Any longtime riders quit for good?

[Martinjmpr]

One thing you will run into when selling your bike (as I've discovered) is that, at least around here (Denver), resale value for all bikes is in the tank. That's great for anyone who wants to BUY, but for sellers it kind of sucks.
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I had my BMW R1150R up for sale a couple of months ago for $3500. Didn't get a nibble and when I looked on CL I could see why: There were others with lower mileage offered for the same price, and they weren't selling either.
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I dropped my price to $3k, which is as low as I feel like going, and still nada.
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We've had a super mild Winter (second in a row) with hardly any snow and lots of warm, sunny days and I see lots of folks out riding. But there seems to be a real glut of motorcycles on the market right now so if you do sell, don't expect to get much.
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I decided to pull my bike off the market, at least for now. Might list it up again around April or May when the weather starts getting really warm.
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The used market is crazy right now. If you're a buyer, you're in great shape. I'm actually contemplating just buying another bike (without selling the R1150R) because prices for used bikes are so cheap.

 

[pyrate]

I have been riding since I was 5 years old and for the most part have always had a bike (or working on a bike) but I get your thoughts. I have a 4 year old daughter and riding has been very sparse lately but when she is older I can't wait to take her on the bike. That being said, we enjoy trips we take in the truck as a family. What I did decide is to buy a medium size dual sport and we take it with us. We bounce around in the truck until my wife and daughter get their fill and set up camp and then I get on the bike and ride a trail or two. We all get to enjoy our trips and I still get to ride. My wife rides as well and we share the bike, and maybe some day in the near future we will all ride as a family. I think the key is to not say "quit for good" because "never say never" really applies. Spend your time and money on what works now and if that changes, change. The key is to enjoy the time NOW and if you aren't enjoying what you are doing, change to something else. I've also sailed all my life and love spending time on the water. But I love the mountains and desert. So we just take our time and enjoy what works. Only you and those you love can really answer the question of "what works for us now?"

 

[Dmski]

Its interesting I found this topic. I tend to go back and forth on this and feel for you. I have owned a bike for the past 5 years or so, and I absolutely love every minute of it. Started with street and progressively moved towards offroad. I even had to opportunity to ride down in Ecuador and have just had a blast on a motorcycle. But its not without doubts and realizations for the risks of riding a bike. I also find myself noticing how little I ride, and I'm always aware of the safety concerns on the street which makes it hard for me to justify keeping a bike sometimes. I'm OK with the risks of riding offroad as it will inevitably be a mistake by myself. I can stomach that as I see it like I view mountain biking or skiing where I have control of how risky I can be. Aside from all of those thoughts of possibly selling, I always realize how much I miss riding when I throw a leg over the bike. Even now, I'm looking into purchasing a KLR650 or some ADV bike, but I also love offroading in my xterra which I tend to do exclusively since I have other friends with rigs, while no one I know really rides ADV.

In the end, I say keep the bike in the garage if you have the option too. When you feel the desire to ride, go ride! But if you noticed a summer and winter go by and you haven't ridden, then maybe selling it wouldn't be a bad idea. I think its all based on your location, experiences riding and if you have riding friends. If all three of those are checked as negatives (i.e. snow half the year, bad experiences riding or safety concerns, and no friends to ride with) its pretty easy to fall out of love for motorcycles.

 

[SheepnJeep]

I think I have decided to sell. I have been thinking about it and as much fun as I have had using it, it is still just a vehicle. It's not like I built it or restored it or anything like that. I know I will regret selling the bike. But I am sort of at the stage where I need to grow up and stop regretting everything! ha-ha. Plus I have tons of other half finished projects laying around that could get finished with a little bit more time and money.

There are a lot of factors. Money is one thing. Do I need to spend more money on gear, tires, insurance, gas, and maintenance? No. Do I need to risk getting hit by someone texting? No. Not to sound fatalistic, but I was just out shoveling the driveway for a good hour. I counted all of the cars going by. 26 cars. 22 of them the driver was glancing or looking down away from the road. 22! I get that people look around when driving (as maybe you should) but there is nothing in your lap that has to do with driving!

I think I am going to stick with my original rationalization. I have had a good run without any serious injuries or accidents and I should quit while I am ahead. Sorry to be a quitter guys!

