Two wheels bad

"LimitedTimeOnly @ opposite-lock.com" (limitedtimeonly)
03/06/2020 at 10:33 • Filed to: Two Wheels Bad, Motorcycles

I am tempted to play with motorcycles this weekend. This is bad.

[Edit: I really should have mentioned that I re- watched all episodes of “ !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! ” over the past week and a half, which doesn’t help.]

I’m pretty happy with my automotive collecti on of the 2016 VW GTI and the 2020 Subaru Outback, to the point where I don’t feel like test driving cars for fun because I can’t even convince myself that I’d even slightly realistically bother changing anything. This may well pass, but it is the current status.

Which leaves me considering test driving motorcycles for fun.

Which leaves me risking making my wife very, very sad.

I was supposed to camp at !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! this weekend, but they are doing “beach renourishment” 24 hours a day (noisy), and let me cancel my reservation. This leaves me with a need to do something fun. Troublesome.

Grom for your time:

DISCUSSION (21)

Chuckles > LimitedTimeOnly @ opposite-lock.com
03/06/2020 at 10:37

Do it. As someone who recently started riding, it's fun even at low speeds.

Jim Spanfeller > LimitedTimeOnly @ opposite-lock.com
03/06/2020 at 10:41

Solution: Buy a motorcycle for her as well. Or a sidecar. Or a big motorcycle with two seats. Or a Morgan.

Kinja'd!!!

bob and john > LimitedTimeOnly @ opposite-lock.com
03/06/2020 at 10:51

the number of motorcycles you can own is N+1: where N = the current number of motorcycles you own.

unless you are married. the equation then becomes D-1. where D is the number needed to trigger a divorce. (if you still want to be married anyways...but Id never get with a girl that disapproves of bikes to start with)

Also: motorcycles are, IMO, infintetly more fun then cars. Ina car, you are watching everything go by behind a windscreen. Like watching a great movie on an awesome tv.

On a bike, you are IN the movie. that road you are watching is right under your foot. the sensation of leaning and getting the knee down in a fast corner is like nothing I’ve ever experienced .

even the most boring bike is more fun then the funnest car.

shop-teacher > LimitedTimeOnly @ opposite-lock.com
03/06/2020 at 10:54

“Which leaves me risking making my wife very, very sad.”

Ah, that’s the kicker. I came to riding late in life, in my mid-30's, but for me it actually started because my wife wanted to learn to ride. If your wife is against it ... don’t do it.

LimitedTimeOnly @ opposite-lock.com > shop-teacher
03/06/2020 at 11:02

She was fine with it in theory before we were married, when I got my license. After marriage she didn’t want to risk me getting hurt.

And she isn’t into speed or agility . . . she gets motion sick when I take twisties at 6/10ths in a car. So she’s not joining me.

LimitedTimeOnly @ opposite-lock.com > Jim Spanfeller
03/06/2020 at 11:11

I’m a “no” for 3-wheelers. Rightly or wrongly, I figure that I’d rather be in a car at that point.

shop-teacher > LimitedTimeOnly @ opposite-lock.com
03/06/2020 at 11:13

Somewhat ironically, in the years since we took the class together, my wife has ridden exactly one time. Despite me buying her a scooter of her own a year and a half ago.

You’re in a tough spot there.

LimitedTimeOnly @ opposite-lock.com > shop-teacher
03/06/2020 at 11:20

Well, I definitely would have to really strain my marriage to OWN a motorcycle, which isn’t likely worth it. But I may be able to get away with test rides without making her too upset.

Of course, she is smart enough to spot the obvious slippery slope there.

bob and john > LimitedTimeOnly @ opposite-lock.com
03/06/2020 at 11:37

that is the equivalent of: “just the tip honey”

you both know where this is going. just commit to it.

Chuckles > LimitedTimeOnly @ opposite-lock.com
03/06/2020 at 12:05

Maybe she'd be ok with something like a scooter just to go around the neighborhood. Sure, it's still dangerous. But a crash at 20mph is usually a little less serious than one at 120mph. My girlfriend is very anti-motorcyle, but she laughed and gave her approval when I said that I wanted a scooter.

whatisthatsound > LimitedTimeOnly @ opposite-lock.com
03/06/2020 at 12:46

You should definitely buy a morgan. You can trust me.

shop-teacher > LimitedTimeOnly @ opposite-lock.com
03/06/2020 at 12:49

To me that sounds like more torture than it’ s worth.

