How long do you keep your motorcycles?

How long do you keep your motorcycle before selling it and buying a new one?

  • 0-3 months

  • 3-12 months

  • 1-2 years

  • 2-5 years

  • 5-7 years

  • 7-10 years

  • 10-15 years

  • 15-20 years

  • 20-30 years

  • 30+ years

Results are only viewable after voting.
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1973 Norton 850 purchased in 1978 so 47 years and counting. I bought the first Triumph Rocket III in Canada in 2004 and sadly sold it when it got too heavy for me, 18years. 1994 Triumph Sprint, owned 13 years. 1963 Matchless 500 bought in 1978 and one day will finish it........currently own 5 bikes. Just noticed the '73 Commando 850 in my avatar about 8 years ago on the Blue Ridge Parkway
 
Lightcycle said:
If you had no intentions of ever selling your bike, but the laws of physics and the hungry, hungry tarmac conspired to have other plans for you, let's use 30+ years. ;)

Also... feeling a little personally attacked here...
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Current bike I've had 10 years, I've voted and am aiming for the 30 years 😁
 
The Z50 minitrail that I learned to ride on was actually my dads as a child, I think purchases new and it's still in the family. Sooo that on is 50+ years

Now bikes from when I was 16
1984 Honda 500 Interceptor - 3-1/2 years
2004 Honda 599 - 3 months, until I yard saled it
YSR50 - 2 years, never actually rode it
2002 ZX6r - 3 years track/race only
2005 CBR600rr - 8 years track/race only
Z50R - 5 years & counting
2004 Honda 599 - 4 years & counting
2008 CBR600rr - 4 years & counting track/race only
2012 KTM 250 XC-F - 3 years & counting
2008 CBR1000rr - 1 year & counting track/race only

So currently have 5. Two for the track, one for the street, one for the woods and a mini. If I had more garage space, I'd have more. We have a single "car" garage and Kyle also has an additional 4 bikes crammed in there.

We're wanting to ride out to the east coast next year, so might have to swap the street bike.
 
AFJ said:
The dismantled project bike that I bought in 1969 and got back on the road a couple of years later is still with me and working well. A decade later I had a chance to buy another of the same make (but different model) which had not run since 1950. Bought it and got it working OK so now I have one fitted with a sidecar and the other one still solo. Most parts for both bike models are still available, through the club for this old British make.
AFJ
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I find the availability of parts for my Norton Commando absolutely amazing, same goes for my new-to-me BMW R100RS. I don't need to sort through greasy bins of questionable bits and pieces to effect repairs. Not to say I don't do it, just in case there's something I can't live without.
 
xrljoel said:
I find the availability of parts for my Norton Commando absolutely amazing, same goes for my new-to-me BMW R100RS. I don't need to sort through greasy bins of questionable bits and pieces to effect repairs. Not to say I don't do it, just in case there's something I can't live without.
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Ever look around on www.britcycle.com Lots of interesting ole British iron there, one day maybe own another Trident or a `69 Rocket 3 to place in my living room, just something about them.
 
SteveM. said:
Had a '75 Trident T160 for a short while.
It had a 3-1 Bub exhaust. Still one of the best looking and sounding motorcycles, imho.
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Years ago at Mosport I saw the Team Obsolete BSA Rocket 3. I believe it was the Dick Mann Daytona 200 winner. I think Dave Roper was riding, hard on the gas outta` 10 with that open megaphone gave me goosebumps. The XR 750, not the flattrack version, was awesome too. The TO RC-166/250 six still is the winner though. I`ve been fortunate to see it on track 3 times, un-F`n believable.
 
A good rule of thumb is when it starts to feel slow and you have lost your respect of its performance it is time to move on.
Mostly applicable to performance oriented motorcycles tho.
 
xrljoel said:
I find the availability of parts for my Norton Commando absolutely amazing, same goes for my new-to-me BMW R100RS. I don't need to sort through greasy bins of questionable bits and pieces to effect repairs. Not to say I don't do it, just in case there's something I can't live without.
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If all goes well I’ll be adding both those tans maybe a WLA to my stable this spring.

Brit parts are cheap, not so sure about the German and American stuff.
 
Dirty Frank said:
A good rule of thumb is when it starts to feel slow and you have lost your respect of its performance it is time to move on.
Mostly applicable to performance oriented motorcycles tho.
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Definitely only applies to performance oriented motorcycles.

I never respected my BMW G650GS' performance. It's probably the bike I put the most miles on. Loved it so much I bought a second one.

Second bike I put the most miles on is my Vespa GTS 250. I never respected that bike's performance either.

Adri's rule of thumb: Instead of kids, just have a wide range of bikes so you can always pick the right one for that day's job.
 
I keep them as long as I still love swinging a leg over and going out for a ride and I am grinning. I will keep it as long as I can do most of the maintenance and still enjoy it. Shortest ownership was the 1982 Honda CB900c ( 7 years), loved the two range transmission and air adjustable shocks. Only reason I sold it was the ST1100 was so much smoother, and long range gas tank. I have had the ST1100 for 18 years. It is way more bike than I have riding talent to outgrow. Once it gets too heavy, not sure if I will get a lighter bike (I have a 1980 Honda 400 twin that hasn't been started for 3 years now) or make the ST1100 into a sidecar rig.
 
Dirty Frank said:
A good rule of thumb is when it starts to feel slow and you have lost your respect of its performance it is time to move on.
Mostly applicable to performance oriented motorcycles tho.
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Based on this logic I will never have to sell my KLR. ( Always been slow and down on "performance")
 
timtune said:
Based on this logic I will never have to sell my KLR. ( Always been slow and down on "performance")
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Well be careful the last bike that almost killed me was a honda st 90 that i was returning to service for a friend after a long nap.
I get on it and like a idiot thought this thing cant hurt me...
 
Dirty Frank said:
Well be careful the last bike that almost killed me was a honda st 90 that i was returning to service for a friend after a long nap.
I get on it and like a idiot thought this thing cant hurt me...
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You're preaching to the choir. I'm still doing physio for my shoulder after dropping my buddies DT50 in June. (In my defense it was after 10am so weed and alcohol was involved....)
 
timtune said:
You're preaching to the choir. I'm still doing physio for my shoulder after dropping my buddies DT50 in June. (In my defense it was after 10am so weed and alcohol was involved....)
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Wake and bake and zoom and boom lol
 
adri said:
Wake and bake and zoom and boom lol
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Funny part was I wasn't zooming. I had taken it for a spin, was stopped and fumbling with the petcock, which I couldn't see well. Leaning over and oopsie, shoulder makes first contact.

Certain members of the KLusteR are not about to let this one go.
 
How many of you have bought the same bike twice? I bought 2 Beta 200s a few years ago. And i would buy another Tenere 1200 in a heartbeat.
 
Haven't just bought the same bike twice several times (Boulevard M50s and Sportsters mostly), I've also had multiples of the same bike at the same time (Vespa GTS250, bought one, then a ridiculous deal came up so I bought a second one like two months later), and I currently have one BMW G650GS in Chrawno and another in Milan.

One of the great things about motorcycles... you can keep going back to the same ones you like as many times as you want, and they only get cheaper each time lol
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