 

[motoboss]

I'v had the same thoughts for the last year now. I've been riding a motorbike from the age of 8 years old starting on a cushman scooter and now at 63 my desire has finally waned. I was grandfathered my endorsement as I rode before they were required. I've worked for dealerships, had well over 40 motorcycles with 11 at one time, was an MSF instructor for 8 years, raced CCS and ran two different race teams. Yeah motorcycling is in my blood but I have ridden less than 200 miles the last year and a half.

But........
It seems everything comes to an end and time to move on to something different which happens to us all. For me I hate to think of the time I spent enjoying myself while the Wife stayed home. We have done trips together but generally I rode alone, being selfish I now believe, with never a complaint . Not to mention the thousands of dollars in gear, upgrades, maintenance, insurance, plates and registration and so on and on and on.

I will sell my GS and MAYBE pick up a trail bike I can tote along on a bumper hitch for trips but now it will be with the Wife and the mutt in the new money pit, the Jeep.

Or maybe just spend more time in the boat!

Don't feel as though your letting anyone down let alone yourself. After all it just stuff. Good luck.

 

[REDONE]

I have been riding since I was 5 years old ...

8 here, :sombrero: Christmas morning 1986:

OP, you're not letting anyone down buddy. The roads aren't the same as they were 10 years ago, let alone 20 or 30. Two wheels has always been more risky than four, but anymore it's just asking to be a statistic (I'd much rather be a person than just a sticker on someone's back window). When circumstances change and the majority of people commute via mass transit or you find yourself living with lower population density you can always get another.

 

[robert]

Yep, I rode on, and occasionally off, since around '87 I think (dirtbikes before that). I've ridden all over the Southeast US and some of Arizona, as well as in several different countries including China, Malaysia, Thailand, Laos and the Philippines. No wrecks up until a couple of years ago now I've had three- one blown front tire on the DRZ where the tire rolled on the rim while going down the road about 45mph, one high side off the DRZ at 15mph going down a steep graveled forestry service road where I caught a rain rut under the gravel and one crazy British guy in the Philippines who decided I wasn't going to pass him and he side-swiped me resulting in another high side (CB1000 at about 27mph). The last two both resulted in complex fractures of the left humerus (just lucky that way I guess). The surgery in the Philippines was a failure and I had to have it redone in the States. My orthopedic doc said my left arm was a mess and I'm extremely lucky at this point to not have any more lasting damage than I do. I've ridden around the neighborhood since but I think I'm going to take him at his word and quit altogether; I'm not getting any younger and this has already cost me too much. FWIW, I've always been an ATGATT rider and had on good riding gear in each instance.

 

[downhill]

I rode avidly from 1978 till 1994. When I say avidly, I mean almost every day. I raced road bikes too. Rain or shine, snow, you name it. Nothing kept me off the bike. I've toured all over the US and Canada. Every year the traffic seemed to get worse, and the drivers worse too. I was T-boned by a car that ran a stop sign, and then about a year later I was hit from behind by a guy doing over 70 on a another motorcycle. A guy in a Vette passed me on the shoulder of the road down the pacific coast highway. He missed me by inches. Then a friend lost his life in a crash. After, I'd guess 300,000 miles in the saddle, I started feeling like my luck was getting thin. I was a great rider, but you can't avoid everything. It was hard to explain, but it felt real. I parked the bike till I could figure it out. I finally decided that I could walk away with all my limbs, and all the great memories,... or I could double down and maybe end up in a bag. I sold the BMW a couple of months later, and never looked back. Riding was one of the great joys of my life. These kinds of decisions are personal, and must always be. The thought of giving it up is still painful, but I believe I did the right thing.

 

[dman93]

Some interesting stories here, so I’ll tell mine. I started riding on the street, legally, in 1974. For most of the next 12-13 years motorcycling was my life; a little club racing, MSF instructor, quit my job to ride to Alaska, etc. I had 4 or 5 bikes when I got married 15 years later, but reduced the herd and sold my last bike when our first-born was about 3 months old. I was commuting to work occasionally but family life occupied my weekends and even commuting was a challenge, if I needed to pick up the kid or a bunch of diapers. It was definitely my idea to quit, my wife was always supportive, and safety certainly did come into my mind.

Fast forward about 8 years, two kids, and I knew something was missing. My wife ... bless her ... actually suggested I get a bike again and I splurged and got a new Ducati. That was in ‘99, and I still have the bike. I also added to my fleet again, up to three bikes, and have ridden about 80,000 miles in the last 19 years; not a lot, but enough to keep the rust off. I live in an area with quite heavy traffic, and a lot of the miles from ‘99 to ‘14 were Silicon Valley freeway commuting, including lane splitting. I never felt unsafe.