KSUENGINEER > LimitedTimeOnly @ opposite-lock.com
03/06/2020 at 12:50

Ahh the old “my wife doesn’t want me to own a motorcycle” dilemma . I have been riding for 8 out of the ten years my wife and I have been together (2 of those years we have been married) . She refuses to hop on the back and doesn’t like to “think about me riding, ” because of an accident a family member had.

We have a deal. I wear the best gear that I can afford every time I hop on a bike. For commuting this means I wear Kevlar lined jeans (or over- pants) with knee and hip protectors , over the ankle boots with ankle protection, back protector/ airbag jacket, full face helmet, and gauntlet gloves with scaphoid sliders.

Track day riding means I have my full 1 piece suit, chest protector, “race” boots, gauntlet gloves with scaphoid sliders, chest protector, back protector/airbag, and helmet.

Motorcycling is inherently dangerous, but theses can be mitigated to a degree. If it is something you are really serious about then have an open conversation about it and how you can reduce these risks. Invest in good gear (you get what you pay for), and rider improvement/training. The biggest dangers to a rider is poor training/lack of experience and other drivers. If you haven’t rode in a while (years) I would suggest taking the MSF course again to refresh your skills, even if you do have a valid M class license. Could be a selling point for your wife. It’s an expensive hobby, but for me it is worth every penny.

BTW: Wife is a huge MotoGP fan, so she sees how good gear helps a rider.

LimitedTimeOnly @ opposite-lock.com > shop-teacher
03/06/2020 at 13:23

Probably.

TheRealBicycleBuck > LimitedTimeOnly @ opposite-lock.com
03/06/2020 at 13:40

We were looking at motorcycles to replace my old one. when we first married. I was also actively hang-gliding at the time. Then my wife got pregnant. All risky activities came to a screeching halt.

Now that the kids are in high school, she’s taking a more pragmatic approach. As long as I have plenty of life insurance, she’s ok with risky activities. That’s why I was able to go get my pilot’s license. Now that we’ve jumped that hurdle, perhaps I can convince her that a motorcycle would be ok.....

LimitedTimeOnly @ opposite-lock.com > KSUENGINEER
03/06/2020 at 13:52

I wouldn’t commute on a motorcycle with the amount of stupidity that I see every day on my commute when driving my cars. And I’m focusing on camping rather than autocross these days, so I’m not going to track a bike. That leaves fairly rare leisure rides. So, no, I’m not all that serious, really.

Even though I still have a valid motorcycle endorsement (an amusing result of a story not worth telling), I always said that I’d have to re-take the MSF course before getting back into riding, so I certainly agree with you there.

LimitedTimeOnly @ opposite-lock.com > TheRealBicycleBuck
03/06/2020 at 13:55

No kids here, so it’s just my wife wanting me to stick around.

LimitedTimeOnly @ opposite-lock.com > bob and john
03/06/2020 at 14:09

I’m not sure that anyone would let me test ride a bike anyway . . . the only gear that I have is a helmet. And no motorcycle insurance.

Maybe I’ll go test a 911 after all. Or an M2.

KSUENGINEER > LimitedTimeOnly @ opposite-lock.com
03/06/2020 at 14:09

Fair enough. If you do decide to purchase a motorcycle, even for leisure, this advice still would apply. It doesn’t take much for shit to hit the fan on a motorcycle at any speed. The people I see get hurt don’t have enough miles/training, and wear (or don’t) shit for gear.

TheRealBicycleBuck > LimitedTimeOnly @ opposite-lock.com
03/06/2020 at 15:32

It occurs to me that perhaps she’s tired of having me around and losing me to a tragic accident is easier than a divorce! :D

LimitedTimeOnly @ opposite-lock.com > TheRealBicycleBuck
03/06/2020 at 17:25

Nah, just more risk tolerant, I'm sure.