hold on - it is all relative to performance. For starters - bike depreciate well less than cars ( I know this as I value them as collateral in my job regularly).

$500 for a service - if you are servicing your car properly is possible.

Yes, car have cheaper parts - but this is due to supply and demand - but it is also dependant on the bike you are riding. You appear to be comparing a car designed for commuting - with a bike designed for performance riding? I g'tee if you bought a Porsche/BMW M3 or any car with similar performance characteristics to a performance motorbike - you too would find the costs of maintaining these cars no less expensive.

If more people rode - bits would be cheaper - it is simple 5th Form Economics. However, you also pay less for parking, less for petrol, less for overall maintenance (eg no aircon/windows/ etc etc to go wrong - it is just an engine with wheels) - you spend less time in traffic, you enjoy yourself more? Overall I think you will find the costs weigh up in the bikes favour. Plus it is better on the environment and reduces congestion, and is less damaging to the roading infrastructure.