Over the last few years I’ve been riding less, partly because I’ve taken up mountain biking, which is fun and healthy way to spend weekends (and my wife rides seriously too) and partly because I’m beginnning to really enjoy the flexibility of adventure travel in my 4wd truck. I’m also down to two bikes - just sold my high mileage VStrom - and rarely ride the Duc anymore, preferring my light, fun 650 dual sport. I may downsize the fleet again, and if I get a new bike I’m thinking it will be a newer thumper or small twin, more appropriate for my aging body.

So, a long-winded reply, but my point is, your life changes and it’s OK to quit if you want ... but it doesn’t have to be for good. I think I’ll ride as long as I’m physically and mentally safe riding, but I’m OK that it’s not my “lifestyle” anymore. Anyone want my 20 year collection of motorcycle magazines? Good luck with your decision!

 

[watrboy]

I think I have decided to sell. I have been thinking about it and as much fun as I have had using it, it is still just a vehicle. It's not like I built it or restored it or anything like that. I know I will regret selling the bike. But I am sort of at the stage where I need to grow up and stop regretting everything! ha-ha. Plus I have tons of other half finished projects laying around that could get finished with a little bit more time and money.

There are a lot of factors. Money is one thing. Do I need to spend more money on gear, tires, insurance, gas, and maintenance? No. Do I need to risk getting hit by someone texting? No. Not to sound fatalistic, but I was just out shoveling the driveway for a good hour. I counted all of the cars going by. 26 cars. 22 of them the driver was glancing or looking down away from the road. 22! I get that people look around when driving (as maybe you should) but there is nothing in your lap that has to do with driving!

I think I am going to stick with my original rationalization. I have had a good run without any serious injuries or accidents and I should quit while I am ahead. Sorry to be a quitter guys!

Montana has been a tough place to be this winter for any riding. Lots of shoveling and looking at the bike in the garage has caused me to think those same thoughts this winter. But a month ago I braved the cold (28 degrees) and got the S10 warmed up running around town. Thoughts of selling went away, mind cleared and it all made sense again.

I can't ride as much as I would like to right now and only made one long trip last year to your neck of the woods before the fires closed everything. I sense the distracted driver argument and feel the fear.

Take the MSF Advanced Rider course. It will make you a better cage driver too. I take the course every 2 years and learn something new or that I forgot every time. I rode for 12 years in the beginning, skipped riding raising kids and started back in 16 years ago. At almost 61 it has become the only time when I am not distracted, I am sharp, I grin, I cry, I sing (to my self, I do wear a helmet) and feel really good about just moving in the wind.

It still works for me.

Granted I do not commute in a big city, I rode through Phoenix at rush hour on a rented Harley once and though it was fun, every day might get old.

Don't let the winter talk you into something, easy to do.

Be safe in whatever you decide.

 

[SheepnJeep]

Well it's been decided. Going to get a couple of maintainence things finished up such as changing the oil and putting in a new battery and get an advertisement ready. And I can make an ad for some gear as well. Thanks everyone for the advice, it has been something to think about for sure and some good points both ways.

I think in a couple of years I will start a vintage project more aimed twords off-road use. Maybe a vintage Triumph or a Yamaha DT1. Always liked those!

 

[verdesard0g]

I actually got a "new" bike after not riding for aver 20 years....feels good. 1994 beemer.

 

[motoboss]

Glad you finally made the choice, it brings relief. Good luck on the new adventures.

 

[MattF350]

Ive never been a two wheel rider, except my pw80 as a kid, so I cant help much. I dont feel very safe with other drivers, even though Im much larger. Id go offroad if I needes a two wheel thrill.

best of luck on your sale!

 

[Clutch]

Well it's been decided. Going to get a couple of maintainence things finished up such as changing the oil and putting in a new battery and get an advertisement ready. And I can make an ad for some gear as well. Thanks everyone for the advice, it has been something to think about for sure and some good points both ways.

I think in a couple of years I will start a vintage project more aimed twords off-road use. Maybe a vintage Triumph or a Yamaha DT1. Always liked those!

Believe you made the right decision, if you aren't feeling it, you aren't feeling it. No need to force it.


If you ever do decide to get back into it...kinda like when they take a modern bike and make it look old with some bits (even though it looks terribly uncomfortable to ride )

http://www.bikeexif.com/2017-yamaha-wr450f-iron-cobras